Pohlad is still alive?

glad to hear everything is okay with you health-wise rick. no worries on the recent lack of new threads. what is that old saying? ah yes, patience is a virtue.

Some more construction pictures from the Ballpark Authority can be found on the "Construction Update" page.

Glad to hear everything is ok Rick...

Maybe its just me but from looking at the pictures...the concourse doesn't look as wide as advertised. If you look at the pictures under mo's link there is a pick of the concourse with people standing in it...it just doesn't look very wide. Also, if you go to the construction site you can see an edge in the concourse marking where the concession and bathrooms will begin .... it just doesn't look very wide!

MOJO, I wouldn't worry about that. If there are plenty of reasons to hate on HOK, there are just as many to love their knowledge of how to build structures to handle crowds. That's the main reason you go to a firm like that - they know how to make all the innards work. And, I'm pretty sure they know how to measure as well. It's always hard to judge from photos because you have no frame of reference as to where the walls will be and what not.

great to hear you're ok, rick. godspeed.

anyone remember the video montage that a local news station (5 points to whomever can name it...) put together after the '87 series win? after watching that time-lapse video of the new ballpark construction, the medley and warnes song "i'm having the time of my life" was running thru my head... such sweet memories!

I can't remember the montage yeahkyle. But I do remember driving to game 6 of the '87 WS, listening to WLOL. I remember hearing "i still believe" by the call and "far from over" by frank stallone.

I remember the "Light-Happy Music" KQ used to play each morning the Twins we're in first place during the '87 season. Sweet memories, indeed!

I still think the Twins should have went with Dark Blue seats (like they have in Petco Park and PNC Park). If the San Diego Padres used dark blue seats and limestone to resemble the sandy beaches and ocean in San Diego, the Twins should use limestone and dark blue seats to resemble the land of 10,000 lakes.

Either way, dark blue seats look good with the limestone facade.

In the end, I will take green seats outdoors over the Metrodome though, as most of us would.

Will it really matter what color they are when 40,000 people are sitting in them? I don't care what color they are just so long as they don't do something stupid like they did at the Met Center with mustard seats.

Did you guys notice that they updated the ballpark 'flyover' video on the same link to the construction time- lapse. A few minor changes were made to the exterior.

I can't believe we don't have a 2nd webcam yet. It would be great to see what's going on in the outfield.

Lafferty...I also saw that today. What were the changes you noticed?

OJ Mayo! Another superstar for the Twin Cities!

It looked like the cantilevered glass sections that stick out of the facade changed slightly.

They also updated that small section of limestone on the facade behind centerfield. It almost looks like they added a small ticket window here.

The large, long window on the promenade/HERC side also looks different, but I'd have to look at the old video again to make sure. The same style of window on the 7th St. facade looks longer too. And did they add little kiosks and extra entrances on the promenade?

Blue Seats,
That was short-lived. Kevin McHale strikes again. Thank goodness I have the Suns.

After comparing the new animation with the previous screenshots, I noticed that the small limestone section past centerfield has not changed. (I just never noticed the ticket window before) The wall back there is now brown, but we've known that for awhile.

It still appears that the glass sections that stick out are more sleek, but it's hard to tell.

Our ballparks' exterior feels more like an actual structure instead of empty warehouse like so many 'retro' parks. I can't wait to see pics of the limestone and glass.

That's awesome that you have access to their media site Rick.

.... and another "superstar" leaves the Twin Cities!

We need to boycott the twolves, that trade has made me sick to my stomach.

worst gm in sports history for the t wolves im just suprised we did not trade oj mayo to the celtics and throw in next year first rounder to boot

Speaking of the Wolves...I see they unveiled their third different logo and new uniforms (although not much different than the previous logo, its still a new/modified logo) since the teams inception in 1989. The Twins have had the same uniforms since 1987, so the Twins definitely need a change as they enter a new era in their new ballpark. Just my opinion.

I dunno Luke, sometimes change isn't always good. Take the Vikings for example. Their new uniforms are awful. Bring back the solid purple!!

I would have to agree Kevin that change is not always good but I still think the Twins need a change. And if the Twins are going to change, they need to go back to the uniforms from the 60's. Have that old school outdoor feel again come 2010.

As for the Vikings, I was happy to hear they will be wearing their "throwbacks" for at least 2 home games this year. Those were some pretty good looking throwbacks last year in the Packer game so it will be nice to see the team wear them again this year for at least 2 more home games.

I think the Twins should just go back to the exact same uniforms they wore during their last season at Met Stadium. Then we can just pretend like the 28 year Metrodome experiment never happened. Denial ain't just a river in Africa...

Bad,
where those the blue road unis or the gray ones? i would like to even see the gray button ups that i see pics of mr. carew wearing... i love the powder blue own a kirby one myself but they are kinda getting played out everyone has one these days at the dome... just my opinion...

I have no idea. Don't really care about uniforms. As long as I am squinting into the sunlight to see 'em!

Here is a link to the chronology of the Minnesota Twins uniforms over the years.

