The Minnesota Twins would seem to be dealing with the same adversity of any cash-strapped small market team: losing high-priced free agents Johan Santana and Torri Hunter to bigger markets and having to dip into public funds to finance the team’s new stadium. Makes some sense, except when you take into account that the team’s owner, Carl Pohlad, is the wealthiest among baseball’s ruling class, according to FORBES.

The MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE points out that among the 92-year-old Pohlad’s “peers on Forbes’ global billionaire list are John Malone (Braves, tied for 553rd, $2.2 billion), Mike Ilitch (Tigers, 743rd, $1.6 billion), and Tom Hicks (Rangers) and George Steinbrenner (Yankees, tied for 897th, $1.3 billion).”

Naturally, some Twins fans were less than enthusiastic about finding out they are forking over money in a sales tax increase to fund a $412 million stadium Pohlad could easily afford on his own.

“Why are our taxes paying for a new stadium for a man who is worth $3.1 billion? He can pay for that stadium with what he finds in his couch!” writes one commenter on startribune.com.

Even though the sales tax Hennepin County is levying is going to fund more than half the cost of the stadium - $260 million, reports MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO - the Twins say they’re gracious enough to pitch in.

“The Twins also opted to boost the number of rest rooms and concession stands. They’re putting in a high-definition scoreboard. And the team is adding several rooms that Bell described as shelters — temperature-controlled, glass-enclosed areas intended to help fans softened by years of indoor baseball adjust to the outdoor game.”

And those softened by getting fleeced by the team? What about them?