man it seems like even i could hit a ball off the parking ramp. sure looks cozy in there...

regarding L field, i bet someone is going to hit one completely out of the park. what do we all think?

thx for the update, rick.

yeah, i was wondering where Morneau's enormous foul bomb last night would have landed. At TF it would have probably cleared the plaza. maybe?

is it just me or is the entire left field seats slating down toward center field

It looks to me as if the left field bleachers are facing right down the foul line towards home plate.

anybody know what the sign/banner says hanging on the walkway?

Counting the seat backs, it looks like the 111 pictures are taken from row 10 rather than row 8.

To whoever took the picture...how close/far away does Legends Club feel? I am a silent partner in a pair of LC seats and am hopeful it was worth the up charge to buy those. I guess what I'm asking is...are we paying for the amenities or for an extra good seat?

JC: You are paying for the so-called "exclusivity" of the club level and the space/amenities.

Why no TC on the aisle seats?

Eric,

I believe they still have to put the TC logos on the seats.

eric,

that's a "finishing touch" that will likely happen in March or even early April next year.

Max...I'd just think it would be hard to justify that if the seats were much "worse" than the ones without the fee. I'd be interested if anyone can speak to the feel of the LC as compared to the dome in comparable places. Everyone consistently says how "close" you feel no matter where you are, but the online viewer makes it hard to tell.

I wonder if the legroom will differ much between the upper and lower levels, or for that matter between the infield and outfield seating areas. Does anyone know?

I haven't sat there but I think the LC will feel "close". It juts out over several of the higher rows in lower level, and the main level seats in Target should start lower to the field than Metrodome and incline more gradually. The seats themselves should be a little better than most, and it offers quick retreats and returns from the seats to inside viewing when weather is a problem. The pricing isn't much more than home plate box, and may be a little cheaper than individual game prices for home plate box. Still a lot of money, though.
Not sure about the difference in leg room for lower and upper levels. I'm wondering if first row, anywhere, should have more legroom than other rows. And if railings will not be installed higher than necessary for safety purposes.

JCTwins - I haven't been inside the park yet, but to try and answer your questions - the specs for the LC seats indicate that you will have a wider (and paded) seat and slightly more leg room. What you are paying for (with the PSL) is the exclusive club level access and the ability to sell your seats down the line. You will also have seat-side drink access (not available anywhere other than the Champions Club) and the per seat charge for the majority of the LC seats is about the same as what HPB retail will be.

Since you won't be able to buy LC seats on an individual game basis, it'll be tougher to compare, but looking from the pictures, the LC area appears closer to the field than other club levels I've been on.
In terms of "seat distance to the field", it looks like you subtract 15-16 from the HPB relative seat position to get distance.

However, in many cases the additional height adds to a better perspective of the entire field without adding the extra height that you get in the upper deck that makes the players look too small.

IMO, if you have LC seats, they will be better than anything in HPB unless you have HPB seats below rows 10 to 12.

So - are you paying for the amenities or an extra good seat? I would say both. And many (like me) got their LC seats as a hedge against ending up with not so good seats in the seat assignment process.

All makes sense jfh...and hadn't thought about the extra height. We sat in 223 in the dome recently and I was amazed at the alternative height perspective it gave...makes sense comparing LC to HPB.

Was thinking, in all these posts (and there very might have well been) I haven't seen any mention where the retired numbers/posters/statues of the 6 3 29 14 34 will be inside the park. As well as where any championship banners would be located. My point is this, where they plan on having advertisements above the parking ramp at the 'trapazoid', looks to me (a la the metrodome), as a great spot to have such things. Maybe not the retired numbers, but at least the championship banners... think?

From the Star Tribune:

Thoughts on what to do with Block E.

Jcm-consensus seems to be that the retired numbers display is something that is being preserved for opening day.

JCTwins - agreed, the height does make a positive difference in some cases.

And remember that upper level in the Dome is significantly higher (about twice the height) than LC will be, so if you like the UC perspective at the Dome, you will love LC.

Very nice pics. Kudos to you Rick.

I was at the Dome today. Looking at the baggy in right field (which is the same size as the wall will be in TF) I realized that is the height that the entire field level will be. As was said before, it will start closer to the field and slope more gradually.

It was also cool looking into left field at the two levels. At the dome the majority of the second level is high above the foul pole... at TF the smaller lower level and the large grandstand will only go as high as the foul pole. very cool.

One thing I am looking forward to is M&M taking balls deep onto target plaza...look out target center!

Not just Morneau and Mauer, but we will also be seeing a lot of opponents hit homeruns onto Target Plaza the way this current Twins pitching staff is performing.

After this weekend, reality is that the Twins are not a contender in the AL, regardless of how weak the AL Central is. Even if they do win the AL Central, they cannot match up with the Yankees, Red Sox, or Angels, which has been proven numerous times this season.

As excited as Twins fans are for Target Field to open, its very frustrating being a Twins fan right now and they deserve much more criticism than they have been getting, this includes Gardenhire.

At this point, I don't even know if I want to renew my season tickets beyond 2010 after 8 years.

Was thinking, in all these posts (and there very might have well been) I haven't seen any mention where the retired numbers/posters/statues of the 6 3 29 14 34 will be inside the park. As well as where any championship banners would be located. My point is this, where they plan on having advertisements above the parking ramp at the 'trapazoid', looks to me (a la the metrodome), as a great spot to have such things. Maybe not the retired numbers, but at least the championship banners... think?

I don't know about the retired numbers, but the championship banners will likely be just that, banners that will be hung from a flagpole/s of some sort, as opposed to being affixed to a wall as is effectively the case at the Dome.

Well Bill Smith said today on the pre-game show money isn't the issue. We just need to keep developing players and we'll be fine.

This company line is getting old...although Billy enjoyed all the small towners from way outstate and the Dakotas calling in and saying "you're doing a great job Bill!"

We needed to pull off the deal that Detroit did for a good starting pitcher but BS does not have the forethought or creativity to pull off such a deal. We have a ballclub that needs some serious reworking.

Rick,

Remember Metropolitan Stadium in 1979?????? That will be Target Field in 2011. Today's attendance, 5036. I remember many games in the late 70's and early 80's at the Met when announced crowds were well under 10,000...and that was just tickets sold.

This team just flat out sucks right now. Granted, injuries have plagued the pitching staff, but we have no depth whatsoever...none!

Keppel? hell, you might as well place a tee at homeplate and the let the other team smack the ball around.

with all the carping... the Twins are still only 3 games out of first. that said... i'm among the fans who says that i'm sick of being told a division title is enough with a core of a team that could win it all...

JCTwins....I love that.....BS says money isn't an issue.....BS!!!!

If that were true, Johan Santana and Torii Hunter would still be here....Money is the only issue with this front office.

The Twins have, with a few rare exceptions, never been ones to spend any money. It's almost like a paranoia grips the front office about cash. When the team was stuck in the Dome long term with no hope of a new stadium, a guy could accept, if not like, this stance. There just wasn't any money to spend, since the Pohlads weren't about to put any of their personal wealth into the mix, and none on the horizon. However, now that there is about to be a big windfall, the Twins still act like it's 2000 and the coffers are empty. Fans see that new park going up and refuse to accept this way of doing business anymore.