That's a good link, Luke. Looking at the creativity level the Twins have put into uniforms over the years nearly put me to sleep. Still, the retro look is pretty sweet.

I've noticed that the twins have been using a new blueish-green color and and iron red on their website. I am hoping that they go with this color scheme on the new uniforms. I would like the 1961-86 "Twins" script to return also.

I was down at the site today and still can't believe how fast the stadium is going up. I noticed today they had already started pouring cement for the bullpin in left center. You can visualize the outfield wall about 75% of the way around. Also noticed the back wall of the twins dugout is up (not poured) and the entrance to the bar/club in right field is already poured and taken shape. Finally, I noticed the steal that will rest diagonally holding the seats was delivered today. Go Twins!

The bar/club I was referring to is the one that will be directly behind 1st base.

Luke H. I am also very happy to hear that the vikes will be wearing there throwbacks again... where did you hear that? You say at least 2 home games meaning they could wear them more, I hope so.

So MOJO...where are the pics?

Perhaps the best part of an outdoor stadium... NO MORE F"#$#! BEACHBALLS. Sorry drunk frat-boys.. you can leave them at home cuz they'll just blow away anyway.

bmd,

I apologize, it was "at least one game", not "at least two games" as I previously mentioned. Either way, it sounds like it could be more than one game which would be nice!

This information comes from Judd Zulgad's "Access Vikings" Blog on the S-Trib. To be exact, it was one of the tidbits in the June 13th "What a class" blog entry. I have attached the link to that blog, but here is what he said:

"The Vikings are expected to wear their purple throwback jerseys in at least one home game this year. The team wore them last season against Green Bay at the Metrodome."

Dan, had to laugh outloud at your comment, it sounds like you've had some bad experiences with inflatable objects at the dome. I got news for you buddy, it gets even worse when the frat boys are outdoors and have had a couple beers (click link)

Dan - Are you that crazy usher at the dome who freaks out everytime people break out the beachballs in left field?! I am sorry, but it is hilarious to watch every time it happens. The way all of the ushers run up and down the stairs chasing after it to no avail. It is like teasing a dog with a piece of meat and keeping it just out of reach.

Even better is that there is always one guy in the crowd who thinks it is his job to police all of the people around him while at the game and gets just as mad as the ushers trying to destroy the "evil" beachball.

I think mplsgreg is right on this one. The beachballs won't go away just because you move outdoors. There will probably be more of them.

So can someone give me a link to this new video of the upgrades on the outside of the stadium? I only see the inside?

Long live the beachball!

The Twins added a few construction pics from 6/26, including another mock up of the limestone wall.

If only they would get that other webcam going.

Lafferty, where and how do you find all of these things? I see the updated pics w/ the wall but not the flyover video with the new stuff? The only video tour I see goes right to the inside of the stadium, and doesn't show much of the outside!

BTW, I think MOJO needs to get some pics of what he was talking about above!

I walk down to the park weekly...I can start bringing my camera.....

Thanks Mojo. Those of us from out of town would really appreciate it since the club itself is updates us once a month at best.

Ya that would be GREATLY appreciated! I live in Rochester so I don't get up there too often. Though I did just get 5th row seats behind the Twins dugout for Tuesday's Tigers game! ;)

How much of it can you get to, cause I want to go over before the game and walk around... So what are the best places to go to see the best? Where to park? Etc...

The next couple weeks should be pretty exciting while watching the webcam. (and hopefully the 2nd web cam Kev in Ariz) :-) More steel...more concrete...possible limestone block start...finishing off the ped. bridge. Should be fun! You guys can blame me for the Twins 5-1 loss on Sat. night. I knew I shouldn't have gone. The next time the Twins have a winning streak going, I'll stay away. It was nice to see Slow-dog (as I call him) be Sheets today on TV. Looks like the Twins will still be a game and half back after the Sox swept the Cubs. It's shaping up for a fun Summer of pennant chasing baseball. GO TWINS!!

I agree Locker. What Gardy has accomplished already this season is nothing short of incredible. I hope it can continue. One thing is for sure, Delmon Young really needs to step it up!
Hopefully today's homerun will get him started.

True, Delmon needs to get it going. It's amazing what Buscher, Harris, Casillo, Kubel, and Gomez continue to do on a nightly basis. The pitching has just been incredible lately too. I love Gardy, but I think the real hero of the coaching staff is Rick Anderson. It is absolutely amazing what he has done to have so many young pitchers playing so well. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't continue either. The Tigers, Indians, & Red Sox series will obviously tell us more...hope we can get 2 out of 3 in those series and put a little more distance between the other teams in our division. The Tigers are playing awfully well though. How sweet will it be to be playing in an outdoor stadium in 2010 with a pretty solid team to root for!!

Brandon, click my name for the link to the exterior & interior virtual tours.

MOJO, that would be great if you could take a few pics. (us Twins fans outside of MN would really appreciate it)

Thanks for the link Lafferty, I had not seen those fly-through videos either. I didn't know you lived in Cali. Whereabouts in CA are you? I lived in Manhattan Beach for 6 years.

