ST. PAUL, Posted 5:19 p.m. April 20, 1998 -- A judge ruled today that the state's antitrust investigation of the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball can proceed.

The Twins had tried to halt the state's investigation, saying that baseball is protected by an exemption from antitrust laws.

But Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan said that baseball's exemption applies only to player transactions.

Attorney General Skip Humphrey is looking into whether the Twins' demands for a publicly financed stadium and threat to leave Minnesota violate antitrust laws.