I dont know how you do it all the time but once again nice pics.

I second that motion. Great pics Rick.

I think its neat how there are all those little places to peek in to the game....nice pics!

Great post!

What are people's thoughts on the height of railings? I know what it's like to sit behind them and have your view obstructed. Of all the newer parks I've visited, they have plexiglass instead of railings so you can see the action without metal bars obstructing your view. Does anyone have any insight as to why the Twins decided to go with railings? It seems a bit old-school when compared to many of the new ballparks.

maybe i can't see it, but it doesn't look like the aisle seats (atleast in the upper decks) will have a twins logo or anything on that, i was at kaufman in the upper deck back when we were playing there and they had a kc logo on all the aisle seats, it looked pretty sweet, probably a cost cutting measure, but it would've been great to see that

the pics of the legends club seats that jfh took had the tc logo on them, those are going to look great

as far as the railings go, it sure looks like there is going to be some serious obstructtion in the front row, cuz there is a walkway between the front row and the railing, there is just no way those people will be able to see over that railing without standing up

i love love love how there are so many different sections. for the first year or so it will be confusing, but after we fans get the hang of it, imagine how cool it will be to have "little neighborhoods" in the ballpark; place where you will see the same people if you are a sth or buy a 40-game pack.

THAT is cool.

All of that concrete looks so clean now...it will be disgusting when people put gum on the floor :(. Maybe with mostly STH and no Vikings fans they'll take a bit better care of the park :).

"they have plexiglass instead of railings so you can see the action without metal bars obstructing your view."

kev, Give me metal bars anyday after watching action through the old plexiglass in leftfield at the dump for all those years in left field. Thank goodness that crap didn't jar the ball out of Kirby's glove in game 6 of '91 WS. Anything dump related needs to stay out of TF, except Kirby's golden seat.

Alert the media! klye just wrote something positive! ha ha YES!

Our group ended up getting first row of home plate terrace close to home plate down the 3rd base line. I think they'll be great, but my one worry is the railings being too high. They are charging $5 extra per game for the first row so I would hope they aren't creating an obstruction that's going to make us regret the seats.

From the webcams, it sure looks like the canopy is very close to being completed, and it is great to see the seats being installed. It will be great to see the sod go down at the end of August. Things are really starting to take shape.

I prefer railings over plexiglass from pictures that I have seen from other ballparks. It was pretty disgusting to see all the smudges, dirt, and grime that the plexiglass showed.

Hey all

Great pictures and commentary as usual Rick!

Definitely making progress on the canopy, but there's still quite a bit of it down the 3rd base line that needs the sheathing/finishing on the underside. Are they going to put another "triangle of seats" on the end of the skyline view section down the third base line, right next to the party deck? According to the renderings it looks like they plan to; this would make it symmetric with/equivalent to the end of the field view section down the first base line.

Looks like more drainage pipe going in today, and seats being installed - lots of action!

Ah Rick, you never fail to take great pictures with the great commentary too

So do they know when the seats will be finished? Will they finish before the grass is laid? I hope so cuz then it will really look like a ballpark. I won't go to a profession baseball game until this opens.
After going to a real ballpark and then going to my first (and last) dome game of the season, i saw all the imperfections even more then before

Fantastic post Rick - thanks!

Was the height redesign just adding the rails on top of the metal grates that were already there? That's what it looks like. It does seem like the rails will block views for fans in the front row unless they sit forward and look through or stand up. I'm 5'7" and don't like the first rows in most upper decks because the rail always seems to be in the way.

I understand the need for safety, but it's too bad that protecting a few idiots that won't use common sense comes at the expense of STHs that have paid a premium to sit in the first row.

does anyone know how obstructed those front row seats are going to be?

I was at Yankee Stadium in early June and sat in the third row of the 300 level which is the lower part of the split upper deck. Their railings are the plexiglass variety. I didn't find them to be obstructive or intrusive. Of course it's important to note that they are still very clean and unscathed. In a few years it might be a different story.

The last ballpark I've been to with plexiglass instead of railings is Petco Park. I sat in the first row of the view level and the obstruction was minimal. However, after a rain delay, all those water droplets which I could not reach with a napkin really obstructed my view once the game resumed....

I thought I heard or read somewhere that the Champion's Club would have windows that would allow people to see players taking some swings in the batting cage. Does anyone if there is any truth to this? I looked at the picture Rick provided of the Champion's Club layout, which shows not to be the case.

The U of M launched a new interactive website dedicated to Memorial Stadium...click name for link.

