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MARK ZDECHLIK: The oft-repeated estimate puts Donald Watkins' worth at $1.4 billion. Watkins won't confirm that figure. He only insists he has the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to buy the Minnesota Twins, and, perhaps more importantly given public sentiment, pay for a new revenue-producing ballpark without public assistance.

Watkins would become the first Black owner in Major League Baseball. He would finance the ballpark, in part through an adjacent world-class sports museum, along with the usual naming rights, luxury seats, and clubs, getting help with the initial investment from business associates all over the world.

DONALD WATKINS: I'm not in favor of using tax dollars to build sports facilities. Let the entrepreneur who can think outside of the box develop the revenue streams sufficient to service the debt.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Watkins made those comments on MPR in December. He has since largely pulled back from the media, lately citing a confidentiality agreement with Twins owner Carl Pohlad. Watkins declined numerous requests to be interviewed for this report. His office staff was unable to provide a biography chronicling his career and instead recommended a website called Voter News Network as a source for information.

Watkins launched the VNN last spring, primarily, according to his first editorial, to organize a block of politically-independent African-American voters in Alabama. He has used VNN to critique Alabama and national politics. Most of VNN's articles are written by family members and political associates. Much of the material criticizes well-known Alabama Democrats from the governor on down. Auburn University adjunct political science professor D'Linell Finley is a longtime observer of Alabama politics.

D'LINELL FINLEY: There is certainly some who would see a bit of sour grapes on the part of Donald Watkins because it is a fact that he did get his start in the Democratic Party. And of course, it was because of his affiliation with powerful Democratic leaders that he became very wealthy.

MARK ZDECHLIK: The son of a politically powerful Alabama State University president, Watkins was educated in the law. In the 1970s, he devoted his energy to several high-profile civil rights cases. Although always politically active, Watkins held elective office only once. He served a four-year term on the Montgomery city council, ending in 1983, before turning his attention to the city of Birmingham and its powerful mayor, Richard Arrington. Watkins served as Arrington's special legal counsel for nearly 15 years.

RICHARD ARRINGTON: He is a very talented attorney and businessman.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Arrington says, Watkins' talent commanded handsome payments from the city under his administration.

RICHARD ARRINGTON: He probably netted, this is a guess, some $12, $15 million representing the city, but I think that's a minor part of his holdings.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Arrington says, he has no idea what Watkins is worth, only that he can certainly afford the Twins. Watkins recently told the Associated Press he accumulated most of his wealth through investments, primarily, according to numerous reports, in the research and production of pollution-reducing fuel additives.

He is also founder and chairman of All America Bank, a relatively small financial institution, which opened two years ago in Birmingham. His holdings include investments in check cashing businesses and oil drilling operations.

Watkins' interest in Major League Baseball emerged last spring and centered on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It was about the same time Watkins had a highly-publicized falling out on the Alabama State University board of trustees. He'd been promoting the idea of bringing division I-A football to the historically Black school, essentially a move to the big leagues in the football-crazed Gulf Coast.

There would be a new privately-financed stadium with a museum recognizing Black athletes. It would cost nearly $100 million. Watkins would help bring in the money, reportedly tapping business associates, some in other countries.

But the ASU dream never took root, in no small part because of criticism from fellow board member Joe Reed, a 30-year Alabama Democratic power broker who reportedly labeled the economics of Watkins plan "voodoo financing."

JOE REED: Nothing ever happened. And I thought it was a hoax and a joke from day one. And I was right.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Watkins resigned from the ASU board last May, throwing in the towel on the big-time football idea. But much of what he had pushed for in Alabama sounds now like a scaled-down version of what he's proposing for the Twins. Reed doubts Watkins has the wherewithal to pull off the Twins deal.

JOE REED: The Alabama State is to serve as a barometer. Then, yes, you'd better be skeptical. I think all of us are wasting time because I don't think it's going to happen. If I told you tomorrow, I was going to be premier of Russia, I doubt you would come down to Montgomery, Alabama and do an interview on the future Black premier of Russia.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Skepticism is understandable. According to Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist, who's written extensively on the economics of professional sports.

ANDREW ZIMBALIST: I don't want to condemn him or dismiss him for what he's saying. I just think some caution about his promises and his visions is in order.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Zimbalist says, it would be hard for Watkins' plan to work even in a larger market than the Twin Cities, especially in a time of economic trouble.

ANDREW ZIMBALIST: This is a very tall order. And I would suspect that as he gets down to the nitty gritty, we might see some modifications in the plan where he's looking for various kinds of public support.

MARK ZDECHLIK: But Watkins ally, Arrington, in the Twin Cities, scouting potential stadium locations and meeting with political leaders, including the mayors of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, says, Watkins will not stray from his pledge.

RICHARD ARRINGTON: Mr. Watkins has not been one in his business ventures to go to the public trough a great deal. But whatever site he ends up, he's going to need to have a good working relationship with the city or the cities in the area, particularly the Twin Cities and things of that sort.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Even Watkins' critics acknowledge, he's a hard worker who relentlessly pursues his goals. Supporters warn not to underestimate him. High school principal and ASU trustee Maxine Coley says, the Alabama businessman does not operate under hidden agendas.

MAXINE COLEY: He's just-- down South, we would say just an oversized and overgrown young boy that has seized what he can do and put his energies and his efforts there. And the people in Minnesota will love him to death.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Watkins has met with Pohlad once already and is expected to meet again with the Twins' owner in the next few weeks. This is Mark Zdechlik. Minnesota Public Radio.