You're welcome Kevin. I currently live in Venice, but hang out in Manhattan Beach once in awhile.

Ya, thanks for that link! So do you fly here once a year or something to come to a ballgame? Or do you just wait until we are in Cali. to go watch em?

Brandon, I haven't been to a game at the Dome in years, but I'm very excited to watch the Twins at the new park in April 2010.

To get by, I order the MLB Extra Innings package so I'm able to watch most of the Twins games on cable. About once a year I'll drive down to Anaheim to see the Twins in person.

Lafferty,
You live in one of my favorite spots! Can you believe that whacko that wants to build the NFL stadium in Industry? Like hell Angelinos are going to drive all the way to the smog-filled inland empire to go to an NFL game. It's been a while since I lived there so I'm a bit disconnected with the politics. Did the whole Carson idea go up in smoke or what? That would have been a great location.

Yeah, the Carson proposal flopped.

The City of Industry would be a terrible location, but Roski already owns about 600 acres of land there, and claims that taxpayers won't pay for the new stadium.

I haven't heard anything about this proposal since April.

So where in Arizona are you at?

I live about 5 minutes west of the new Cardinals stadium in Glendale (What is called Westgate). I hate it here. The moment the housing market rebounds, I'm selling and moving to the foothills where people speak English and the temp is about 15 degrees cooler.

man, was i frustrated & disappointed in how the twins normally solid bullpen gave away what should have been a solid win for the twins tonight. scotty ullger (who was managing in place of gardy who got tossed early in the game) really seemed to jump the gun and pulled glen perkins (who was pitching very well) way too quickly in the seventh with the twins up 4-1 after a little bloop single up the middle with one out already on the board. imo you have to let perkins try to finish the seventh. his pitch count was still reasonable.

not sure how others here feel but i think it might make sense for the twins to show jesse crain the door like they did with juan rincon. crain just doesn't seem to have "it" anymore and gets himself in a lot of jams where matt guerrier has to come in and try to clean it up. definitely would be nice to have pat neshek back as a middle relieve now that we are in the thick of the AL Central race at the halfway point. that could be key.

let's get it back and take 2 out of 3 from these tigers.

go twins!

MOJO, can you please give my some ballpark "hotspots"? Where to go, where to park? Where to go to see the best? And can you walk around the perimeter of the ENTIRE park right now?

Beta,
you are 100% correct Jesse crain blows, but who i dislike more than him? that big sweaty fuck with no neck... he only faces 2 batters every time he pitches but still manages to have a 3.00 era (thats a guess) while a 3.00 era in the day is considered good if not great, not for someone that only faces 5 batters a week... i have always thought our bullpen is the most over rated part of our team, besides Nathan I really think the boys in rochester can come up and do that same job if not better than crain, fatface and co.... and it looks like they are ,,

According to shooter's column today (click link)...

Don't be surprised if the Twins' new stadium is named Best Buy Ballpark.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit as I have seen a lot more Best Buy advertising around different sports venues over the last couple of years including Metrodome, Fenway Park, Miller Park, US Cellular Field, Comerica Park, and Busch Stadium to name a few...Maybe they are just trying to test the waters of advertising
in sports venues for a potential naming rights deal afterall? We should know in a few short months, if not, earlier.

Brandon, try parking along the 4th street 94 viaduct in the north loop. Plenty of parking there. 5th street bridge is shut down to foot traffic unfortunately, but you should be able to see the light rail and northstar construction by walking into the Ford Center parking lot. You can walk across the 4th st pedestrian bridge and down the stairs 3/4 of the way across to get to the parking ramp that will be in center/right field. Go to the 2nd or 3rd floor for a good view of the plaza and pro shop. Use the 2nd floor to get to the target center skyway and you can look out at home/infield. Walk down and to 7th street for views along the 1st base facade. At that point you can walk around the HERC plant to get back to your car, or you might want to backtrack if you don't want to walk past Mary's and the characters that like to loiter on the West side of the plant. 5th street bridge is the only good view you would miss but there's not much you can do about that I guess. Take pictures!!

Actually I think you mentioned you're doing this before the game, so in that case I would just walk back toward the target center after your tour to the light rail on 5th. Take that to the game, you'll have free parking and you'll get to see the plaza construction from the street level as well.

"dont be suprised if the new twins ballpark is called BEST BUY BALLPARK",

I would not be suprised if it is called that shooter, im sure he just pulled that out of his azz this morning like he does most other things he prints not from any news from the Twins themselves... i think most of us here think that best buy has been the leader in the naming rights dept for this ballpark for years...

Isn't Walters the same guy that said it'd be named after Wheaties? I guess I'd take him more seriously if he actually had a source.

mplsgreg, Thank you very much! I appreciate that! Unfortunatly, I will not be able to take pics, because my family lives in the stone age, and don't own a digital camera, and my cell phone camera would be terrible! Sorry, but at least MOJO said he will start taking his camera down there once a week so we should get more updates!

Tablet and a chisel then I guess?