By the way, the lack of spending goes way beyond the playing staff and baseball front office. With the exception of a few folks the Pohlads take care of, such as DSP and Bell, I think most people would be stunned at how little the front office people in sales, marketing, and operations make relative to people who do similar jobs in other industries. Those folks largely get peanuts. Granted they willingly accept those peanuts to work for the Twins, but the Pohlads could easily put people on, not extravagant, but what people would consider fair wages without doing one bit of damage to the bottom line.

JCTwins,
I am from ND, and no one here is saying, "Great Job Billy Smith"! Sounds like you are stereotyping us like the big markets do to the Twin Cities...I am sure that there are lots of locals praising BS for just barely contending because they are cheap, but it is by no means geographical...

I am hoping that the flag poles above LF will be the retired numbers, since they are too small for championship banners...

You make an interesting point Jorge, that many of the office staff could make more money in other parts of the private sector, compared to what they are making working for the Twins.

This leads me to ask two questions. One, how does the Twins payroll scale compare to other Major League Baseball organizations, and two, how does the scale compare to the other professional franchises in Minnesota?

Twins have the 23rd highest payroll in MLB this year...

Does anybody know how close is the canopy is to being completed?

Boy, that article is like a dark storm cloud looming on the horizon. TWINS: GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASS AND SPEND SOME MONEY THIS OFFSEASON.

Luckily for me, the Giants are winning (thanks to Freddy Sanchez clutch hitting yesterday).

The Pohlads used to have a good excuse for not spending money: The revenue from the Dome was not sufficient to pay market value for veterans. Starting in 2010, that excuse is gone. I predict that Target Field will sell out for the next couple of years, just like Xcel energy center does for the Wild. The money will be there to expand the budget for players. Now what we need is a GM that knows what to do with this opportunity. I don't think Smith and company are good enough judges of major league talent to know who to go after or how to win the FA auctions or how much to pay for a #1 pitcher. If the FO learns nothing else from this season, it should learn that the Twins can't compete with the best teams without a #1 pitcher of the quality of Roy Halliday or Johan Santana. A non-competitive team will not be able to keep its all-stars. So make up your mind, Twins. Are we going to continue to be a farm system for the Mets and Angels of the league? Or are we going to try and win a championship?

Jorge - with regard to front office - this isn't unique to the Twins. Talk to anyone in a non-exec position at other clubs and I suspect you will get a similar answer - great place to work, cool to work for the team, but not going to get rich.

I know folks that work for various clubs in different positions and I'm amazed at some of the salaries. I'm guessing most use the positions as stepping stones to get sports/entertainment experience.

Yeah, people who work for the sports teams, in the Twin Cities and elsewhere, definitely take smaller salaries either to use the jobs as a stepping stone to something else or just to work in the sports business. The Twins have definitely lost some talented people or had talented people decide against working there due to the pay issues.

On a completely different note, will the skyway across 7th Street from the parking ramp lead to turnstiles on the Target Field side or will fans meet a dead end and have to proceed down the stairs and enter from street level?

I have a question for everyone-- just gauging opinions. I have a friend who is offering me 2 of his 6 opening day tickets out in the grandstand (row 1, furthest seats right)...he wants me to, of course, pay a premium. I'll list the asking price after I get a few opinons- just don't want to overpay. What does everyone think those seats are worth on opening day?

bob - they are worth whatever you think they are worth. not what we think they are worth. grow a pair and throw out a price to him! ;-)

p.s. i would expect you to pay a nice premium for opening day tickets as well. this won't be the metrodome with 56K seats anymore. time to visit the atm if you want to go to marquee games starting next year.

What are opening day tickets worth? Have you stopped beating your wife? Two questions that are impossible to answer. :)

There are some over on baseball fever (and other boards) that have already stated they will pay whatever it takes to go to opening day. It's a once in a lifetime event and almost everyone selling tickets is going to want to capitalize on that.

I will say this - IMO, a true friend would not ask for a premium, though I'd be very surprised to see many seats sold on the secondary market for face value.

However, what anyone else thinks the seats are worth is irrelevant - the only thing that matters is what they are worth to you. Whatever you pay, some will pay more and some less. If you are comfortable with the asking price and don't think you will get better seats for that price (or just want to lock in a spot), go for it.

If opening day isn't that important, see if he will sell you game 2 for face. :)

I didn't see Beta's post before mine, but he probably said it best, albeit a bit less diplomatically.

Bob,

The sound you hear is me slapping you into reality. Opening day at Target Field...with your friends...in the grandstand. [SLAP] WAKE UP BOB! TIME TO THROW DOWN SOME CASH!

That said - to try and answer your question - I suspect that prices will start out at 3x to 5x with additional premiums on top of that for first rows, and any Home Plate Box, Dugout Box or Legends Club seats inside the bases.

There will be a price spike just after the Twins conclude whatever public sale they are going to have for the Opening Day tickets and then prices for all but the most prime seats will fall rapidly.

Once into April 2010, prices will come down for all and probably settle in the 1.5x to 3x range as speculators want to make sure they don't get holding the bag. And, unless the weather forecast turns out to be crummy, prices will spike again the last 3-4 days.

BoB,

let me talk to your buddy, i will pay a premium to go to the 1st game even though my 20 game pack will probably have me in the 2nd or 3rd game...that is of course if i dont get the option of buying some tickets b4 thye go on sale to the public like in past years...

i just cant see the 20 game pack sth being left in the dust and having to wait for public sale... im sorry but people get season tickets for a reason.. dont get me wrong i will sit at the last seat in the last row in the corner of the view ...

I noticed in that lovely panoramic picture that it looks like the LED away scoreboard is installed in right center. Am I wrong? Surprisingly there has been no coverage of that element on the twins website.

Side note, the "trapazoid" section should be nicknamed "the trap". thoughts?

I'm not on board with those thinking TF is going to be sold out consistently in 2010. Cold weather early on will keep some folks away. And by the time it warms up, some of the newness will wear off... and then if the Twins bullpen keeps its status quo....

I'm not saying the place will be empty by any means, but I just don't see the Twins selling 41,000 tickets every game.

"I still have some images from my last walking tour, and I hope to get to those tomorrow night".

Tomorrow was yessterday. Us natives are restless for more. Please, sir, may we have some more? :)

Im taking my son to mankato for training camp 2marrow any suggestions what i should do with him while we are there aside from the obvious.. and no kevin i will not beat up chili for you!

Interesting chart Rick. It would be even more interesting if it had season ticket data for the home team and we could see atendance trends overlaid with weather and Win-Loss record.

I agree with your general factors. However, I believe that the quality of the team (e.g. Win/Loss) will take over as the prime factor quickly. Target Field may sell itself in April and May when demand is typically lower, June and July because it's summer baseball, but that's it. It may tip the scales in August and September if the team isn't so good, but the Target Field "buzz" is only going to be a factor in 2010.

As for your arguments against, #2 is meaningless - teams count tickets sold as attendance, not bodies in the park. You can have a sellout and still have empty seats in the park.

