Twins owner Pohlad is dead at age 93

Carl Pohlad, a billionaire banker whose Minnesota Twins won two World Series titles during nearly his nearly quarter-century as owner, died yesterday. He was 93. When Pohlad paid Calvin Griffith $38 million for the Twins in 1984, he was widely credited for saving baseball in Minnesota. With the purchase, he inherited a promising group of young players, including Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek and future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. Minnesota won World Series championships in 1987 and 1991.

Jurisprudence: Carl Eller, a Hall of Fame defensive end who played with the Minnesota Vikings, sued the Minneapolis Police Department in federal court, alleging that officers violated his civil rights, used excessive force and concealed videotape evidence when they subdued him during an arrest in April. Eller, 66, was arrested after he allegedly drove through a stop sign and narrowly missed hitting a squad car. Officers followed him home, where they say he became combative. He was charged with fourth-degree assault and making terroristic threats, which are felonies, and driving while impaired and refusing to take a chemical test for alcohol, which are gross misdemeanors. Police dismissed the lawsuit as baseless. ... Michael Vick would have to keep a court official informed about his attempts to be reinstated by the NFL after his release from prison, under a revised bankruptcy plan proposed by his lawyers. The amended Chapter 11 reorganization plan was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newport News, Va. A committee representing Vick's creditors endorsed the plan and urged the creditors to vote for its confirmation.

Horse racing: Officials at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., have begun an urgent inspection and evaluation of its synthetic Pro-Ride surface after five breakdowns, including three fatalities, of horses in the first two weeks of its winter meeting. Santa Anita has spent more than $15million on its synthetic track.

NHL: Henrik Lundqvist became the fifth NHL goalie to start a career with four 20-win seasons, and the host Rangers prevailed, 4-0, over the Penguins. ... The Canucks cleared room for Mats Sundin to join the lineup this week.

Soccer: Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan will join Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga on loan during the Major League Soccer offseason. Donovan's loan began yesterday and he is scheduled to return on March 8.

From Sun news services