Today would've been gorgeous for an outdoor game!

I will be leaving for Chicago @ 4am... I will take lots of pix...50 and sunny.. i will take it anyday.

next canopy support is up on the post.

Looks like a lovely day in the Twin Cities. Thank you for another update.

Thanks for the update, Rick. Always fun to see new pics.

I dunno what drives me more nuts: The fact that the win-loss record is given so much favor when deciding the Cy Young, or that RBI's (a statistic based on your teammates getting on base) are given so much credence when choosing an MVP.

Would I be the first to say the HERC has to go? Just seems liking we are buying a new BMW and parking it next the the dumpster!
Anyway - I had the good fortune of watching the Twins play the Rockies in a pre-season game almost 10 years ago at Coors Field, and thought to myself oh to have this at home. The day is soon coming!

Good job other guy!

It is hard to believe we will be able to watch outdoor Gopher football in the fall and outdoor Twins baseball next spring. Not since 1981, unreal. I was 13 then and I had to wait until 41 to see it again. Just plain cruel. At least my boys will have great stadiums/ballparks to grow up with. All of a sudden we go from the worst MLB/college FB situation in the country to one of the best.

I wish the HERC wasn't there too, but I think after they do the landscaping upgrades on that side it won't be too much of a negative factor. The right field main entrance is really the focal point of this ballpark.

50 degrees, sunny and no wind.......hell that sounds like fantastic outdoor baseball watching & playing weather to me! i really can't wait until next year even though the 2009 season has just started.

This is great baseball weather!

I live next to the HERC - it's not a big deal. It's not the most beautiful building, but it's there for now. And it pumps out GREEN POWER - something everyone bitches about not having...until they have to actually deal with it.

Does anyone know if they plan on updating the roof of Target Center with a bulls-eye or Target Center lighting (ie Staples Center in LA)? It would be a nice touch to spruce up TC, especially with aerial shots of TF.

Brandon - I keep hearing reports that they're going to be putting in a "green roof" atop Target Center. I've been hearing that now for about two years, and if you look at Webcam 1 on the Twins website, obviously they haven't started that process. It's the same old roof TC has always had. Some nifty lighting atop TC would be nice, but they keep pushing that green roof.

I made a trip down to Target Field following the Twins game this afternoon, and it has got me even more pumped for Opening Day 2010. However, I realize what people are saying when they say security is bad. I was standing in the skyway located between 4th and 5th street (above the lightrail tracks) with my camera out to take pictures of the left/center field side of the stadium. I was about to take a picture when a security guard walking the skyway yelled at me from 60 feet away that I "couldn't take pictures of things outside the skyway while I was in the skyway." Unbelievable. And as far as I know, this is perfectly legal and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. People do it all the time. Maybe he should have yelled at me when I took more than 20 pictures while I was in the skyway above the plaza. :)

Thanks for the bump Rick. I don't know every detail about the metrodome air pressure unfortunately but if I ever get to meet the guy who does, I will definitely ask him your questions.

I was out on sales calls today and drove around the stadium at about 3:30 - wonder if I drove past you. The place just sparkles in the afternoon sun. Also, that skyline is going to turn some heads next year at sundown. I drove into downtown last night at approximately 8 from the west and those buildings reflect the western sky not unlike postcards you would find at a souvenir shop. We're in for a treat - wind or not.

on that "topped off" photo, what's going to go on the steel high above the scoreboard? is that going to be a light standard, advertising, a logo?

luke,
The steel above the scoreboard will be used for lighting, because as far as I know, the only other lighting in the ballpark is on the underside of the canopy.

yea there will a green roof installed on top of target center. city just approved this a couple months ago. and who manages these security goons in that skyway? it's ridiculous being treated like you're doing something illegal when you're just documentating the progress of a publically funded project while standing in a publically funded skyway. those abc parking ramps and skyways were built with federal money. the city manages the ramps while the state, (mndot) actually owns them.