I think #3 is kind of bogus too - if anything, that will increase sales as people will want "the hot ticket".

Ditto on Flickr. Yes, because it's free and well known.

Mazaratirick:

Mettler's. It's time your boy became a man.

Rick - official attendance is tickets sold, not tickets issued or fans present. This is what MLB uses to determine the gate splits between the teams involved. The percentages are fixed by MLB for the post season; I've never seen the regular season formulas - I don't know if they vary by park, but I'm pretty sure the home team gets at least 80%.

Actual attendance (which I'm sure clubs trace) also includes fans using comp tickets, but, as any fan on a less-than-ideal weather day will tell you, announced attendance is almost always greater than bodies in seats. I'm 99.9% positive that the announced attendance is official attendance, not actual attendance.

Also note that MLB gets a portion of the gate receipts too.

Truth Hurts - I don't see them selling 41,000 tickets per game either, at least not with the team they have now. Cabrera was a good addition, who will probably not even see the light of day at TF next year because he'll either retire or want to go elsewhere, but as the Timberwolves and the Wild have proved, one guy does not a playoff contender make.
I don't see this club making the playoffs this year, which doesn't make alot of momentum going into TF next year.

For your video game fans...anyone with MLB The Show 09 who has PS3, there is supposedly an update available to buy for the game that features Target Field.

Not sure how much it costs, but if anyone out there purchases this update, it would be interesting to see how Target Field appears.

I wonder how many Season Ticket Holders got greedy and doubled up in an attempt to speculate on the secondary market who will be caught with their pants down if the weather is bad in April/May or the team just plain stinks...

Remember Target Field is open 81 days a year at roughly 40K a night. The X in St. Paul is open half that time 41 days a year at roughtly 18K a night. You can't compared the 9+ years of consecutive sell-outs as it is simply comparing apples to oranges.

I've said this for a while, but tickets won't be nearly as tough to come by as some people are predicting. It is simple mathematics.

Mike, please post where you have heard about this. I have been in constant contact with the producers of MLB The Show 09, and have been supplying photos and details to them about TF. I have not heard of this yet for 09, but for MLB The Show 10.

Yea not out yet but seems to be coming soon. Add on will include home run derby as well. Can't wait. Metrodome looks extra bad in game

I'm a huge fan of the MLB The Show series, and I've been (un)patiently waiting for MLB The Show 10 so that I can see Target Field in action. If this update that you guys speak of is true, I'd be ecstatic.

And thanks Josh for supplying the producers of the series with TF info. One thing that bugged me about the most recent new batch of stadiums were the noticeable differences between the in-game versions and their real life counterparts (ie: Blue OF walls in Citi vs the black ones they currently have). I know this is corrected the second year of the stadiums, but I can only hope that TF is as detailed in-game as it is in the real world come year one of its existence.

Hey fellow ballpark nerds, I get the privelege of taking a tour of Target Field tomorrow and thought I would try to get some answers to any nagging questions you may have.

We already got the warning that photos are prohibited, but I will take notes and ask any questions I can think of. Anything I should be sure to investigate?

Whew! Glad the site is back up! without this site would mean no updates until April 12th 2010 just kiddin haha

For a moment there I thought the Twins had paid hackers to take down your site for revealing these "A-HA" moments to all of the world. Glad to see the site is up, Rick.

You can start to see the definition of the infield skin arc on Webcam1.

OMG! No ballpark blog! The rubes are melting! The rubes are melting!

AP -

Please ask if the plaza will open prior to the stadium being opened (i.e. potentially this fall).

Thanks!

Josh, A friend (who is very big into video games/discussions) was telling me about the update for MLB 09. He knows I like Target Field so he told me about it when the update was discussed on some type of PS3 discussion forum.

I left a message for him to send me a link to the forum.

I was unable to find anything on neither the MLB The Show website nor the Sony store, but I hope its true that they are going to have the Target Field update and a homerun derby update as Camden mentioned above.

Great photo essay about small town baseball from the Strib:

http://www.startribune.com/video/?vid=52427457&elr=KArks5PhDcU9PhDcU9PhDcU5PhDco8P77jyPhU

Mike, If you are able to provide the link that would be great. Don't worry about it too much though, I just talked with Russell at SCEA who helps produce MLB The Show and he stated that neither the Homerun Derby or Target Field will be in MLB The Show 09. So I anticipate seeing Target Field in next years game. I have provided him with many photos of the progress, so hopefully they have some close representation once the games comes out. They did a terrible job with Citi Field, however it was not their fault. They had no access to any photos or details, and had to follow a 3-D Tour Model to do most of it. It sounds as though the Twins are being cooperative with Sony, and with the help of all of the Ballpark watchers here, we hopefully will have a good representation!

Target Field will be in MLB The Show 10. That's that.

Steeks- No question, the infield outline is starting to take form...

The "Townball" photo essay on the StarTrib site is excellent. Copy and paste the link that Dale posted above or simply click my name. It really captures the purity and nostalgia of the game. I recommend it highly.

Remember way back when Liriano was the best pitcher on the planet...

*BREAKING NEWS*

Wood Louvres installed. Pics in the a.m.

Atta baby Ballpark Ninja....

well now i have to drive by on sales calls tomorrow...

they begin installing the "celebration sign", ie, our great old-school logo, today according to ballpark authority site.

Tim, where is the info about the Logo? Can you provide the link? Thanks!

New pics of the wood louvres taken this morning...check em out here.

From webcam 2 you can see that whatever material they put on the party deck looks to be completed.

I made some fixes to that Pohlad article:
----------

"Carl Pohlad, who died in January at the age of 93, was a self-made billionaire who purchased Major League Baseball’s Twins in 1984. When he died, he was the 102nd-richest American with a net worth of $3.2 billion amassed from family bottling, banking, real-estate businesses and pocketing tens of millions of MLB revenue sharing dollars rather than putting the money back into the team."

Found it Tim (link at my name). Nice pics by the way OG Jeff! Those louvres are a real unique touch.

Now that the infield is starting to take shape, i think a little discussion is in order. As you know, the corners of the infield grass are cut out around the bases and have different shapes at different ballparks. Some are just a simple diagonal cut, some are more angular and some are very. I'm assuming TF will have the traditional http://blog.mlive.com/sports_impact/2008/07/large_080722-winter-classic-wrigley-mockup.JPGrounded corners just from looking at the renderings and models but i can't tell and haven't seen the model infield up close. I played 3rd in my time and have seen many types which is why it draws interest from me. Rick do you, or does anyone else have any insight as to what TF has in store?

Oops! Screwed up a link. It should say some are "angular and some are very rounded" and link to a Fenway infield image.

Will those gaps in the louvers be filled in or is that a design element?

"Will those gaps in the louvers be filled in or is that a design element?"

Knot-holes, baby!!!

Hi. Does anyone know how big the celebration sign is going to be? Thanks

Ha! Hilarious! Check out the link. The dome does stink! You tell em O-Cab!

you have to love the OSN

Forgive me if someone has already linked to this. GopherHole.com, a U of M sports blog, was given a tour of TCF Bank Stadium and posted a load of new photos of both the seating bowl and the interior. The brick ringing the playing field is going in and looks really nice, certainly better than the concrete it's covering.