Very interesting photos as well as some orginal letters (to the regents) both pro-Metrodome and pro-Memorial Stadium.

That must have been one sad day when they left Memorial Stadium just like when the Twins left the Met. Thankfully, that will all change on Sept 12 when TCF Bank Stadium opens and again on April 12, 2010, when Target Field opens.

Mike,
Thanks for that link to Memorial Stadium. I really do love the new TCF Bank stadium, however, I really wish they would finish off the concrete wall which surrounds the field with bricks or brick tiles. This would tie in with the exterior and pay homage to Memorial stadium. I see that they have maroon padding on the endzone walls, but the sidewalls are still bare concrete and it looks cold and cheap.

Just read some data about the new radio ratings...

Looks like KSTP is #7 in the Twin Cities from 7-Midnight M-F. Those seem like solid baseball radio ratings to me. And, it looks like they've been able to parlay it into success in other time slots, particularly in the morning.

KSTP is #13 overall. KFAN--the all football all the time station--by comparison, is #18 overall. I wouldn't be surprised if these ratings flip flopped in Oct-Nov-Dec during football season.

Kevin in az:
The strib Gophers blog says that the brick surrounding the field is going to be done. click name for link.

turfguy, you just made my day....THANK YOU!

Rick - I've sent you a copy of what the Twins used in the relocation package that shows the seating areas and matching colors.

Good close-up of the "funny little island" seating in the home-run porch view. Judging by the seating chart, it looks like the "funny little island" pattern will continue all around the upper deck. Anyone know the reason for this arrangement? Why not just have the path re-converge right behind the entrance and split the sections up from there? I'm not sure I would want to sit right in between two lanes of traffic in a group of 4 seats, and it seems like they're creating more seats-behind-rails than necessary.

Very nice update Rick. Thanks for the seating diagram too.

I agree that safety should be the priority with the railings. The story about the fan in St. Louis is extremely scary.

Last season at Dodger Stadium, I saw a guy stumble and almost fall over the railing in the Top Deck (highest level in the park.) The railings there aren't much higher than the ones at Busch III, so everytime I sit in row A (right behind the railing,) I make sure to be very careful.

The railings at Dodger Stadium can cause minor obstructions if you're in the first row and leaning back in your seat. Depending on the section and exact seat, the railing can block off homeplate. Usually I will sit in the front of my seat, lean over slightly and rest my arms on the railing in order to have no obstructions and a cool view of the Reserved Level underneath. Go cantilevers!

From these pics, it appears that row A on the Field Terrace will have some issues with obstructions due to the railings. The second row (row B) could also have minor obstructions.

For those looking at season tickets, at least you know which areas could be a problem. I am curious to hear which other seats/sections will have obstructions besides the obvious ones like the Home Run Porch View.

Also anxious to see pics of some of the best seats/sections that don't cost a lot of money. The Home Plate Terrace & Home Plate View right behind home plate look very intriguing.

I've know this since the Twins let it out, but being it's the subject of discussion.... A 40,000 seat ballpark with 22 different seating prices is amazingly insane. I know, a little $omething for eveyone. Gimme a break, it's simply over the top. "But this amp goes to ELEVEN"

God will 2010 come already! i cant wait to be the 1st tossed out of TF for dumping my 30 buck beer on the d-bag jonathon papplbons head from my seats next to the bullpen!

The various price ranges are a little overwhelming and I won't disagree that 22 feels like overkill. However it's the only thing the Twins can do to get high prices to cash in on the premium seating, maxmize their dollars from the general public, and still have relatively inexpensive tickets in order to shield themselves from public criticism.

It's hard to believe that when the Metrodome opened in 1982, the prices were $8 for reserved seats (lower deck, and upper deck from foul pole to foul pole) and $4 general admission (upper deck outfield). Before the season had ended, the upper GA seats were lowered to $3 and lower left was changed to GA and reduced to $4.

Always enjoy a good Spinal Tap reference, but not sure why having more pricing options is a problem.

I think those funny little island seats could work in a couple ways:

1) save them for day-of-game walkup sales.
2) sell them as "family rows"...a family of four gets their own row. how nice.
3) would make an interesting group setup. provided you have a group of 8.

here's my question, and i cant remember if it's been discussed. but, since they're at the end of an aisle, what section would they belong to? for instance, the one at the bottom of the aisle of 301/302. Are they seats in section 301, or 302?? I know it was mentioned that the seat numbers "skip" for those little island seats, but what section designation will they have?

There really aren't 22 pricing levels - for example, none of the four areas listed on the Twins pricing chart on the Club level will be available to the general public.