Don't think I have seen this posted yet. Mischke hits the nail on the Metrodome head in his latest column for City Pages. Love it!

I am planning on attending a game within the next month or so, and would like to take some photos of the Target Field. I am not real familiar with that area, but was wondering if someone could give me some simple instructions to make the most of my attempts. Or maybe a map I could refer to. Thanks in advance!

according to this outdated site (why is the dome a topic on absoluteastronomy.com??) it has deflated three times, none of which were due to open doors.

according to Ballparksofbaseball.com....Target Field is now 65% done!

On the 2nd webcam it looks like they have started installing the glass on the administration office building.

In the post below this Ahh, That's More Like It. What the heck are those things in the 4th picture from the bottom? Are they going to be covered with something or do they have a function cause they look awful as they are.

Some pix from lunchtime today. With first glass on admin building...

Love the pics Badjuggler. Can you provide some tips on where I should go to get some good pics. I plan on going within the next few weeks, and I am not real familiar with the area. I posted above, not trying to be impatient, but saw you posted some pics, and wanted to hopefully catch someone while they are on.

Josh, click my name for a link on how to get there from the Metrodome.

Sorry for the double post, you wanted tips too. Anyway's you pretty much just walk around the outside of the stadium. I like to try to sneak some picks from the skyways. If you can park in the B ramp (the one in center field) and dodge security you can get some spectacular pictures from the top level if you back your car up to the wall and stand on your bumper. Also the south side you can look out through the bars and get a great view of the plaza and the 1st baseline seating.

Great pics Badjuggler! That canopy is definitely going to be a unique feature to this ballpark. I did not realize the bottom of the canopy was textured as well. It is going to look spectacular when those lights are turned on for the first time.

Anyone know what those vent openings are underneath the canopy? I wonder if its some type of HVAC thing?

Great pics Badjuggler. I also really liked the Mischke article. I thought it was a terrible what KSTP did to him. The man is a legend.

Camden,

Thanks for the tips. Is the B Ramp labled pretty good, and do you have to pay. I am only down in Minneapolis about 2 times a year, so again not very familar with it all. Thanks again! I look forward to going and then posting some pics here!

Josh,

There is no Free Lunch in the big city. Cash is King. Ramps are clearing labeled, however, if you are good you can find parking on the street via meter which is $.25 per/15 minutes.

Thanks Max, I assumed so, not worried just want to be prepared, might take the street route.

not sure how i feel about the whole r.a. dickey experience. thoughts?

never been a big fan of knuckleball pitchers basically because if they are having an off night it is usually a REALLY off night (i.e. the twins have done this to tim wakefield more than a couple times). there is not much room for error when one of them is on the mound.

See how the White Sox fans are surviving this cold night in Chicago? They aren't dying, they arent whining, they arent staying home...

There will be nights like this at Target Field at the beginning of the year, and later in the year if they make the playoffs...

Id sit outside on a night like tonight in Chicago anyday rather than the dome! Whining fans can stay home, then I will be able to get better seats!

Did you see Carlos Gomez surviving the cold he looked like Cobra from G.I. Joe.

LIVE AND DIRECT FROM CHICAGO!!!! ITS COLD AND WHO CARES MY HOTEL HAS FREE WI FI!

PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND HERE WITH T SHIRTS ON, I DID MEET ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT TOLD ME THEY WONT GO TO A SOX GAME UNTIL IT IS 80 DEGREES BUT EVERYBODY HERE IS PRETTY NICE. CREDE IS TAE MAN!

I WILL REPORT BACK AFTER THE GAME 2MARROW!

THE RED LINE TRAIN RIGHT? LOL IM A LIL BUZZIN.. GOOD NIGHT ALL GO TWINS!

I ran across an interesting factoid last night. The Metrodome opened in 1982, but did not have air conditioning until 1984. Can you imagine 40 or 50,000 people in the dome, on a warm (hot) summer day, without air conditioning?