The Gophers are having a Maroon vs. Gold scrimmage for their season ticket holders on Saturday August 22 that will serve as a soft opening for the new stadium in advance of the coming season opener with Air Force on Saturday September 13.

Whoops. That opening game with Air Force is Saturday September 12, not the 13th.

Well, some huge post appeared on Webcam 1 today off to the area where the sign will be.

You can see the infield shape taking place. Looks fairly traditional.

Amazing that grass will be rolling out in a couple weeks!

Jared, love the topic. I also think we'll have the typical 13' rounded corners at the base cutouts. I also wonder how wide the base paths will be from home to first, and third to home? Some fields have wider paths with more of the path in foul territory than others. We shall see!

That's just the crane they're using to install the sign.

Oh yeah, what was I thinking. I wonder how long it'll take them to get it up. I wish it was visible from one of the webcams.

I will be attending a game sometime in August. I am not 100% familiar with Minneapolis, but is there some good spots or streets to check out TF up close. I do not want to do anything that I could get in trouble for, just want to get some nice pics of the stadium both up close and from a distance.

Josh - Park next to the Ford Center and go from there. You can get into the skyway system at the 5th Street bus station as well. There's plenty to see from the parking ramps.

Thanks for the pics OG Jeff.

I like the color of the wood going up on the circulator ramps...it reminds me of the pressbox at the new camelback ranch 1/4 mile from my house. Click for picture

Camelback Ranch is sweet. It's too bad that two of the most god-awful franchises to ever exist have made it their home.

Now that we have definite evidence of the infield starting to take shape, I'll ask it again: does anyone know where the infield dirt is coming from? The importance of the infiled dirt is made apparent in the article I posted about the Bossards - the "first family" of baseball groundskeeping. It's a great read, with an unexpected connection to Twin Cities baseball history.

PURE speculation, but the top dressing of the infield skin could come from Bryan Rock here in MN. Siebert Field and MN Twins are listed as some of their clients.

Expectorate....The infield dirt is going to be made up of quicksand which will hopefully swallow up Nick Punto so we can finally get rid of the jackass!

Nice

I'm sorry...yes I'm bitter....After losing 2 of 3 to the !@$!# Indians, I'm done.....The season is over....The only question is if the Twins will finish ahead of Cleveland in the standings. THANKS BILLY!!!!!

i think i am going to go and tear down those stupid yellow signs (that were put up illegally) that some bike nazis put up around the field complaining about their precious bike trail. so tired of that crap and all the lame activists in this town.

;-)

Beta,

Look out... the bikers are gonna pounce on you now lol

yea im curious if these people know that the cedar lake trail is getting stimulus funding to complete the link to the river.

maz - i have dealt with them before and i will do it again.....

:-)

If I recall correctly from when the fields were installed at Citi Field and NYS, the infield area was outlined with 2x4s or 2x6s, and then the infield dirt was added. I would assume we’ll be seeing something similar in the coming days/weeks at TF.

I love the logic behind those signs:

PUBLIC BOYCOTT
Twins Stadium
TWINS BREAK THEIR WORD...

(Even though the stadium is being paid for by the public, dumbasses)

Out of curiousity, what words did the Twins supposedly break to the bikers?

Word (sigular). Sorry.

Singular. Fat fingers I guess today...

As someone who rides their bike whether the weather is 0 or 100 degrees I sure hope Target Field will be bike friendly. I'm not sure what that sign is about I thought the county was working with the ballpark authority to build a parking station for those of us, me included, who plan to bike to most if not all the games.

Oh, Beta, with all do respect, let's not call people names just because you disagree with their choice of transportation.

Maybe there is some sort of movement afoot to make the bikers pay attention to the traffic laws. That would probably rile them up.

Does anyone know what the sign says that is standing in front of the gates on Target plaza?

oh, andrew, my biking friend. you see it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with bicyclists choice of personal transportation. though i am not surprised you went OUT OF YOUR WAY to interpret it that way.

i own a very nice bike myself and ride it all of the time. i am all for using a bike as a main source of transportation and i give a lot of credit to those who do it. i also follow traffic laws while riding it and do not purposely try to instigate conflicts with motorists while riding to try and prove a lame point. THOSE ARE THE BIKE NAZIS I AM REFERRING TO. their presence in the twin cities can not be denied. i have had to deal with them on more than one occasion and they deserved to be called nothing less.

beta

jorge - thanks for the link to the gopher football stadium pictures. very cool!

Thanks for the tip OG Jeff!

Also, you have to love the Gophers locker room compared to the visitors. Kind of made me chuckle.

I went to a St. Cloud Riverbats game the other night, and I have got to say if there are days like there was on Tuesday, Target Field will be a blast!

In reference to the posted TCF bank pictures. Will be kind of funny to walk up to a bar and be asked would you like Milk or Apple Juice.

we can thank the pandering mn legislators for completely f-ing up what was a perfectly fine and long planned alcohol policy at the new gopher football stadium, williams arena and mariucci arena. i am part of a gopher football season ticket group (sitting in general admission) and had absolutely NO PROBLEM with their orginal plan (which the legislature knew about all along) to only serve alcohol in the controlled and monitored areas of premium seating - where you are not going to find underage u of m students.

the mn legislators really needed to focus on actual business last session (which they failed at miserably) and not mess with the u of m's.

rant over! ;-)

Rick, are you planning on doing a 2010 Ballpark Magic calendar? It might be tough this year for interior shots, due to photo restrictions, but there are plenty of great exterior shots, including the scoreboard/logo, limestone and glass. I figured I would ask since its already August believe it or not.

I am loving the 2009 calendar and looking back at those pictures, it seems so long ago, yet it seems just like yesterday.

These last two years of construction have gone so fast its crazy to think back to that groundbreaking (and bridge collapse) in 2007. At that point Opening Day 2010 seemed so far away, now were are just 8 months from the opening of Target Field.

Speaking of 2007, I must say its unfortunate we no longer have Torii Hunter or Johan Santana like we did in 2007. We sure could use those two leaders right now to help straighten out this mess on the current team!

Can somebody explain to me why the louvers are a big deal? I see that it is not like the rest of the stone facade, but to me it seems like a cheap patch over the steel skeleton inside, and not a cool addition to the streetside view of the park.

Holy crap Target Field looks great - got to walk around it tonight after spending 18 months looking at it on the webcam. Can't wait until April where I will probably cry about seeing outdoor baseball in the Twin Cities.

Dumb question-how do they water ballpark grass? There aren't sprinkler heads are there? Do the drag hoses? I don't believe I saw anything on this during preparation of the field?

to answer a couple of questions people asked -- the sign on the plaza is a "Union Appreciation" sign, thanking the unions that allow such big and wonderful structures in our city.

the louvres are a nice architectural element. it all depends on your tastes I guess. I saw them up close and there are some nice pieces of lumber there -- probably a more expensive facade than the preassembled brick sections actually. Don't get too hyped about the "knotholes" -- more of a gimmick than anything, trust me you won't be able to even see a player or the field through them.

oh, and the closing of Visage is a very positive thing. Never walked in the place, but I knew a bartender there and she had several "shooting" stories that took place. in fact I think one of the shootings resulted in a murder there within the last year. good riddance.