On the mail level, although there may be some scattered singles, Dugout Box is sold out, as are the top two tiers for Champions Club, so most people won't consider those as options.

If you look at other teams, most have between 10 and 20 different pricing levels, so the Twins aren't unique in this regard.

And that doesn't count the variable pricing schemes either. The Twins have pretty basic variable pricing (game tiers) and haven't (yet) used the day of game/popular opponent pricing that others have started using.

Luke - The Pavillion, Overlook and Right Field Bleacher sections aren't available to season ticket holders, so those will be for individual and day of game sales.

For the "island" seats in the upper deck (those in the 3xx level over the entrances) are being sold to STH, so a family of 4 can indeed have a private aisle. Last time I looked, I think most/all of these were assigned. The section number they belong to is the section number closest to home plate (so the island seats over the entrance to 317 and 318 are in section 317) and they have the highest seat numbers.

As for family sections, sections 310/311 are currently reserved for that (no alcohol)

jth - I believe the information that you gave Luke is only half correct. The island seats belong to the lower numbered section. On first base side that would be the section away from home plate. On the third base side, they belong to the section closest to home plate.

Here's two problems with 22 seating prices. Confusion...To many similar colors. I think what Rick did with the chart, adding the names would be very beneficial to cutting down on the confusion. Waiting at a ticket window....Down the road when the park is not always sold out....Imagine waiting in long line at ticket window while fans ahead of you ask..what the best seats available here, ok here, oh, how about there, no there.....good lord !

clublevelfan - you are correct. I had only looked at the 3rd base side.

JohnF - do you really think this is going to be a problem? Most people I know that buy tickets at the window either know where they want to sit (and presumably what the price is), or they ask for the best available seats or they ask for the best available seats under $x.

I really don't think anyone is going to the box office and say "Wow! 18 price levels - I'm so confused. Maybe I'll go bowling instead."

jfh, You are referring to the dome. The lines at the dome for 6 or so available pricing levels is already sooooooooooooo slow. I've seen what I described above at the ticket window many, many times. Bowling? How did you come to that conclusion? My point was, if you're gonna have 22 seating prices, they should SIMPLY add the names of the seating areas to the chart like Rick did. Don't underestimate other peoples intelligence. There's not alot out there to begin with.

The bowling line was a joke. :)

I wasn't referring to the Dome, just my observations at the various parks I've been to (including the Dome).

I suspect the seating maps/charts at the ticket windows will be simplified since, as previously mentioned, many of the areas on the master map will not be available for day of game sales. If so, I suspect that colors will still be the primary map key. Section names will just confuse anyone not already familiar with seating options.

But I maintain that most people won't initially bother with ANY seating map and they will just ask the questions I mentioned AND THEN look at the map to see where the seats are.

I've watched many people at ticket windows at MLB parks. The process is almost always the same (which is why it takes so damn long to buy tickets at the box office and I advise folks to avoid that route if at all possible).

thanks for the explanations jfh and clublevelfan.

gosh, I remember when the Dome had "6 (or so) pricing levels." about 12 years ago. they had Lower and Upper reserved. Lower and Upper GA, and Upper Club. currently the Metrodome has 10 pricing levels (9 if you don't count the Touchdown Club). PS - last time I bought tickets via walkup (for a 2009 game against the Brew crew), I didn't encounter a line...let alone a "soooooooooo slow" one.

Like I said last week. You are crazy to buy directly from the Twins box office. The reasons are numerous yet the sheep continue to flock...

well - i suppose the alternative is to pay service fees (and an ungodly amount of them) buying tickets on the Twins website (I believe the ProShops also charge "convenience" fees)? walkup sales at the Dome don't have service fees...do they? I didn't think they did.

How accurate is the model suppose to be? In the pictures of the installed stadia and in the old model there is a gap inbetween the batters eye seats and the trapaziod. But in the most recent model it shows the seats going all the way to the trapaziod.(which I really hope is the way it will be built)

Twins pricing isn't bad, at least not as bad as the Mets. Click link

i really really hope the twins have the centerfield neon logo move and shake hands. If they don't I will be very disapointed. It would be so cool after a homerun to blast off fireworks and then have the giant neon light up in different ways and the two shake hands and pat each other on the back, i really hope they have thought of this and put the money into doing it. Does anyone have any concrete info on that?

Luke: I guess that I have to spell this out for you. My point was that there are other avenues to get tickets to ballgames besides buying them from the Twins i.e. Craigslist, Ebay, Scalpers, Brokers, Family, Friends, etc. These more times than not allow you to pay less money (sometimes significantly less if you are savvy) while sitting in a better location at the game.