Brandon...mplsgreg has some good advice. I like the elevator banks in both parking ramp A and B. If you go to the top floor in both buildings you can get a good view. I also like to walk over to the bus entrance in parking ramp B...you can get a good view of the entire field (just be careful not to get hit by a bus). In parking ramp A I also walk out from the top floor onto the spiral exit (this will give you the best views of the entire project and it is also where Rick takes a lot of his pics). As far as parking goes...I usually walk or ride my bike cause I live and work downtown....But i would imagine parking would be really easy in either the A or B ramp...as long as you don't mind paying. I will be heading down to the site on Thursday to take pics. Sorry for the sloppy writing...kind of in a hurry.

I think the park looks great so far, and HOK is doing a good job. While I do wish the ballpark and surrounding area were bigger, its hard to blame HOK for the fact we have such a small site and limited funding. HOK had no say in how much money is available for the project or where it is built, they are just there to build it. It would be nice if the politicians would help build a quality facility instead waiting a decade and then settling for a mediocre result. The legislature spent that decade complaining about the price, use of tax dollars and delaying the plan year after year. They should have worked hard to find a viable alternative source of money if they did not want to spend tax dollars, but they did not.
That being said, I think in the future the area outside the park could be altered, by removing buildings and rerouting the roads. You could then have more room outside for a grass/ park area with something similar to the Plaza at the dome. I agree with other comments about the lack of room outside the stadium and the fact so many people will be crammed in a small area.

Alex, (nice name, btw), why do you need more space? If anything, we want more buildings around the park, not less. You want more people in that space, not less. This is an urban ballpark. Sometimes I think Minneapolitans are too used to the vast sea of parking lots in the city - that's not what a city is, or ought to be.

Alex B.,

Bravo! Right on.

I think I understand what Alex is getting at, though. I just stopped by the Dome this evening to take in a bit of the atmosphere before returning to work. There is something enjoyable about the plaza area and mingling with baseball fans.

I think that's what the entrance plaza to the new ballpark will do. That's why it's there. The next step is to get some retail, housing and other development around the site. The North Loop village concept is a good one. If they can integrate it with the transit lines and bikeways coming on-line, it will be a real winner. The ballpark area should be a premier destination in the metro.

I am a little concerned about the lack of space around the LRT platform, but we'll just have to see how that goes. I hope we can do a lot more with the area facing the HERC in the future. I think we can.

With the economy the way it is, development will be slow. Until we get the proposed rail lines into the site, I believe it will continue to be slow. The days of driving everywhere are over and the only way this is going to work long-term is to provide lots of other options to get there.

I know that I tend to come back to Chicago, but that's what I grew up with... Anyway, look at the stark contrast between Wrigley and the Cell. Wrigley has buildings all the way around (bars, housing and shops), and is the envy of most MLB teams for "exterior" game day experience.

On the other side of town, the team decided they wanted to controll the game day experience, and they tore down the neighborhood, and they have open spaces (parking lots) next to the Cell. Every single Sox fan I know laments the decision to tear down the neighborhood, even though there is better parking at the Cell than at Wrigley.

Moose

I don't want to threadjack this or anything, but anyone notice the new CF camera angle during the FSN broadcasts the last couple of games? Is this something new or temporary? Maybe they mentioned it during the broadcast, but I must have missed it. I am not sure where this "new" camera is located, but they should try for the same angle in the new ballpark, if possible, because it's a great angle and its similar to ESPN's dead centerfield camera a few years ago.

I know we talked about possible camera angles in a previous thread this past spring, but I just noticed the new camera angle the last couple of games and haven't heard anything about it.

The camera angle sucks and I have already sent an email to FSN North telling them that.

bert/dick talked about it during tonight's game. sounds like it will be around for a while. i don't mind it actually. it was weird during the first twins-tigers game two nights ago because i was just getting used to the new angle, but i do appreciate being able to truly see where the pitches cross the plate now. you could be fooled before.

I'm sure they'll listen Kev. The angle is actually much better but it may not be visible from AZ.

I hate the new angle too..

the angle sucks, it loos too far away from the action... but the twins keep winnin i dont care if the move the camera to hugo, go twins!

It took a while to get used to, but I like the new camear angle. Much easier to spot pitches. My son is on the "hate it" side.

I like it too as long as it doesn’t replace the standard camera. As a supplemental camera it is perfect to show another angle of pitches.

Though it looks a little farther away, who cares. We all know what our players look like. This gives the eye a 10x more accurate view of each pitch and has actually engaged me more on a pitch-by-pitch basis the past two nights. It also gives us a better look at how the ball comes off the bat, which I never thought of before. I wonder if the sunday WFTC broadcasts will keep it the same?

I am still not sure yet whether I like it or not. I think there are pluses and minuses. Yes it gives you a better look horizantally of where the pitches are, but vertically, it's kinda harder to tell. And you are father away, but as mentioned before, you get a better look off the bat. I guess I MAINLY don't like the angle how it's looking more down at the action, rather than more eye level...