RE: JCTwins

I am nearly 100% certain they use sprinkler heads. They only use a hose to water the infield dirt before games. They have a quick coupler behind the mound where they tap into the water source.

Thanks, that will be a cool webcam visual.

JCTwins - there are very well hidden sprinkler heads installed throughout the field (or there will be). They provide the groudscrew a significant amount of control. There are also additional tap-in points for hoses should additional concentration be required for specific areas (by hand).

It really is pretty cool to see on a field, because unless you really look for them, you would swear nothing is there. Much nicer (not surprisingly) than anything you would see in a residential environment.

On the MLB bloopers reel this year, there is a clip where the sprinkler system was activated during game play, which was very funny. I don't know the game involved though.

Can anyone confirm that the turf harvesting date is 8/17? I was going to go up to the turf farm, but I haven't been able to find confirmation of the initial truck load. Thanks.

That sounds incorrect jfh. Grass will begin to be installed at 10pm on Monday August 24th and finish on the 27th. There is to be a maximum of 72 hours from harvest in CO to the grass being put down in Minneapolis. This leads me to believe the harvest will commence on Saturday in CO at Graffs.

Washed-up, retread pitcher signing alert:
Twins sign Pavano from Indians.

Too little, too late?

if that bumps liriano to the pen i'm fine with it.

i would really like to see if jon garland of the diamondbacks can be had through waivers.

"I was going to go up to the turf farm"

You are going to go and watch some guys run sod kickers???? Really????

here's sid's newest column...

don't forget that 2007 (the last year we had all four players he talks about), the team was only 79-83...

Structural steel of celebration sign is now visible on webcam 1 looks pretty big too!

From the looks of it on webcam 1.....that sign out in center field looks like it is going to be fairly large....can't wait for it to be up and get some pics.

Thanks Max. Hopefully I can get up there and take pics of the turf and/or the trucks.

Visiting a turf farm is probably as fun as watching grass grow. Literally.

It's funny when stadium geeks start mocking other stadium geeks for being stadium geeks. But also kind of sad.

Come on guys we shouldn't mock each other we all on the same side! We all want to see outdoor baseball in Minnesota! Some people may wanna see different aspects and parts of this project but in the end we all want the same thing

I like the carl pavano trade today. He is 5-1 against the central divison....i think he will do a o.k job...better than liriano at least.

"It's funny when stadium geeks start mocking other stadium geeks for being stadium geeks. But also kind of sad"

TRUE THAT!!!! i would prob go see the sod farm... i would go see where they make the Lovuers or whatever tey are called... and most people on this site check it 15 times a day.. so we are all stadium geeks...

Not everyone here is a stadium geek. Some of us are those who will take your Dome Dog money from you while you're standing in the concourse and then sucker punch you in the stomach. We would be the stadium bullies.

How this for geeking. Watching the stadia get greener with seats and the infield taking shape, I still have to pinch myself. We are actually gonna be outdoors again after all these awful years in the dome. It's really is soemthing else. !!!!

This has probably been discussed before, or maybe just speculated around here, but where will they keep the field tarp at TF? Will they be in foul territory, like most MLB parks, or in that same service entrance where some seats will have to be raised, in order for ambulances to enter the field??

I too would be driving by the turf farm if I lived in CO and was still as big a fan of TF as I am... for pete's sake, I make excuses to go to Minneapolis just to drive by the ballpark site...

4-1 Tigers, bottom of the 1st, nobody out. Big game and they flop like a dead fish right out of the gate. END OF SEASON.

Maybe I should have wrote carp. Dead fish don't really flop, do they?

6-1. Still the bottom of the 1st. The TV has been turned off.

Are they installing the shaking hands logo pretty soon?

The way the Twins have been playing lately, maybe they should install a shaking heads logo instead. :(

I think I saw these umpires at a little league game this summer. That was the worst umpiring I have ever seen.

Missed game saw highlights we got jipped.

You hate to complain about umpiring but that was atrocious tonight!

Luke I would assume on the field like every other park, not sure where else it would go?

I missed most of the game tonite. But I did hear that Gardy got run (what did he do to get thrown out?) and Hunter Wendelstedt had his TYPICAL horrendous night behind the plate. He is a terrible umpire with a short fuse and is living off his last name. His dad still runs the main MLB Umpire school in Ormond Beach, FL. If you guys pay attention there tends to be a pattern that teams have trouble with many of the same umpires during the season...

So it's been nearly a month since I've been to this site (and the webcams too), what have I missed? Let me guess: Rick has some great posts, OG Jeff has more pictures, kevin in az is grumpy, maz wants to tailgate and luke said something very "luke-like"?

The ballpark is really starting to look great!

jojo - and once a month Beta blows up with a rant about politics or the cyclists in Minneapolis (love B... like clockwork! :-))

They have to raise a section of seats to allow ambulances on the field? If a player needs emergency medical assistence, they have to chase fans out of their seats to facilitate the use of an ambulance?! Does that sound crazy only to me?

i guess that was the weekend "warm front" (that we have been hearing about incessantly all week from the blathering meteorologists on t.v.) that just came through minneapolis. man, was that a lot of rain in a short amount of time. sheesh!

random post over......oh and i think mlb umpires suck too! ;-)

Not only that Winona Mike, but I am wondering where they are going to store the batting cage during the games?

Is that going to be out in the centerfield/bullpen area? If not, its more than likely going to be under the left field stands meaning they will need to chase fans from their seats during the pre-game to move the batting cage off the field following the visiting team BP session.

There also might be some access doors below the 'overlook' area in RF, who knows at this point. It will be interesting to find out.

Seating diagrams seem to indicate that currently existing tunnel area will be filled with seats by next season. When the Pirates played in Forbes Field, center field was so deep that they stored the batting cage in the farthest corner of the field (457 ft.) in play, next to the flag pole. I recall seeing a photo in The Sporting News back in 1969 of the Mets' Tommy Agee scrambling up the cage in pursuit of a fly ball. As crazy and as dangerous as that may seem, it's better than the arangement the Pirates used to have for storing their batting cage. They used to simply roll it back out of the way where it stood in foul territory, in play, behind home plate.
Let's hope the Twins find a more sensible option than that. Still, I can't imagine that they wouldn't have any immediate access to the field. Is there posibly a doorway in the bullpen area? That cutout looks pretty long to be for bullpens only.

"But if the opening itself is the width of a truck, and say five rows deep, is it that too much to ask fans to scramble out of those seats in an emergency?"

From a legal and liability standpoint, I would say yes. Reasonable doesn't always mean practical.