I know people like to villify the scalpers, but these guys do provide a valuable service. Absolutely no reason to buy inferior seats online or day of game walk up sales from the Twins when you have your pick on the street. Almost every game this year (minus Opening Day and this last White Sox series, oddly enough they had mittfuls for the Yankees and Red Sox series which is unusual) you could have bought tickets for significantly under the face value of the ticket from the guys hawking them on the sidewalks.

Next year is likely to be a different story and dog-eat-dog for tickets especially the June-July-August games, but the market always takes care of itself. Supply and demand, the basis of capitalism.

BB is right.

First off the mets ticket prices are pretty high

Second, some of their sections are super obscure looking,

and third, I counted like 40 different seating categories,whereas rick's chart had half that

Alright - Soliciting questions. I've managed to line-up a tour (an actual tour) of Target Field for Tuesday (7/21) just before my "official" ballpark tour (the Bob's Baseball Tours one - click my name to see where I'm going). I'll try to get info on the centerfield logo - what it's made of, if it's animatronic or not, etc. I also will ask about when (specific date) the grass will be installed, I also want to ask about the railings - and would love to be allowed to sit in one of the front row seats. We'll see if they allow that...

Before anyone asks, I have the Target Field tour policy in my hands, and yes, it does say "no photographs inside the ballpark while on the tour." I plan on asking about that too. So, anyone have other questions they want asked? I'll do my best, and Rick - I can e-mail you a report and you can post it here if you want...

Moose

Deenels. You need to compare Apples to Apples not Apples to Oranges. New York is the #1 Largest Market in the Country and possibly the World. Minneapolis/St. Paul is the #14 (or by some measures #16) Largest Market in the Country. Two totally different games....

It would not surprise me one bit to see the Twins go to a variable price structure as someone mentioned earlier (jfh maybe??). This would obviously only affect single game ticket sales. The price would change depending upon if it is an early April Wednesday day game with the Royals or a July Saturday night against the Yankees. All driven by demand to get more for the more popular games and offer affordable options for the families etc.

I think if I remember correctly the Mets have Value, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. This might be slightly overkill as you probably only need 3 categories (the Twins currently use 2). I know the Cubs definitely do this as well.

Ok enough ticket chatter. Rick when are we gonna start to hear rumblings of what kinda concession offerings will be available (the food threads on Baseball Fever for Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are dynamite, lets hope the Twins are reading and taking notes)? This to me is pretty critical to the overall enjoyment at the ballgame. If they hit a Home Run with it (unique choices, variety, good quality, at least decent prices) they will get more people coming into TF earlier instead of spending their money on 1st avenue...

**NY is the #1 media market** (just wanted to clarify)

looks like a pretty cool tour you're going on Moose, hope you have tons of fun.

Day of game pricing levels (all 2009 except Twins which is 2010):

Listed by division, in order of most pricing levels. Range from 11 to 27.

Red Sox 25
Baltimore 22
Yankees 16
Tampa 11
Blue Jays 11

Twins 18
Royals 15
Detroit 15
Indians 11 x 4
Chicago 9

Angels 27
Texas 16
Oakland 15
Seattle 11

Nats 23
Mets 22
Florida 18
Atlanta ?
Philly 13

Cards 23
Cubs 17
Reds 17
Pirates 16
Brewers 13
Astros 12

LA 25
Padres 21
Colorado 17
Dbacks 17
Giants - ? market rates

moose,

that's awesome! can't wait to hear what info you get. If the logo is not moveable/anamatronic/whatever, please tell them to make it that way, I have a feeling the twins are pretty sensitive to criticism and might actually do it

Moose -

My question list:

1) Are the Twins going to use the same invisible netting that the Nationals use in their park?
2) Legends Club and Champions Club members have the ability to buy "additional tickets in specially held seats" - where are those seats?
3) Details on original logo sign, as above
4) Have the Twins looked into the sun glare issue (off the buildings)?
5) What is the Project FSE (full season equivalent) for season tickets?
6) Any detail you can get on concessions
7) How high will the 3xx deck railings be?
8) Will fans that don't have Dugout Box seats be able to go into that area for photos/autographs during batting practice/before games?
9) What is the capacity of the warming shelters?

While we are on seating levels and color coding - the Twins have updated the 3D seating map for Target Field. Click link to see.

Moose:

Is there still 1 spot remaining for your ballpark trip next week? If Bob threw me a bone (see: price I couldn't say no to) I would strongly consider it as the trip has several parks I haven't seen yet...