12-3 nice work by the Twins last night at "The Cell." Come on now, who of us still considers it Comiskey?

If you zoom in on camera 2, they're building the outfield wall in right. It also looks like the out-of-town scoreboard is in.

Thanks for the tip Dodge...it sure looks that way.
I can't wait until some green starts filling the gray stadia. I'm guessing within the next month...

Maz: Flying into Midway in the morning and I'll be at the game tomorrow afternoon at Comiskey. Yes you take the Red Line to Sox/35th Street Station.

Where is the out-of-town scoreboard going to be? I dont see it on webcam 2. Also, is there any updated renderings of the ballpark? every one i look at is old renderings with the restaurant in centerfield

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the word stadia refer to plural stadium? I see stadia pop up every once in a while, and it is a little confusing.

click my name for a stock photo I found, that was shot during construction of the Dome. As for the retractable seats, I can't imagine they would have kept that spot open like that, I think the seats were there the whole time.

anyone know why they put the seats in before even puting the roof on the Metrodome? Seems odd to me, usually the seats are one of the last phases of construction.

Anyone know any details about the Out of Town scoreboard? Is it going to be manual or LCD? I might be getting this confused with another stadiums, but it is going to be LCD but look as though it is manual. There might be a different stadium with that look.

It will be a high definition scoreboard, but I think they will make it look like a manual scoreboard at times, it will look manual, but actually just be an image on the LCD screen. Correct me if im wrong...

fellow posters, click on my name for something I like to call, "Homage to the Metrodome."

and here's one I like to call, "Target Field - Hallelujah!"

********************Chi town update***********************************

Twins lost, the "Cell" was the biggest suprise, basic, beautiful ballpark, the outfield plaza was awsome! good food not great but deff good... they have the old shower from Comesky park there its awsome... people are pretty nice here to us and thats a suprise to me.

the outside of the park its pretty much a bore, but the inside is all ballpark, all great... i will link some picks when i get home..Luke what is wrong with you ? you should be down here cheering for your team !!! lol Off the DITKAS

Maz,

Sounds like you had fun besides the outcome . Ill see ya Monday anyways happy Easter everyone.

Last night i passed by the park on I-94, and it just looks stunning and it is huge. Aside it being stunning and huge it will look nice when approaching from all sides of the city.

I certainly hope that they start shooting the Mpls skyline from the Target Field side from 2010 on. Give people something else to look at, other than The Hump.

I was looking at the new model pictures taken by annoying a couple weeks ago or so and noticed a small red dot on the pressbox limestone. Can anyone verify if that is a Target Logo on the pressbox limestone?

New uni article from the Strib...

Sorry if these have been posted before, but Tim Davis and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority have some pictures up at www.conphoto.net that were taken back in March. There are some interior club and concourse pictures that we really haven't seen before. Click my name for the link.

They are painting the right field wall teal green. Check out webcam 2.

Wonder why they are painting it teal green. Must just for background purposes or something. Cam 2 has been somewhat interesting the last few days, shame they don't add one from home plate area though!

I don't know if anyone has any inside information on this, but why could they not fit a "Twins Hall of Fame" into the Administration Building in left field? The have the administrative offices, the Town Ball Tavern, the glass box retail store, and then the roof top part deck. If I am looking at the renderings correctly there are 4 floors plus the roof top. It seems as though they could some homage to the Twins in that area. It would be nice to have a layout of that building to see what and where things will actually be.

I'd be in favor of returning the twins logo to the 60's version, but I hope they don't do anything drastic with the uni changes. Keep the white with pinstripes, I like those. The retro's look good, but I wouldn't want to see them become a permanent or frequent option. Also, ditch the red hats.

I think they should ditch the pin stripes, I have never been a fan of pinstripes. Just plain white uniforms with the "Twins" writing on them would be fine.