I was just looking at the Target Field webcam (08/08/09 9:32 am) and noticed the light rail has gone past the stadium.
I posted this pic I snapped from the webcam on my site. See above the unfinished portion of the canopy.
http://www.joemauerfanclub.com/images/albums/NewAlbum_02bae/TF_lightrail_080809.jpg
-Marty

Thursday I got to take a tour of Target Field and I was blown away. The line about not allowing pictures because it may ruin the a-ha moments is garbage. I have been following the construction by looking at pictures since before the groundbreaking and to see it in person is breathtaking. No matter how many pictures you have seen, once you walk through the gate, onto the concourse, and down to the seats it is still one big a-ha moment.

I didn't get much information out of the tour guide. He was either very sly or quite ignorant. Many of the questions I asked that are nearly common knowledge around here, he had no idea about.

A few things I learned:
The plaza will be opening this fall to the public. Our guide said that there will be no connection or open concourse on non-game days between the light-rail and the plaza.

The Budweiser Party Deck has 150 seats and room for 150 standing room only. It will probably be available to any ticket holder for a small cover charge or single game tickets can be purchased for the deck.

Sod installation will begin next week.

If I remember anything else, I will certainly share. And even though pictures were not allowed, I did take a few dozen with my phone and will share them as soon as I can figure out how to transfer them to my computer.

Excellent sleuthing AP. You are the new Ballpark Ninja. OG Jeff has been demoted due to his lack of production.

I must agree.. it is one hell of a "ah-ha" whenyou are standing top row staring at the huge frickin scoreboard

The light rail station at the ballpark is essentially done. I don't expect them to start service there until Northstar begins.

Click my name for the Nortstar Rail blog.

Thanks for the blog link David. What really bothers me, is that first picture, and the matrix board says "Ball Park" instead of "Target Field." I think that's really bad. Hopefully they'll change it.

I was hoping maybe they're doing service to that stop now, because I am going to the game against the Tribe on Saturday, via the light rail, and would have loved to go to the end of the line to go see the place up close and personal. But, it's useless for them to have service at the TF station now, because Northstar doesn't start til October...so I might be able to check it out, when I go to the last game ever at the Humpty Dumpty on October 4.

Are they planning to cover the back of the video board structure? Aswell as the portion between the video screen and the ad boards on the front?

Not sure about the space between the ads, but the back will be covered and say "Target Field" with the Target logo.

In reguards to the Field Tarp, Remember at the Met, the Tarp took only one guy operating the little tractor to pull it out. It was behind the right field fence on a long roll. Pretty Cool and efficient.
P.S. Hey why does Milwaukee have a tarp roll on the field with the retractable dome?

Anyone?... Anyone? Bueller

hans, that does seem pretty odd. I looked at pictures of some of the other retractable roof stadiums with grass (Chase, Miller and Safeco) and none of those appear to have tarps on the field. And according to Wikipedia (for what that's worth) Miller and Safeco both close in around 10 minutes. Maybe Bud made them put the tarp there to assure people that they wouldn't close the roof if it was sprinkling??

Hey sorry if this has been posted but i was looking at webcam 1 tonight and I saw the infield began to take shape.Its pretty cool!

luke - you can still take the hiawatha line to the 1st ave/warehouse district stop and walk it from there to target field. it is only like a 3 minute walk from that stop. don't think you need to wait unitl 10/4 to venture down there.

p.s. look at a mtc transit map next time! ;-)

Way to stick it to luke, Beta... but seriously, AP needs to figure out the cell phone to computer stuff so we can see the pics from his tour... AP, it you're having problems connecting to your comp with your cell phone, email me (should be the link on my name)... unless you've got a Mac, then I've got nothing

According to Sid's column today, the Twins will hold Twinsfest 2010 at the Metrodome on January 29 and 30.

Very interesting what went into that decision. It's also interesting to note that it will be held on Friday/Saturday only, although it may just be a misprint and may actually be on Sunday January 31 as well as the 29th and 30th.

I just think it will be a little different going to Twinsfest 2010 at the Metrodome after attending the October 4 season finale there.

I'm not too surprised to see it be in the Dome this time, but I'm guessing they'll move it to the Target Center or something in the future. The Target Center would allow them to do the tours of Target Field that they currently do at TwinsFest.

I'm guessing it's three days too...

Mike - you said "Very interesting what went into that decision", referring to TwinsFest at the Dome. Can you expand on that? Do you have more info on the decision process?

Marty- I believe the extension of the LRT Line past the stadium will be for the future LRT Lines such as Southwest Corridor. Click my name for the Wikipedia page for the Southwest Corridor

jfh - I have a friend who is a memorabilia vendor and he was told last spring the Twins were very confident that Twinsfest would be in a new location starting in 2010.

Obviously things change and don't always work out as planned.

I don't have any inside information to the decision process, but am actually somewhat surprised they are remaining in the Metrodome. I would have thought the Twins would have wanted the October 4th game to be their final event in the Metrodome.

Either way, I will go to Twinsfest as I always do, I just find it interesting they are having it at the Metrodome.

For now, the extension past the ballpark is for stacking trains. They can have an extra train, or two, waiting for the end of the game so they can move people out more quickly. With three, three car trains, they could move 1,500 people out within minutes. (Each car is designed to hold up to 186 people)

Eventually, one of the Southwest Transitway options is to come along behind the HERC, and down 5th street, but they are also talking about running down Nicollet through downtown.

Click my name for a link to the Southwest Transitway website.

Why move TwinsFest? They've been having it at the Dumpty for the last 21 years. they've got a good system going...why ruin a good thing?
If you have it in Target Center, it'll be 1/4 the size it is now. The Convention Center might work...
TwinsFest boasts the largest memorabillia show in the Midwest. There's no way Target Center could handle it.
Shoulda put a roof on Target Field - could have moved TwinsFest there. Guess that's out of the picture.

Luke - TwinsFest was at the MOA at least one year (93?) it didn't work too well for a host of reasons.

There's really no reason to move Twinsfest anywhere until the dump is imploded and the Vikings have moved.

I love MLB The Show. I suck at it, but I love it. Anyone here interested in forming a league when MLB 10 comes out with our favorite stadium in it?

Another commentary in the StarTribune about Block E.

"Block E is the nexus of foot and vehicular traffic connecting the business quadrant to the entertainment quadrant and is centrally located between the north and south bookends that are downtown residential quadrants. A 50,000-square-foot Whole Foods store, wrapped in a 50,000-square-foot Best Buy and a 15,000-square-foot CVS Pharmacy would still leave plenty of room for the kind of convenience and destination retail infill that a growing downtown residential base and a still-vibrant downtown employment base would use, come winter and summer."

David - I'll join that league.

If Twinsfest doesn't stay at the Metrodome beyond 2010, it will almost certainly go to the Convention Center which has ample space on a wide open floor in the main hall and good logistics for exhibitors. All Target Center has going for it is proximity to Target Field. Otherwise, from the narrow concourses to the size of the arena floor, Target Center's general layout is completely inappropriate for the crowds and the overall set up for Twinsfest. Holding the event there would be a disaster and if the Twins ever do it once, I guarantee they won't go back a second time.

Hans

i think that miller park has a tarp to cover the infield dirt when they water it or it rains...dont need to water dirt do we?

i doubt they will have much of a TF tour during the winter fir fear of someone getting hurt our messing up thier new toy....

leave twisfest at the dome.. its one thing the dome is good for...