Sorry - should have been more specific. The seating areas are now color coded when you move the cursor over them.

Moose,
It would be great if you could sneak to a seat behind a railing and see how it obstructs your view. Depending on ones height it could be a non-issue or a big issue...So we have a good idea of your railing analysis, how tall are you?

I second this question: "1) Are the Twins going to use the same invisible netting that the Nationals use in their park?"

I'll be sitting in Section 317 Row 5 seats 1&2 (so let me know how the view is up there and compares to some other parks if possible), and I know there will be netting up there as well.

I'm currently watching the Yakima Bears play in Boise (former schoolmate and poker buddy plays for Yakima), and it's really annoying with the netting blocking the camera's. I hope it's not the same, but doubt it will be at TF.

Also when will Single-Game tickets be available for Season Ticket holders, and if they have come up with final rules for priority as to Opening Day tickets.

Moose,

It appears they will have the seats installed in section 101 by the time you go on your tour so I'd like to know if those seats really face the pitchers mound, or if you'll have to strain your neck to get a good view. Have fun!

how about the status on opening day?

WOW, some amazing new pics on baseball-fever courtesy of FMTwinsfan

Simply Amazing!

Nice pictures, I wonder how long they will stay up!

Limestone camouflage?

The limestone dugouts are a one of a king thing in MLB right? The MLB logo on the Visitor's dugout is genius in my opinion. I think the Twins have for once actually prove that just because you a cheap, alla not spending $1.5 billion like Yankee Stadium, doesn't mean you can't have an amazing stadium.

i haven't looked at the webcam in a while and realized that tons of seats have now been installed. i though i was looking at computer renderings of the upper deck left field.

is it bad that i've only gone to three games at the dome this year (all losses too) and really have no ambition to see any others?

on a completely different note...for the enjoyment of the game, can everyone agree that TF will be a NO WAVE zone? this was novel in the 80's, but its time has come and gone. But yet,this was still being done during last Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Also on a completely different note, listening to MPR this morning on the drive in they said the new turf was going to be kept at 5/8" height in the new stadium...this seems really short to me. Anybody know if that is right?

i wonder why they don't fill that gap between the batters eye terrace level and the trapezoid with seats?

that is how it is on the model

but not on the interactive seating chart, and those new pics are awesome

I am with you Dan - for the enjoyment of the game, let's make the entire TF a "No Wave" zone. And for the enjoyment of the fans that stay in their seats between half innings - let's stop the "Circle Me Bert" signs. Nothing is worse than to have the person in front of you sticking a circle me billboard in front of your face for about 5 minutes 17 times per game.

Andrew - the limestone dugouts look great, and to my knowledge, we're the first in MLB to have them. The only bad thing is, the Twins apparently have no intentions of changing their logo for the next 40 years, because it's now engraved for enternity atop the first base dugout.

annoying - don't feel too bad. I have one more TwinsFest BOGO coupon to use, and I'm not even sure i'm gonna. Except for the Oct 4 game which my bro and I are going to, i don't think we have a desire to go to any others...lol.

David - 5/8" does seem short. I would have hoped it would have been a little longer, just so people don't think we put SportTurf in the new place. 5/8" seems to me that the ball would bounce alot...

luke,
Why is it a negative thing that the Twins aren't planning on changing their logo? They should have NEVER gone away from the TC in the 80's. I hope they NEVER change it again and I think that's been the general opinion of many Twins fans which have made that opinion well known.

I am always surprised as to why stadiums aren't designed to have the bullpens in the batters eyes with some type of mesh so the players can see out but the batters can't see in. This design would create a lot more seats next to the field and wouldn't create thos kind of bullpen dead zones that stadiums end up with, atleast the twins have a stacked bullpen so there is only one of those, unlike other new stadiums like nationals park and busch III.

You're true Kev. But, marketing strategies change over time. Even the current logo script has been around for 22 years (1987 they changed it, and won the WS that year), and to me is getting a bit tired. What intrigues me is how the old script logo (the original 1961 script) has shown up on their game programs, some promotional items, and the 40th Anniversary sleeve patch - and the Twins apparently aren't bringing that one back.

Not to steal Rick's thunder - but click my name for a construction photo gallery on wcco.com this morning. goes way back in some of them.

I disagree luke...the TC logo will never get tired. Some things just shouldn't change and the Twins learned that lesson. Sure the Twins' 2 titles were won with the M logo but that's not the reason they won the 2 WS titles. I know I would personally like to shoot whichever marketing "genius" changed the Vikings uniforms, they're god awful!

And WCCO is about 4 months late with those photos.