As for the neighborhood around a ballpark, I think it adds SO much when the ballpark is crammed in like Wrigley! And I think we get the best of both worlds because we do have that open plaza in RF... Last summer, me and my grandpa went on a trip to Milwaukee and Chicago, and one night we were at Miller, and the next we were at Wrigley. I guess I would almost say Milwaukee's exterior feel was like a dead zone! Too open! WAY too much space. But the next night at Wrigley, though parking was harder (we parked Lakeshore and walked like 3 blocks, FREE), the exterior of Wrigley, was just so welcoming! Haha, the park I thought was funny was there was a Taco Bell right there, and that was used as a stadium parking lot... Anyways, I'm soory this is typed so horrible, I have got to leave soon...

PS. The stadium site looked great last night, did get some good views. But the one thing I couldn't believe was how close the stadium is to the street! Your walking down 7th and you feel like the stadium is going brush against you and puxh you into traffic! Haha...

They are pouring more concrete on the pedestrian plaza today. It also looks like they placed insulation at the base of the third base field level.

Ya, that Taco Bell has been outside Wrigley for years.

If anyone gets the chance to see them pour concrete it is very interesting. When they "smooth" the floor out (example: on the concourse) they use an odd looking machine that appears to "hover" on the concrete to smoothen it out. Very cool!

J2K,

I wish I could see that and a better view of all the action going on in left field. However the Twins can't seem to get webcam #2 up and running. I never thought I would say this, but the U of M has outshined the Twins in the camera department and it started on day one. Not only 2 cams right off the bat, but real time.

Fields Inc., the company which recently installed an upgraded naturally playing surface at Green Bay's Lambeau Field, has been selected to install the field in the new Twins ballpark. (from the star trib)

I'm right there with you Kev. Very disappointed in the camera quality. Now that 5th st bridge is shut down, and the wall is started at 5th and 3rd ave, you can't even get a good angle to tell what is going on in the outfield when you're at the site. Someone who works in the Ford building must visit this website. I'll help you mount the camera!

Don't know if anyone mentioned it yet but, the Twins posted some construction photos on the 26th.

Sorry but that UofM cam sucks sure it miht show motion but the quality of the picture is hideous. 5 minutes of that and it's headache city.

bmd - was there any more info on the type of field that Fields Inc. will be installing?

I know that they laid down a hybrid field at Lambeau, which is both natural and synthetic to stand up to the rigors of play in the winter. I wonder if they'll be installing a similar surface here..? How will that affect the ball in play? Would it be almost as quick as fieldturf? Hopefully not - I'm sure we're all hoping the days of an artificial playing surface are over...

Actually, never mind - click on my name to see info relating to the playing surface. Pretty cool stuff.

The cantilevered part of the ballpark looks like it differs some from the original model. Anyone know why?

Andrew, are you talking about the cantilevered section from the 'flyover' video?

Andrew - I don't think it's all that different. that first section of steel - in the "v" shape - will be behind the limestone facade. The steel they've added to the cantilevered section over the past few days is the stuff we'll see through the glass. That's how I'm seeing it anyways.

here's an article about the new camera angle

Construction Pics from today....click the link to see

Nice pics MOJO. Thank you.

Thank you MOJO!! I swear you and a few others on here should be on the Twins payroll. You guys have done far more than the people who are dedicated to "update" the Twins ballpark webpage.

Thanks MOJO! Those are some excellent pictures and thanks for labeling them with descriptions too! It's always nice to see some descriptions to actually know what we are looking at.

Under no circumstance would I want a ballpark paid for by the people to have some crappy ass corporate brand attached to it. Naming rights for this ballpark should be decided by the people not whoever can write the biggest check.

Jason,

Nobody likes the corporate names. However the amount of money paid by a corporation is less money the tax payer/ticket buyer has to pay.

The arenas and stadiums which have long, stupid corporate names usually get nicknamed anyway and rarely are called their full corporate name. Take for example the X in St Paul, the Cell in Chicago. When the D'Backs ballpark was Bank One Ballpark it was called the BOB by all the locals. If it's best buy ballpark (BBB) Triple B. I dunno. But I'm sure you catch my drift. Land o Lakes Field...LOL Field? Some corporate names aren't bad and actually roll off the tongue quite well like Target Center or Coors Field. Not only corporate names are stale, remember we used to have the stale-sounding Metropolitan Stadium..We called it the Met. Philly had the Vet, etc.

Regardless, anything is better than Metrodome.

i bet that most games in the last couple of weeks would be sellouts (or close) if there wasn't a roof.

this weather lately (with a few exceptions) would have been perfect to see a game outside.

less than two years....