I'll second that Jorge.

I took a long tour with camera around Target Field today. Clickey.

Argh! Correct link.

wow great pictures David! Didn't know you could get so close

rick or anyone - please remind me. isn't the plan to cover the back of the scoreboard with same material (or similar) as was used on the canopy? in the ballpark model is appears to be covered and it says target field on the back with the twins baseball logo.

anyone know?

So 11 flag poles in left field, maybe 6 retired numbers, 2 World Series, 1 AL Champs and a Twins logo on both sides for a total of 11 flags?

Except it would be 3 AL Champs.

another question regarding nearby streets. does anyone know if they city/county will be rebuilding any of the following streets around target field prior to opening day?

1.) 2nd Ave N (between N. 7th St. AND Washington Ave). parts of 2nd Ave N on this stretch are in desperate need of complete replacement. it has only gotten worse since ballpark construction started.

2.) Each of the following: 5th Ave N.; 6th Ave N.; 7th Ave N. (all between N. 4th St. AND Washington Ave).

2a.) those of you who live in this area of the warehouse district (which is a stones throw from target field) will know exactly what i am talking about. some city planner wunderkind (probably at the behest of a few historic preservation zealots with no engineering backgrounds) thought it would be a great idea to leave the old, very uneven cobblestone streets (i would venture from the late 1800's/early 1900's) in place and just throw some asphalt over it. try driving down these roads and it is a rather, shall i say, BUMPY ride to say the least. not only that, i think each is an eyesore asthetically.

each of the streets i noted above needs to be completely ripped-up and repaved in concrete. there will be even more cars, trucks and foot traffic on each of these streets starting next spring (much of it heading to target field 81 times a year) and it behooves the city of minneapolis and/or hennepin county to get these streets up to date and into the 21st century in terms of drivability/usability prior to that.

6 Retired Numbers + 3 AL Pennants + 2 World Series Champs = 11 flags?

Beta,

The brick paved streets are in desperate need of replacement. However. concrete won't fit the character of the neighborhood as well as brick. St. Paul did some nice brick paving downtown on some major streets. Maybe the same could work in the North Loop. It's expensive, though. I'd rather see the money spent demolishing the N. 4th. St. and N. 3rd. St. viaducts and bringing those streets down to grade level.

david,

1.) i can see your points on fitting the character of the area over there. i agree on that point. as long as it could be done in a way that would hold up to heavy traffic (vehicle & foot). unfortunately, nothing seems to do that as well as concrete.

2.) st. paul did some good brick work. kellogg and 7th street right in front of xcel comes to mind. i think they also did some areas around rice park, etc. correct?

3.) i am not sure i know enough about how the viaducts impact those who live right there to have a worthwhile opinion on them.

4.) i think we will have to agree to disagree on which should be replaced/removed first (the streets or the viaduct). my vote has to go to: 5th Ave N.; 6th Ave N.; 7th Ave N. (all between N. 4th St. AND Washington Ave). in fact 5th Ave N. needs to be replaced all the way up to its intersection with N. 5th St. - right next to ford center.

i have driven each of those streets many times and imo there is no denying they are currently in really bad shape and will only get worse with the additional traffic loads sure to come. i say let's put our best foot forward from an asthetic street-level/streetscape standpoint from day one, if possible.

david - i got a good laugh from one of your photo commentaries on facebook.

you wrote: "the three amigos and the ugly duckling". so funny, so unfortunately true! stupid multifoods tower.....what a red-headed step-child it is on the minneapolis skyline.

Looking through David's pictures I have one wish for the plaza. Where the plaza connects with the Target Center there is a drastic change in the railing style (look at photo 116 for an image of what I'm talking about). It would be great if they would continue the new railing around the Target Center. Just a thought and a wish.

some city planner wunderkind (probably at the behest of a few historic preservation zealots with no engineering backgrounds) thought it would be a great idea to leave the old, very uneven cobblestone streets (i would venture from the late 1800's/early 1900's) in place and just throw some asphalt over it.

More likely it was just cheapest to lay asphalt directly on top of the cobblestones. But I guess it's easier to just shoehorn strawmen into your worldview.

Beta and David-

the thing about the streets here is that even if they had the money, it would be a monumental feat to get rid of the half brick-half asphalt. it just took 3 years to get the approval of the HPC, the NLNA, and the city council to allow trees to be planted on the streets in the North Loop because "there were not traditionally trees in the area". Kind of dumb, but at the same time this process does ensure that people can't quickly sneak crap into the Warehouse District (except strip clubs). Seriously, we get notified in the mail if a building wants to change the color of their sign, but if a XXX bookstore wants to open up shop all of the sudden they're in business... but anyhow I don't mind the cobbled streets, it's kind of like built-in speedbumps that keep people from using the neighborhood as a freeway out of downtown.

The viaducts suck. I don't know how to fix that without some major work. They create a giant chasm where dockstreet is, and allow people to evacuate downtown at 80 miles and hour.

My 2 cents.

Hi David. Is there anyway you could post your pictures on another photo sharing site? If not, no big deal. I am one of the select few who does not have a facebook account. Thanks!!

just drove by the site yesterday and there is some total street reconstruction going on near target field, including "dock" street. not everything can get done at once, there's a lot of other streets around the city needing work.

I drove through on 2nd Ave N last night, and it's 2/3 ripped up from 4th St to Washington right now, whereas in the past few weeks it was all gravel/dirt. There's only one lane open, and the Choice side of the street(middle lane, too) is completely gone.

I'm moving 3 blocks away from TF this week, and while I'm excited by this, I'm also worried about what traffic will be like on game days. Good thing I have a parking spot!

To get the brick streets redone would be a huge project for the city. A couple years ago they had intended to do so before the park opened, but we haven't seen any movement in that direction. I agree with mplsgreg that getting anything done in the North Loop is a monumental feat. There's a lot of NLNA zealots and gatekeepers who make it their business to cockblock projects, whether good or bad.

Andrew-Yeah i did notice that! another reason (on top of many) why the Target center is such an eyesore!

Just took a look at the webcam. It appears that they are now putting the infield dirt in. Much more reddish brown than the other subsoil. Exciting!!

Jeff,

I'll see what I can do when I get home tonight. I originally tried Picasa, but it's just stupid that you need ANOTHER account in addition to your regular Google account to set up an album. I have enough accounts already. Flickr is out per Rick's comment (and I don't have an account there).

I thought I had set the facebook page to allow anyone to view it. I'll look into that again.

RE: trosy29
Yeah, it could be. I see they have put up 2x4's or 2x6's along the 2B line. They did this with the New York stadiums as well; outlining the entire skinned area with 2x4's.

When will the canopy be finished?

I am sure they install the 2x's for a "form" similar to pouring concrete, and then compact the field dirt. Then they most likely install the sod up to that line. Starting to take form. I bet by the end of the week the infield will be quite defined.

some city planner wunderkind (probably at the behest of a few historic preservation zealots with no engineering backgrounds) thought it would be a great idea to leave the old, very uneven cobblestone streets (i would venture from the late 1800's/early 1900's) in place and just throw some asphalt over it.