Luke, I know what you're trying to get at but give me a break. There are about a dozen slabs of limestone with the logos on them. It's not like we have to build a whole new ballpark in order to change those 12-15 slabs. Geez...

I love that they're going to keep the grass at 5/8. Just another one of the beauties of an outdoor ballpark...the freedom to tailor the field to the type of team you have. Sweet!

I really think they'll tailor the grass to the overall team speed. Being that the team will be moving in next year is one which was built for the Metrodome turf, it makes sense to cut the grass short. I'm sure if they slow down their game in a few years, the grass will grow. Regardless of how short they cut the grass, it won't be nearly as hard or "bouncy" as the Metrodome with it's concrete slab underneath the turf.

i wonder how that'll effect groundrule doubles, the groundskeeper specifically said he wants to eliminate them, if the grass is gonna be short that outfield ground better be pretty soft then

i love the stacked bullpen design....and keep that grass short to take advantage of our speed. this isn't team with a bunch of slow vets. and the twins are right to use all of their logos from all of the team's eras. i have to say i wasn't sure about the use of so much limestone on the interior spaces but now that it's been installed it looks nice, classy.

I didn't mean the TC logo is getting tired, I mean the logo with the baseball and "Minnesota Twins" plastered over it. That's the one i was talking about.

damn luke, that's the coolest and oldest one

and you know there's gonna be a giant neon with of it in center field

Love those forbidden photos! The top of the dugouts are very, very cool. Going back to a previous thought Rick had, there is A LOT of green. Almost an overwhelming amount of green. Hopefully things like the HD screen(s) and the old school Twins logo will add some color variation when looking at the outfield...

Anybody else notice the glare coming of the target center in those pictures, could be an issue for lefties at the plate

Those forbidden photos are amazing, Rick should get that kind of access, haven't twins actually recognized this site?

Annoying Customer- i only went to one game this season (first yanks 2-10 loss) and i plan to never go to another one in piece of shit toilet bowl

I saw that, too jp- but I think it's the reflection of camera's flash inside the glass in a suite

ajndsu - I think the big out-of-town scoreboard in the right field wall will help offset all the green.

Great pictures - the view of the skyline from the 3rd base line looks better than advertised - can't wait!

Are you sure that glare isn't just the flash from his camera reflecting off the glass? If you look close, at least to me, you can see some things that look to be inside reflecting in the glass

Cool, I thought there was something bizarre going on.

I've been wondering what would be on the visitor dugout. I love the MLB logo on there, it makes a lot of sense and I'm not sure I've seen it elsewhere in baseball.

"There is nothing on Target Center that could be causing glare like that."-Rick

--- There's nothing INSIDE Target Center that is flashy either. Pretty dull if you ask me.:-)

I'm so happy some ninja finally took some pics and posted them. I think it's insane that with over 600 workers on site we haven't seen more. A couple of the Yankees blogs I visited had guys posting pics daily...

Can't wait to see grass rolled out soon. On Wednesday night there were two giant trucks next to the park (the name alludes me, i was jogging) that advertised mulch, seed, etc. Looks like we're getting closer!

Yep, I really like the MLB logo too on the visitor dugout. The TC logos on the side are pretty cool too.

Twins Territory,

I know Angel Stadium has the MLB on their dugout this year, but it does not look nearly as cool as T.F. They also have the American League logo on their dugout.

Yeah, I think the stone and it being "engraved" really makes it cool.

It looks like they're getting the base of the seats in for sections 102 and 103 before they begin on the other part of the seat. They have one done and are starting the base part of the other.

Moose,

Can you ask what happened to the rest of the seats above the batter's eye? I can not think of a reason they would erase a whole section like that.

thanks

Where is a section missing?

that's where the restaurant was in the original renderings. since the updated design, I didn't think they "erased" any section of seats from the batters eye (centerfield)

I have perused this thing all day, and I think I'm the first to report it.
Click my name for a 3D Seat Simulator for TCF Bank Stadium. It's about time they got this thing up...lol.

OG Jeff,

The trucks you saw are delivering roofing materials for Target Center.

According to this story (click link) they will deliver the sod to T.F. in August.

Cool pic of the bluegrass in the story.

I, too, would like to see an end put to the wave. Maybe people should be required to pass a simple test in order to be admitted?

As an aside, trivia variety, anyone know who is credited with inventing the wave?

I believe the sod will be harvested/delivered the week of August 15th.

I plan to file a report from the Colorado end ... :)

The wave was invented by Krazy George back when he was in Oakland before he moved to the Vikings. I think there's a competing claim, but his is better since I remember him at games when I was a kid.