I also love the navy blue jerseys with the "Twins" writing on them.

I think they should go with "TC" on all hats and helmets, and never use that "M" logo again.

I also like the red hats...

I LOVE the old Twins script, I wouldn't mind seeing it as a comeback, but I can support anything as long is isn't overly gaudy. As for the wall, perhaps that's the color. The wall is supposed to be green. I'm sure they'll be multiple coats that may effect the color.

You won't notice the color of the paint is when the padding for the walls go up. They could paint it orange and we would never see it. Also, the paint is probably just some sort of barrier between the concrete wall and the padding. I could be wrong though. Thats what my wife tells me more often then not.

It's fun to see the green paint going up - but it really highlights how small the "overhang" in right field is now. It's too bad the Twins didn't pull the trigger on the original design... Bummer.

I have mixed emotions on the overhand in right field. I do like the idea of it. Every ballpark needs to have some sort of quirk, in my opinion. It helps give the ballpark personality. But you can over do quirky, i.e. Citi Field and a list of others. I just don't know if the 8 feet that it was suppose to be was too much or if the 5 feet that it currently is, is too little. It will be interesting to see once it comes into play during a game. Coming in as the away team right fielder, I would have some troubles playing that overhang.

Jeff-
I like what you daid about your wife, I think most of us are in the same boat. I agree with the padding covering the wall, just curious why the color chioce. Maybe it is a barrier like you said and only comes in that color, or maybe it "Sets" darker.

As for the Uniforms, I say go back to an older looke and not try to cook up something new. Get rid of the M hat, go with the jerseys they used at the opener, ditch the red hat, have a blue alternate, go to the sky blue away jersey? I dunno I am ramplin now. :)

i think an overdone overhang there would've been too cute and trying too hard to be some sort of retro-quirky.

and the "twins" script that was introduced in '87 needs to changed back to the original script or just some new font. that '87 script hasn't aged well. and no red hats...the twins stunk in the years those red hats were used. the blue hats are just better looking anyway.

why is there even a Fox Sports North HD?? There are never HD games on it. In fact, there's rarely anything but the colored lines and persistant beep for the last 2 years Comcast has had it. What's the story with that, are plans for more HD games in the works?

some random thoughts:

1.) i have said this before and i will say it again: i want to see an alternate jersey that says "Minneapolis" or "MPLS" on the front. "MPLS" is cool and would be a nod to the old MPLS Lakers jerseys back in the day.

i think it is only right that the city in which the twins play and the city which is helping front a pretty significant portion of the funding for the new ballpark (along with the rest of hennepin county, but mpls is by far the largest city in the county) should get some recognition on the uniforms.

and don't give me this b.s. about well the out-state minnesota fans will feel left out if we call out minneapolis instead of using the generic "minnesota". well, boo frickin hoo! don't really care.

why did we have to start the lame tradition of using your state name instead of the city in which you play. the twins and vikings were the first teams to do that i believe. i know we initially played in bloomington (hennepin county), but who cares. we should have still refered to them as "Minneapolis" like we did with the Minneapolis Lakers while they were here. Who cares if it would have pissed St. Paul off. They didn't even play in the same county as St. Paul (Ramsey).

2.) This one is going to piss off the St. Paul readers of this forum, but i have relatives in St. Paul so what the heck. Why do we have to have two core downtowns as well? What a stupid duplication of services, gov't, etc. We really should have just had Minneapolis annex St. Paul and some additional first-ring suburbs back in the 1940's or so and made it into one large continuous city.

