Getty Images

The local baseball team is having a great season. The local football team has turned to baseball to find its new Chief Operating Officer.

The Vikings have announced that former Toronto Blue Jays executive Andrew Miller will be the new COO as of September 1. Miller replaces Kevin Warren, who will become the new Commissioner of the Big 10.

“We are thrilled to name Andrew COO of the Minnesota Vikings,” owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement. “Andrew is a first-class individual, known for his integrity, strong business acumen, and collaborative approach. He cares deeply about people and their development and is acutely focused on every way in which he can improve the organization. Kevin Warren has been an integral part of the Vikings for the past 15 years and helped create a culture we are all proud of. We think Andrew is a tremendous addition to our organization, and will help us continue to build on that foundation, while always putting the utmost importance on our fans and our community.”

Miller also spent 10 years with the Cleveland Indians, working with Mark Shapiro.

“I am honored to join an organization with such a deep tradition as the Minnesota Vikings and work with the Wilf family, who have demonstrated such a strong commitment to the community,” Miller said. “I am excited to be a part of the Vikings organization and positively impact our fans, who are among the most passionate in all sports. My family and I look forward to immersing ourselves in the state of Minnesota.”

The COO position, primarily if not exclusively a business-only job, has extra meaning in Minnesota, given that owners Mark and Zygi Wilf do not reside there. Miller essentially will be “in charge” of the organization when Mark or Zygi are not physically present. For teams where that approach works, there’s never a question raised. For teams where it doesn’t (like with the Dolphins in past years), it’s always an issue.