AC, I've been thinking the same thing the last month or so. Perfect outdoor weather for baseball. I can't imagine how sweet it is going to be from June 15-August 15 weather-wise. Thanks Mo for the great pics. I really enjoyed the slide show tonight after another Twins win by the Slow-Dog. DSP also updated his blog, he once again mentioned the 2nd web-cam on the Ford Building...Let's get it up and running for crying out loud. Go Twins!

locker - just playing with you, but i like how you have these very specific dates (exactly June 15th-August 15th) of when "it is going to be sweet" to watch baseball weather-wise at the new ballpark. i don't know, but that's very funny to me!

june 14th? no sir! august 20th? no way! september 1st? hell no!

in my mind it is going to be sweet to watch baseball there any time of the season. no roof. under the wide open sky. sun on your shoulders. a great view of downtown minneapolis and the surrounding warehouse district/north loop neighborhood. give me a game in may or a game in september. i don't care. i am just damn excited for it to open!

the last few weeks with this group has been a lot of fun.

go twins!

DSP talked about fireworks for the 4th of July at the new ballpark. Well duh, that should be a given. I actually hope the Twins do more than just 4th of July fireworks. I want fireworks after every Twins homerun. I want multiple fireworks after every Twins win. And I love the teams who do fireworks after every Friday night game. Of course I'm a fireworks freak so I'm biased.

fireworks are a plus. the kingdome had indoor fireworks when i was a kid so i'm surprised the twins don't do any. maybe one more reason to hate the Teflon roof.

Click my name to see a cool aerial shot of Citi Field & Shea Stadium.

Thanks Lafferty for the link to that nice shot of Citi Field and Shea Stadium...its hard to imagine the Twins ballpark will look like that in less than a year as far as seats being installed and the exterior taking shape towards completion. Heck, we will start seeing limestone on the exterior later this month according to DSP. Thats just amazing how quick this ballpark will take shape over the next year considering where we were one year ago removing the surface of a parking lot.

if the twins dont let off fireworks after twins wins or home runs its just plan cheap the royals do it for gods sake

That's what I'm afraid of mazarati...They are cheap!

oh come on kevin in az! put on a happy face. it's 4th of july weekend! just messing with you. i am sure they will come up with a fireworks plan for the new ballpark.

great game today by the twins. nice win. would love to have seen carlos gomez and cliff lee go at it. they were not happy with each other all game long.

Funny how many people - myself included - thought Detroit and Cleveland would be the class of the division. I actually predicted elsewhere that Cleveland not only would win the division but the world series...OOPS!

b86Act gghjyuy

Beta, You are 100% correct! I will plan on being in the new Twins ballpark the opening series in 2010 and in the last series of the season in October and will be loving every bit of it...no matter what the weather is like. I just through out June 15 to Aug 15 because that just seemed like the most ideal weather for baseball every year. I love to generate a little discussion with my comments, that is why I write what I do. I'm with you all on the fireworks too...their better be alot of them...how about after every Twins hit! :-)
Let's see if the Twins can take down Dice-K tonight on ESPN...and his mighty "sword" - inside KFAN -Power Trip- reference for you out of town folks. GO TWINS!

Locker,
That dice k bit on the power trip show is about funniest thing i have ever heard !!!

Mazarati,

Click on my name. At 2:15 in the video, I think I found some of your long-lost relatives from Fairbault. :-)

This video is filled with the dry MN humor I miss so much.

I have been looking for them!!!!

Wow, Kevin. That video was amazing.

Click me for a cool aerial view of the New Yankee Stadium early during last night's game.

Notice the large restaurant in center field of NYS that will give obstructed views to those sitting near it in the bleachers. A ballpark that costs a ridiculous $1.3 billion shouldn't have a problem like this.

Okay Jeff, I don't know if that was sarcasm or not, but the lawnmower on the black frozen snowbank is pretty darn funny!!! I remember when I lived there the cabin fever I would get come March. I used to fire up the lawnboy the minute the snow would melt down enough where I could get the shed door open.

I don't know about anyone else, but honestly the new Yankee Stadium looks way too similar to the old one. Wouldn't a renovation of the concourse been much cheaper and kept some sentimental value of the most famous ballpark in baseball history? Seems like a big waste to me. Just look at what a renovation did to Lambeau Field... it looks amazing. (by the way I can't stand the Yankees or the Packers, but the point is the same)

I like nothing about NYS.

Fella's,
I don't know...the new Yankee stadium looks pretty awesome. Build a new 1.3 billion stadium...what the heck!!

The video really is funny kev... thanks for throwing me the tailgate bone lol,
i think it is retarded that the yanks are leaving the house the ruth built the same when the sox leave fenway they lose some mystic if you ask me...

Kev, there were too many good moments in that video to quote. I love the dry humor.

Brian - The new Yankee stadium is SUPPOSED to look like the old one. They wanted to build a near replica of it, and in fact, they're restoring many of the features that were removed during the 1970's remodel. The field dimensions will be identical, along with the exterior facade, restored to the original specs built in the early 1900's.

Listen, I hate the Yankees - but I can't balk at the fact that their owner is coughing up all the cash to do this himself. Yankee Stadium is charming, but with the recent chunks of cement falling from the rafters, etc, it needs some serious help.

Jeff, the field dimensions of NYS and pre-renovated YS will not be the same at all. They're not bringing back 'death valley.'