Actually, don't answer this one - this is a whole other debate which i don't really want to get into tonight! :-)

later,
beta

Let's just have a "beta" uniform. Apparently you are just that important. I'm from Minneapolis and think your idea is idiotic. Usually your posts have much more thought behind them. Get over yourself.

have to agree with Jim. I'm also from Minneapolis and think it's a dumb idea. Minneapolis by itself would never even have the Twins much less all four major sports. By itself, Minneapolis is smaller than Omaha, Tulsa, Honolulu as well as Albuquerque and Long Beach. Let's not kid ourselves, it's the metro area and the unique proximity of a city like St Paul that makes the area large enough to sustain such a fanbase - not to mention the quality of life we enjoy. Not sure why I invested the time even writing this, because it will never, ever happen. It's nonsense.

I'm the Capital not Minneapolis

Normally I agree with you Betaband, but I must say I will agree to disagree with you on this subject...

The "Twins" nickname represents the Twin Cities REGION, hence the TC. It would make no sense to keep the Twins nickname if you were to re-name them after "Minneapolis". If you are going to re-name them "Minneapolis" you might as well get rid of the Twins nickname as well since it would be meaningless.

If its not broken, than don't fix it. Nothing wrong with the current Minnesota Twins name/nickname. We don't need another Washington Bullets/Washington Wizards or Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Tampa Bay Rays re-branding fiasco here.

hey let's just go back in time and tell pigs eye and the catholics to start their city at st anthony falls. Actually, let's just fire up the DeLorean and change the geography to have the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers join in downtown Minneapolis and have falls in there too, just for good measure. Whoever thought of having two urban cores?

Bloomington wouldn't let the Twins name themselves for Minneapolis, from what I've heard.

Things the "Minneapolis Twins" would need to get rid of:
1. The TC hat, replaced with the "M"hats everyone seems to love.

2. The name, as with Minneapolis as the sole major city it would render the Twin Cities useless. Maybe we could trade names with the Texas Rangers; after all they have two core cities with downtowns in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

3. The cool logo of two guys shaking hands across the Mississippi, unless it was of the Minneapolis guy sucker-punching the St. Paul guy into submission (which I admit would be interesting).

ahhh i loving stirring up some dicussion that doesn't involve beam #102 being placed in the left field corner! a minneapolis vs. st. paul position will do it just about every time. :-)

my suggestion: let's just call them the minneapolis millers. problem solved! would need some new hats, but i think we could manage through everything else!

and with that i say good night ladies and gentlemen.

peace,
beta

"St. Paul is so much better than Minneapolis. These are not Twin Cities, Minneapolis is the Danny Devito to St. Paul's Schwarrzenegger" - Jon Stewart

that's all i've got to say about that...

3. The cool logo of two guys shaking hands across the Mississippi, unless it was of the Minneapolis guy sucker-punching the St. Paul guy into submission (which I admit would be interesting).

I laughed so hard I almost fell over, why does everyone hate the unis? I personally like the new script

I'd like to see what a slight change to Twins script would look like on the home whites... it could work. I think the pinstripes on the home jerseys are good.

i don't object to the pinstripes on the home uni... but roadies are a mess. the pinstripes just arent working. i'd argue for going with solid gray (a cheapie photoshopping to remove the pins reveals the current grays look much better...)

I'd also argue for a return to NNOB for the home uni's (that's no name on back)... it's not 1999, we dont need to "get to know em" anymore... let's class it up.

since the yankees demand no facial hair and such... I think the Twins should mandate high cuff pants and stirrups... blue socks with a TC logo on them to make the look complete.

oh... and never ever ever! red hats... get 'em outta here... they're bad luck.

How about that bullpen??? Maalox anyone?

Betaband, as for all your love for Minneapolis. I would agree with you if you substitute "Hennepin County" for Minneapolis. Minneapolis has done NOTHING to help the Twins effort of getting this ballpark to become reality. In fact since this debate started in 1997, the Minneapolis delegation KILLED many proposals in the legislature which would have spread the funding burden throughout the state. Instead their steadfast opposition really did a disservice to their constituents and now Minneapolitans and the rest of the county are footing the bill. Do you remember the insane Barbara Carlson and her idiotic $10,000 ballpark funding limit for city coffers?? Well, the nutcases on the city council passed the ordinance with the blessing of Mayor Sayles-Belton.