The wave was invented by the guy who used to co-host Entertainment Tonight years ago with Mary Hart (Rob Weller, maybe?) when he was a cheerleader at the University of Washington. Initially the wave was done vertically in sections of the stadium before they got the bright idea of doing it horizontally so it would go completely around the stadium.

(This is all based off some arcane part of my memory that suddenly dug out this nugget, so I could be completely wrong. I suppose Wikipedia would have the answer...)

I highly doubt that Pat O'Brien (incidentally, Mary Hart's co-host) was the inventor of the wave.

whether you consider it reputable or not, Wikipedia says the following:

"The exact origin of the wave is disputed. Its growth may be traced to five different sports, across three different North American countries, and Russia.

Whatever its origin, by the mid-1980s the practice was widespread throughout North America. Finally, it gained worldwide notice, and the specific name Mexican wave, during the FIFA Football World Cup in Mexico at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, 1986."

click my name for the link to the complete article.

It looks like leg room will be improved. I guess they have to err on the side of safety for upper deck rails, but what about those rails above dugout box sections? They don't need to be that high, do they? Or do they protect higher spenders below from drunks above?
I wasn't aware of sun glare problems. Is that only for upper deck, and on the 3rd base/leftfield side?

Well --- mostly because I was there I'm going with Zappa

Although it was not associated with sports, Frank Zappa is credited by some with inventing a precursor to the wave in 1969 at the Denver Pop Festival in Denver Mile High Stadium when he assigned sounds and gestures to sections of the crowd and sequenced them with hand gestures. He conducted with the audience making sounds...farting, vomiting, and belching. He would conduct waves of one, two, or three sounds at the same time. He then commented, "You guys are pretty good, you ought to get a band together and call yourselves Denver". He then walked offstage to end the performance.

It was, by the way, the last performance of the original "Mothers"

Around the middle of each month I find myself checking in on the Ballpark Authority page for new pics roughly three times a day. If that's not a sign that I need a girlfriend, I don't know what is. July pics are up, click my name.

Thanks Oaks, there are some excellent pictures in there.

I'll second that.

3rd that sirs

It's a few weeks old, but the ballpark authority also has a June video tour with narration up on their site (see link). Some nice tidbits of info I didn't know before, including detail on the walkway and park access.

I like the construction workers throwing pitches on the field

So the few seat sections that say that they have no season ticket price, will they go on sale before the season or are they already sold?

Sooj - they will be sold as single game tickets or group tickets before the start of the season. They are not already sold.

Looking at the ballpark authority pictures, anyone know where that "suspended path to view deck seats" is?

Not sure but gut tells me goes from left field home run porch towards admin building then around to the view level. Looks like there is a cross walk there.

When you look closely, you can see the "suspended path" is heading directly towards the Target Center...therefore, it must be on the 1st base side (7th Street).

Looking even more closely, it appears that the suspended pathway must be the way to access the upper deck. It must go around the entire way. Look closely and you can see how to enter the seating area from that walkway.

Moose your tour is Monday right? You have to make sure this gets answered. It does seem ver odd. It looks like it leads to a view level portal to me but looks like behind the scenes stuff too. Why are there no railings leading to the openings only. Very odd.

My tour is on Tuesday, but yeah, I'll definatly add this to my list of questions...

Moose

Was just on top of the B ramp, and I think your theory about the floating skyway is correct, Rick. It looks like those provide access to the view deck above the "warming suites." The upper deck portals not situated over any warming suits have the little stairways directly down to the concourse.

The twins have a survey about the new ballpark at twinsbaseball.com/survey there is also a night picture of the ball park with fireworks going off

I love how one of the questions is whether they've provided enough information about target field.

Wrigley Field has ramps from its concourse to the luxury boxes. The are suspended over the lower deck.

Actually it's not so much the concourse as the ramp to the rear of the 200 section, leading to the upper tier.

took the survey and commented that they've achieved what they wanted with "scarcity" but as a cheap seats fan... i'm pissed... i'm only going to be able to see a few games a year at those prices. (skyline view looks like my zone)

I cannot believe they are thinking they can get $22 for the Batters Eye (and those a for ST's) or $20 for the trapezoid...

Also told them where they can put their "premium" game pricing...

