Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.
Whose Idea Was Dick Bremer's Farewell?
Trick or treat: Today the Twins announced that Dick Bremer, their play-by-play TV announcer since 1983, will be stepping away from the broadcast booth. The team mustered plenty of PR fanfare to send off Bremer, who they labelled as the “longest-tenured television broadcaster for a single team in Major League Baseball.” In a sweet farewell statement, Bremer writes, “In those 40 years, I broadcast 4,972 Twins games. Over the last year or so, I thought it would really be cool to make it to 5,000. Then, I thought to myself, how selfish would that be? A broadcast should NEVER be about the announcer. It should ALWAYS be about the game and those who play it.” The St. Paul native, 67, then tweeted this perfect Minnesota farewell:
But perhaps it's not all sunshine, rainbows, and hoisted fishing boat Modelos in Twins Territory. While Bremer will be transitioning into a role within the Twins front office, his retirement from the mic might not have been by choice, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic. “A high-ranking team official confirmed health isn’t a factor in the decision; the Twins instead want a change in the booth,” Hayes writes. “Other than a statement in the team’s press release, Bremer declined to comment.” The move, whoever’s decision it was, comes at an uncertain time for televised Twins games. There’s no heir apparent to Bremer (Hayes floats the name of radio man Cory Provus), and the team’s contract with floundering TV home Bally Sports North expired after this year with no provider in place for next season.
But that’s speculation for another day! Read the entire Athletic piece for a well-earned glowing remembrance of Bremer’s tenure calling Twins games.
Why Are You So Obsessed With Boston?
[Editor's note: We recruited Maine-based writer Jerard Fagerberg, a born Bostonian and longtime Minnesotan, to handle this blurb.]
Star Tribune biz columnist Evan Ramstad has been hearing a lot about Massachusetts. Enough, in fact, to devote his latest column to a fairly flimsy comparison between the two "M" states. Ramstad's argument hinges on the labor situations in the North Star and Bay States; both are seeing low levels of population decline, coupled with a slight decrease in labor population. Ramstad cites such sources as a workshop attended by HR executives and "simply [his] impression" to point out an ever-so-slight gully that puts Massachusetts behind (by percentage points, not total population).
All of this to say: You know what, things could be worse here in lil' ol' Minnesota! As a Massachusetts native and a decade-long Minnesota resident, I must say it's an odd take. (Similar to his decision to... not interview the first-ever woman editor of City Pages—or anyone at the paper—in his boss-quoting story on CP going under.) Yes, like many states, both states have businesses and colleges, as Ramstad tabulates. But what does workforce participation decline in Boston, one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S., have to do with Gov. Tim Walz removing college degree requirements for state jobs? Your guess is as this coastal elite's. Queue the Mad Men meme!
Happy Halloween From St. Paul Parks
When St. Paul Parks and Recreation's Parks and Recreation costume showed up on Facebook earlier today, we all thought it was pretty fun (and also impressive). Then we realized they've been dressing up as Leslie Knope & Co. every year since 2016 (!) and we thought it was really fun and extremely impressive. You can see each costume they've done celebrating the delightful NBC sitcom here, on the official St. Paul website. A huge shoutout to St. Paul Parks staff for committing to the bit in a big way—and hey, happy Halloween, everybody.
Let's Check in on How the Dean Phillips Campaign Is Going
Erm, never mind.