Minneapolis deserves as much credit for this ballpark as Tim Pawlenty and that's NO CREDIT!

no huge fan of any politicians but i want to point out that the ballpark bill passed by the slimmest of margins, (it was like 2 votes) and the govenor spent those early morning hours lobbying heavily for the ballpark bill. wcco was literally giving a "play-by-play" of the debate right up until it passed around 5 am that sunday morning. i think he did help secure some votes.

and the whole city vs city debate was relevant about 50 years ago. we've got many large metros around the nation encompassing many large cities, phoenix-tempe, tampa-st pete, dallas-ft worth, just to name three. minneapolis twins doesn't even make sense.

go back to the 60's unis with some minor tweaks and leave the red hats in the lockers. i gotta agree i like a cleaner look on the grey road unis, nix the pin-stripes on those. keep 'em on the home whites, but change the script.

hey, let's just finish that central corridor so the cities can finally be connected. Pump in those St. Paulites to the new stadium and let them spend a little money in the North Loop!

Agreed tim and mplsgreg. The city politicians were very reluctant to help the stadium pass (my North Loop counselwoman says the ballpark doesn't meet "transparency standards") but the county and state reps stepped up to make it happen. Leave your partisan baggage at the door - they got it done.

It's going to be interesting to see what groups like the 2010 Partners can get done to bring more business and development into the area. The North Loop has a ways to go before reaching the goals it's residents and visionaries have set for it...an infusion of Twins' fan cash will help!

It seems like the Hennepin County board has always had the big picture in mind when making decisions, whereas the Minneapolis City Council is always squabbling over trivialities like the proposed ban on circus elephants.
Case in point: They bought up abandoned railroad rights-of-way 10-20 years before the first LRT line was built.

I wish there was no overhang AT ALL in right field. The problem with an overhang is, if you are sitting in right field, you can't see the play when a ball is hit to the right field fence. I'm glad they made it smaller.

tim,

Yes, Pawlenty was scrambling to make sure the bill passed because he was the Governor and didn't want the Twins to leave under his watch. However, before he was governor, he was NO FRIEND of the Twins ballpark quest. While he was in the state house, he was vehimently opposed any ballpark bill, much to the dismay of his own party's governor at the time (Arne Carlson). I guess you could call him a hypocrite, which is certainly fitting for most politicians.

Dave T,

I agree with you regarding the overhang in right field. Like the rest of the outfield seats, it will cause partial obstructed views. The overhang also make this even more of a hitters park. Our dimensions are already too close to the Great American Ballpark in Cincy, a big time hitters park.

Beta,

What did St. Paul ever do to you? LOL

Gotta agree with the others who mentioned that the Twins name would be pointless if it were just the Minneapolis Twins.

Click the link to check out a cool wide shot of T.F.

lafferty - st. paul has never done anything to me personally! i am mainly just playing for the most part. i bring up this debate about once a year just to get the east metro folks a little riled up and get the blood flowing. as i stated above i have several relatives who live in st. paul city proper so i don't hate st. paul. i just love the city of minnneapolis a whole lot more!

that being said many of you are working under an incorrect assumption that we would still have to call them the "twins". as i suggested minneapolis "millers" has a nice ring to it! we could even have a willie mays appreciation night in honor of his brief stint with the mpls. millers back in the day. :-)

remember i am just having a little fun with some of you! no harm, no foul!

Dave T - agree 100% with you. I don't understand why you would build a new stadium and have seats that can't see the entire field of play. People are going to run into this same issue when they are sitting to the left or right of home plate on the lower level as they won't be able to see where the foul line meets up with the fence. Miller Park has the same issue.

yea i'm beginning to re-think my opinion of any overhang because of the view obstructions that have been mentioned. oh well, it's there set in concrete now, it'll be interesting to see how it plays with the limestone facing and balls deflecting off of it. cuddy will get a workout over there.