Tell ya what, gimme a "die hards" ST package, every game against the Mariners, A's, Rangers, Royals, Indians, Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays (thats like 36-40 games) but I get a steep discount for going to the "who gives a shit?" games.

either that, or have "rush tickets" 15 minutes before the game... otherwise I'll wait til the bottom of the first and buy off a scalper.

btw... it was a good - if long - survey. they were asking a lot of good questions about pricing

It was a long survey - but very thorough, which is good. The more questions they ask, the more informed decisions they'll make in regards to single-game ticket prices.
I'm surprised they didn't ask anything about embedded value in some ticket prices - like some other ballclubs including the Nats and the Indians (and other teams in other leagues)are utilizing...that would have been interesting.
The survey made me re-consider looking into season tickets next year, thats for sure.

Here are the single game price points being tested in the recent survey. Season Ticket prices in parens:

Home Plate Box $61 ($50)
Diamond Box - $47 ($38)
Home Plate Terrace $36 ($29)
Home Plate View $25 ($20)
Field Terrace $25 ($20)
Skyline View $17 ($12)
Field View $15 ($10)
Batters eye $23 (n/a)
Pavillion $25 (n/a)
Overlook $26 (n/a)
RF Bleacher $20 (n/a)

They are considering a $2 discount on all single game tickets for games prior to Memorial Day.

Single game tickets will include $5 premium for "Yankees, Red Sox and other marquee franchises". I presume it's $5 per ticket, regardless of location, but that wasn't clear. If so, that seems steep.

Also questions on preferred start times:
Should Saturday games start at noon, 3pm, 6pm, or 7pm?
Should midweek games start at noon or 1pm?

Looks like I missed Field Box - anyone catch waht that pricing was?

I have to agree - I think the outfield day of game pricing (Batter's eye, Pavillion., Overlook, RF) is high and single ticket pricing for Skyline and Field View sections are way high - these should be priced about $2 more than full season ticket prices and should be the new "cheap seats"

Just got back to this site after a long day and have to reply to Luke about the wave. Pat O'Brien was not Mary Hart's only host back in the 80s. Rob Weller was in fact the guys name and has in fact been one of the credited sources of inventing the wave at U of Washington games.

Click my name for a link to the WikiAnswers site (how accurate the information is up to you to decide).

Moose, during your tour could you ask about the wind veil installation, and if this hasn't been answered, the possibility of getting a pipe organ at TF.

Thanks!

Thanks jfh for posting the prices, I just flew through them. Seems like they are marking up the tickets a bit more from season ticket holder prices than currently (or giving me a bigger discount, depending on how you look at it). Currently it's just a couple dollars for me, but I seem to be saving $10 a game between my two seats, much more valuable to have season tickets for sure. (Though I do love the 25% discount at pro-shops.)

Huge price differentials. I would be surprised if they are that high in reality. Maybe they have an upbeat forecast of the economy and people's willingness to spend. It would make our season tickets look like a bargain, though.

Good god, that is pretty expensive. $15 for the cheapest ticket? 20 when its premium?

hmm to continue with family section stuff. survey says family sections will be up along first base line, 310 and 311.

are the family sections really that popular? in the dome, it always seems less crowded than the others...

Well, the single game pricing is a bargain compared to everyone on CL that want to split their season tickets at 60%-100% markup. :)

I knew about 310/311 from my visit, but I didn't see anything on the family section in the survey - were there any family section specific questions (maybe I didn't see them because I said I wasn't planning on buying individual seats in home plate view)

I'm just sorry that there aren't any very inexpensive seats for general sales, even if only a few. But with the worst seats (Field and Skyline View) being $10/$12 to season ticket holders, I guess $15 isn't that much of a surprise. But still too much for those areas for single games and adding a $5 premium on top of that is really pushing it.

Well, as long as Billy Smith is running the show, in a few years Mauer and Morneau will be gone because they'll want to play for teams which actually make mid-season trades to HELP their team's chances for reaching and advancing in the playoffs. And once Mauer and Morneau are gone because Billy is "building for the future" they can price those Champions Club seats at $20 and be lucky to sell half.

I try not to be a "glass is half empty" guy, but I just see this team turning into the Pittsburgh Pirates now that they have their new taxpayer playground. All that talk about needing the new ballpark to stay competitive and the payroll is now less than it was 2 years ago....

Obviously I'm reacting to Sid's Sunday column filled with Billy Smith's bullshit...I'm so goddam sick and tired of his crap!

Billy Smith: Smith said that the team is not close to making any deal. "They want our best prospects," he said. "A couple of years ago, we could have made deals If we would give up our best young players. Our best young players then are our good players now in the major leagues."

My Reaction: Well unless you start trading your best young prospects for proven stars you'll be losing a future hall of famer, world series titles, season ticket holders, your job, and the publics trust.

Douchebag

wtf?