Rick, I'm sure you have noticed, but there is a nice pic and mention of you in the Downtown Journal. It sounds like you, and you're scarrrry camera, are stirring up all the security guards down there in the ABC ramps. Way to stick it to the man, keep up the good work!

Just tell them you are the ONLY outlet in town for us ballpark obsessed nerds to track the progress. I walk by the site everyday in the skyways down there, so I'm sure they have a profile of me too.

I'm all for keeping the skyways safe, but sometimes I get a little tired of big brother.

Are they gonna have Monument park in center like back in the day? that would be awsome , if the juice box has that stupid hill with the flag pole i think nys should have that..

The Yankees' owner is coughing up all the cash to do this himself??? Click name...

Tom,
Are you accusing Steinbrenner and NY politicians of double-talk???? NOOOOOOOO!!

Lafferty, I apologize for not being more clear...The current dimension of Yankee Stadium are being maintained in the new park. Click my name for a comparison page.

410 Party Suites?! Do we have any of those in our stadium?

Nice!!! those are some slick Yankees up there!

No worries Jeff. I thought you were talkin about the pre-renovated YS.

Citi Field will have a "Posse Lounge." I wish I were making this up.

Best Buy ballpark will have the new and improved "Rally Room".... basiclly a big old projection tv (non hd) and 9 buck beers!!! and by the way....Fireworks,Shmireworks we won 2 world championships without them at the Dome why start now? waste of good coin if you ask me...

If they actually name it after Best Buy, we'll have to start a grassroots movement to name it Killebrew Field or Puckett Park. Kind of like Mays Field instead of At&t Park in San Francisco.

Ive never herd it called Mays Field, that just may be a san fran thing.

Well tonight's game was absolutely disgusting. I'm gonna go throw up now.

Gardy, what's wrong with a complete game!! If I were Baker or Blackburn I'd be Screaming.

If Manny is up with first base open tomrrow with the game on the line and he is not walked, the TV is going off!!

Jon,
Baker asked to be taken out of last nights game. He was gassed because of the heat. Could have been the same situation with Blackburn tonite. In any event, a disappointing loss.

right there with you kevin in az.

man, i wanted to throw objects at my tv last night and tonight during the 8th inning. hard to believe we don't have back-to-back wins so far in this series against boston.

these are tough ones to take and hard to find the silver lining, if it is even there.

let's hope livan can pull one out of his hat tomorrow and salvage this series.

this one hurts my heart... i feel like my long lost aunt fron fairbult died... our bullpen is aging me fast

I think we are all in need of a REAL update to get our minds off the poor managing the past 2 games

Nothing worse than a great starting pitching performance on the road in back to back games against the defending world champions...to only have your bullpen and stupid mistakes cost your team two wins. Thats the nature of a team sport I guess. Those two losses really hurt though. You can't ask much more from Baker or Blackburn...

Its time for a little bullpen overhaul. Get rid of Dennys Reyes he is terrible. It looks like his head is going to explode any minute.

Bring up Liriano and put him in the bullpen. It seemed to work out ok for another former Twins lefty power pitcher at the beginning of his career....What was that guy's name?....Something..Santana..

Santana never had Tommy john, or was a power pitcher then had to learn to be a "radke like" pitcher... but give it a shot, cant do worse than denny... like i sd he throws 5 pitches a week and still has a 3.00 plus era, does not belong on the roster

Tough loss last night...up 5-1 and I turned it off to play with the kids before bedtime. I'm sure glad I didn't see the collapse. This is to be expected with so many young players...The "Nation" does this on a regular basis to young teams. The Rays have finally put an end to it for the time being.

This isn't ballpark related, but anyone else notice how the Twins commercial with Rick Anderson and the pitchers singing "ode to joy" has been edited to remove the part in which Jesse Crain/Juan Rincon were involved in. I thought about that after they cut Rincon than later noticed his part was edited out (after he got cut by the team) in the commercial compared to the original version posted on the Twins website.

Hey MOJO, are you going to get more stadium pics this week?

Not sure if this story has been linked before. Interesting about steam generation from the HERC plant to ballpark and other downtown businesses. How much steam does it take to make a "pound"? Stange concept. Click my name.

Those umpires today at Fenway were a disgrace to the game of baseball.

Brandon...I am heading down to the site on Friday and could bring my camera

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That would be awesome! I saw on the Twins website that there was an update from today, and noticed that the pics were WAY old because the rest of the pedestrian bridge had not been poured and the glass thing by the proshop hadn't had as much steel put up as it does today!

badjuggler - i know the herc plant does not release any toxic materials into the air. it is just steam. so that is not my concern at all. however, i personally hope they don't connect this steam line into the new ballpark for heating purposes. it is not needed. then it is just becomes a potential excuse available for someone from the county to hide behind if it was ever proposed by the twins to move the herc plant from it's current location to elsewhere in downtown and redevelop the land for something a bit more appealing like surrounding high-density residential/retail, etc.

just my two cents.

Betaband, or just the Vikings new stadium! How cool would that be?!