More likely it was just cheapest to lay asphalt directly on top of the cobblestones.

If you go around town, there are a lot instances of asphault being laid over the old cobblestones. Franklin Avenue from Hennepin to Lake of the Isles was cobblestone until the late 1970/early 1980s. I think some of the stones were removed, but others were just paved over. When they do streetwork or if the asphault wears down enough, the cobblestones become visible.

Down at about 50th and Xerxes, on the southside of the intersection, not only has some of the cobblestone become visible (unless its been fixed recently), some of the old streetcar track has shown through as well.

There have to be a few other instances of the cobblestone wearing through the pavement elsewhere around Minneapolis.

Looks like they are going to begin seat installation on the 1st base side of the Dugout Box Sections.

I watched a program on Twin City Public Television that MSP/STP had a great street car rail system at one time, and it was then corrupt politicians that took money from the a busing company that switched the main Public Transportation to Buses. If the Rail Car lines remained up and running through the years, the program stated that MSP/STP would have one of the best rail systems in the country. Seeing this picture makes you think what it could be today. Sad.

Thanks for that pic Rick. Yeah, that does look a bit high.

I believe there are also some hidden rails on University Ave. along where the Central Corridor is being built. I doubt that they'd be useable though...it's been so many years.

Thanks Rick!!

Rick: I'd like to buy you a Jucy Lucy and a few Grain Belts at Matt's Bar. What a Minneapolis history buff you are!!!

Work is progressing on seat installation in two areas today. There is a chance all of the lower level seats might be in by the end of this week!

good call rick. by the way, the local interests involved in getting rid of the streetcars were led by none other than Carl Pohlad...

I am curious about something. Does anyone know that if there is an MLB official on site throughout the process of the field installation to make sure it is installed to MLB rules and regs?

Great pictures David, (aka David). You are a professional!!
A comment on photo #61 with Butler Square in the background. That is where the original ballpark of the Millers was located.(Athletic Field... 1880's - 1890's), untill the Butler Bros bought the property and told the club it had to find a new spot (Nicollet B.P.) to play. Funny how the new Ballpark will be kitty corner to the original ballpark site.

I don't know if its been mentioned, but it appears that the supports for the "Shaking Hands" sign are in place in center field.

A few thoughts I had while circling the ballpark yesterday:

I've always been a bit wary of the retired numbers gate thing. What happens when the M&M boys have their numbers retired? There are no more gates. Given that I've not heard anything about this from the Twins for a long time, I wonder if they've scrapped the idea. It would fit with putting the retired numbers on the flag poles above left field.

I really want to see N. 6th. St. between N. 1st. Ave. and N. 2nd. Ave. converted to bidirectional operation. I was skeptical of the whole plaza extension thing but after walking the area yesterday, the place really hit me as full of possibilities. But the traffic needs calming. Do that, put a few big planters on the sidewalks, add some vendors...could be really cool!

The NERC-side plaza is much larger than I'd imagined. There are immediate opportunities to do some greening there and create a nice park-like overlook. Yes, HERC is there but landscaping could do wonders. Maybe the county is on to something.

This whole area of Minneapolis just exudes history. This is where the character of Minneapolis was defined. There are opportunities to do historic walks here, touching on everything the Althletic Park history Hans mentioned to the truckers' strike of 1934 that broke the Citizens Alliance and made Minneapolis a union town. Something akin to the Mississippi Mile would be great here and would help revitilize this part of the city.

Update from the Twins

And another update, can you believe it, two updates form the Twins web page!

It would be fun to do an ongoing "find a fossil" contest here. There might be some neat stuff embedded in our little park.

Whoa Whoa Whoa NOW!

Twins, you can't be spoiling all these AHA! moments for us by showing things like the "quote wall" and the "fireplace". How will we be blown away on opening day if you keep giving such access to us commoners? I suggest you go back to the "doing nothing" way of marketing.

Does anyone find the marketing of Puckett a bit hypocritical? Weren't the Twins running away from him as fast as they could go?

just got back from the parking deck where i like to check on field installation progress and noted several new signs noting:

"NO LOITERING
For everyone's SAFETY please do not attempt to look over the wall, climb the wall, lift children over the wall, hold a camera over the wall or any unsafe activity. This area is for parking cars and we anticipate that parkers will come and go from their vehicles without lingering. You may be asked to move on by security if you loiter."

Oooooohhhh!! Idle threats by the parking garage police. It's hard to blame them I guess for how litgious our society is, one guy drops his three year old over the parking garage wall and into the stadium and it ruins the fun for the rest of us.

Now the only thing I'm thinking is if it is that easy for the parking garage to crack down on "loiterers" WHAT THE F HAS BLOCK E SECURITY BEEN DOING?

from espn: blue jays outfielder alex rios has been claimed off waivers by the chicago white sox.

isn't that special. i get a warm fuzzy feeling just reading that.

oh and what waiver deals are you making billy smith?! anything?! anything?! maybe another starting pitcher since or rotation is crap right now?!

billy: i mean we are trying really hard guys.....i can prove it.....here look at our phone bill for this month.......blah......blah......blah

:-(

We just got Carl Pavano off waivers...Doesn't that count?

Rick,

On that "quote wall" did they say how it'll be completed? For example, what are the wires for? Will it light up or something?

the legacy - we need more than just one carl pavano. he had one good game so far. i can't think of a good reason why the twins can't pick up another "legit" starting pitcher (with some past experience which this staff sorely lacks) off waivers to supplement the rotation.

wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic, but wanted to respond either way.

When you have Joseph Patrick Mauer... you have a chance.

ps, rick when are you going to be uploading the new crop of photos?

Beta - would you really want the Twins to pony up the $ owed Rios?

You can fault Billy for many things, but not claiming Rios certainly isn't one of them.

Is that part of the old Minneapolis Lakers' hardwood floor used for the floor in the Metropolitan club? Or did those plans never happen? I just noticed the hardwood floor in the photo gallery so was wondering.

jfh - i think you missed the whole point. no where in my post did i suggest the twins should have picked up rios off of waivers. i suggested that they need to pick up another starting pitcher. offense does not seem to be this team's main issue.

also, i am not sure the white sox are even on the hook to pay the rest of rios' contract. unfortunately, i didn't see much information on that part of the deal with the blue jays and how that works out. still have to give the white sox credit for working the trade/waiver wires a lot harder than the twins have/are. remember that the white sox are only 2 games ahead of us in the standings.

Does anyone find the marketing of Puckett a bit hypocritical? Weren't the Twins running away from him as fast as they could go?

When Kirby got into legal and marital problems, the Twins dropped him like a bad habit due to fears that the negative publicity would upset their stadium efforts and I think that hurt Kirby quite a bit. There was never a reconciliation prior to his death. So, at times, it makes the manner in which the club uses his image seem more than a little uncomfortable to witness.

Pictures uploading to Picasa for non-facebook people. Should be done in a few minutes. Clickey again.

"So, at times, it makes the manner in which the club uses his image seem more than a little uncomfortable to witness."

In other words ----- hypocritical?