They never developed anything around the Metrodome, so what makes you think they'll develop more condos where the HERC plant is? Heck, they're practically giving away the condos in the North Loop right now.

Lafferty -

One word why: Zoning. The area around the Dome wasn't (until LRT came) part of the downtown zoning overlay. There are no on-site parking requirements in the overlay, thus you can build skyscrapers. The area around the dome was all bulldozed during ill-fated urban renewal projects, thus it was already a parking lot. Because you had to put a ton of parking on site, you would need to build a massive parking garage to accompany your development - that's very expensive. There could be a big payoff, but parking revenue from the Dome was an easy bet.

In short, the land didn't develop because there was never an accompanying policy to encourage it. That's not the case with the North Loop.

Steve Berg had an excellent MinnPost article about the problems of parking lots and redevelopment (and parking in general - see link in my name).

At $345 a square foot, you can buy my North Loop loft. The new building across the street from me has sold 4 units in the past month...The market has slowed in our neighborhood, but truthfully, the North Loop is far more insulated from the housing issues facing most of the country (My loft actually appreciated over the past year).

Hines has been hesitant to start work on more residential around the park because financing and investor issues. But rest assured more development will happen, and not only based on proximity to the stadium. There's much more to offer buyers than just living next to the ballpark.

1. You can walk to work
2. Mass Transit is extremely accessible
3. Great eating/drinking
4. Crime levels are at all-time lows in the NL
5. Awesome nightlife

With the cost of gas, you can bet people will migrate back to the urban core. If you've got the money, buy now while you can.

Jeff, I understand the benefits of living in the North Loop. If I ever move back to Minneapolis, that would be the first place I'd look. With the new ballpark, you'd think demand for new development (condos & retail) would increase, but so far it isn't, and I'm worried that it never will. There's just too much risk for developers post-credit crunch, and due to the subprime debacle, it's very difficult to finance these projects.

Your loft appears to be the exception to the rule. There are many unsold units in the North Loop, and inventory overhang from completed projects.

I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to see these plans get completed similar to what they did in San Diego near Petco and the Gaslamp Quarter.

Does anybody know the plans for the area just south of the ballpark (other side of 7th St?), the trianle looking area from the webcame?

I believe there was discussion for VIP parking....will there be any structure in this area?

Lafferty, I think your concerns are unfounded because they apply to the housing market across the board. If anything, urban markets near transit have been far more stable and far more likely to be developed than others.

Then why didn't they start developing the immediate area next to the new ballpark site before the credit crunch?

Because development takes a long time.

You won't be able to truly assess the ballpark's ability to attract development when the ballpark is still under construction. Ask again in 2020.

Suffice it to say, I think the transit alone is probably going to be a bigger attraction than the ballpark itself. Hines had plenty of interest in the site, ballpark or no.

It'd be interesting to know how many people living in the North Loop have ever really been to an outdoor MLB game. A friend of mine who owns a condo near the ballpark went to a beautiful night game at Coors field (with fireworks) last week and is suddenly excited about the new stadium here. It certainly seems to me that the value of the park is underestimated, and it wouldn't surprised me if it doesn't occur to people the excitement that it brings until opening day 2010. Then you will see the development begin.

My realtor and friend has expressed a similar sentiment: that TRANSIT (esp the LRT extension) will be as big or bigger factor than the ballpark is to growth and development.

I should be clear - there definitely are units left on the market in the NL neighborhood...but the compared to the suburban/nationwide housing market, housing and property value has continued to be a stable investment. Securing financing to build new developments has been difficult though. As we get closer to a ballpark opening, look for developers to begin to resume planning.

Also, the same realtor told me last night that the city has been talking about repaving the streets before the park opens...We can only hope they reuse some of the brick in streets around the stadium!!

Fireworks?????????

I have seen numerous unitsin NL that have been discounted significantly to reduce inventory. While there may be worst neighborhoods, the NL has also suffered from exesses inventory and price stablization/declines.

What a win today!! Down 6-2 and come back and WIN 7-6....
It would be really easy to give up on the Twins after three tough losses to the Red Sox, but I don't think these young Twins know any better. Give Gardy some credit for that...and Span, and Casilla, and of course Mauer and Morneau. Go Twins! Did the thunderstorm knock out the webcam today?
Does Cuddyer get his job back after he comes back? No way you can take Span and Go Go oyut of the line-up at this point. Maybe Cuddyer replaces Young in left??

What is going on with the Webcam? Am I the only one who can't get it right now?

CTM - That's funny cause I just came on here to ask the same question... Not it's not working for me either! And it's pissing me off cause I wanna see how far the have gotten on the steel for the big structure on the plaza!

Maybe they are shutting it down while they add a second one

it's weird, you can see the webcam from the Twins' page, but when you "click to control", you get a blank screen. dang you, webcam

Twins have updated their site with more recent construction pics. Noticed the cam not working also...but wow, those decks are rising fast, it's really beginning to take shape.

Did someone say 2nd webcam??? DREAM ON!

Really nice=)but look this:,