Overhang or no overhang, the people in right field from row 2 and back are not going to be able to see warning track catches. That is true of any park that doesn't have seats right down to field level all the way around. For example, at the Dome, I'd bet you can't see a foul ball caught directly behind home plate at the wall from Section 125 - same concept.

The overhang at Citi Field, however, is a bit contrived. It looks like they intentionally made the field deeper right under it, just to be quirky. At least the overhang at TF seems to have a purpose, as it gets more seats in a confined space without having to (a) shrink the field (b) block the plaza (c) raise the plaza. We'll have a straight wall, with no trapezoidal cutout like Citi. Click for a picture of the overhang and it's geometrical cutout cousin.

The hell is with that trapezoid at citi? It looks like the seats are a good three feet lower than the top of the outfield wall. Is that just the perspective from where the photo was taken?

other guy

good pic. I don't like their overhang at citi, but I do like their five...five...five dollar foot loooong.

"ANY" five dollar foot loooong!

nice one duluthtim! that goofy jingle is way too catchy.

Well let's just say it's slightly better than this old Subway ad...

Badgers @ Gophers Saturday, October 3 (First Big Ten game in TCF Bank Stadium)
Royals @ Twins Sunday, October 4 (FINAL game in Metrodome!!!)
Packers @ Vikings Monday, October 5

That is going to be one fun weekend!!

wow that is going to be an amazing weekend...lets just hope the Gophers are undefeated, the Twins have clinched a playoff spot, and the Vikings are 3-0 going into that game.!

if anyones is bored, pics from the twins-sox tis weekend..

Damn thats a solid weekend Mike.
Im not old enough to have seen the red hats, so I don't care if we sucked in them, there way better then the M hats.

i like the "cell" it was fun for a bar in a ball park i hink the "bullpen bar" is cool that is were u see frankie warmining up in the shity video...and those are the old pinwhells from the old comesky on the walls of the bar...

Anyone see Kauffmans backstop? It looks like our color limestone or something. When I first saw it, I thought for a second it was PNC Park.

Hate to bring the Vikings into the discussion, but with the Twins moving out after the season, the problem of parking spaces still has to be addressed for next year.

Anyone hear any specifics on how parking will work out, should the Vikings and Twins be forced to share home dates next year?

Will it really be a problem? I know parking is a problem downtown, but the TF is across town from the dome. I certainly never have to park all the way over there when I go to the dome. Also, if they play on the same day it would be a Sunday or an evening. I guess I may be out of my element here--I'm used to going to Twins games with 30,000,not Vikings games with 60,000.

going with recent jersey talk, the sleeveless jerseys need to go. Never liked them.

cool pics maz. thanks for sharing! looks like you guys had a good time on the south side. i like how you rocked the vikings sweater and the twins stocking cap. way to represent minneapolis/st. paul while you were there amongst the bears & white sox fans!

Beta

there isn't going to be parking problem with the vikings because the stadiums are on opposite sides of downtown.

driving through dt just before the final t-wolves game last sat night and was mildly suprised at the crush of traffic, both fans and cars. (i know, it's the wolves, weird) i was just projecting out to next year and like triple the amount of people going to twins games. should be interesting. those bars and restaurants on first are going to do huge business.

Beta,

Yea it was a blast a few drunks with the "F the twins" but besides that no hassles...went to the cubby bear bar in wrigleyville too they put the sox-twins game on for me sunday! i think the sox fans hate the cubs and cubs fans more than who they play.. it funny

Maz - there is no doubt that Sox fans hate the Cubs/Cubs fans a lot more than Cubs fans hate the Sox/Sox fans. Personally, I've got nothing but apathy for the southsiders.

I remember being on a flight to Chicago a few years ago, and overhearing some guys asking if the Cubs were in town. Being a Cubs fan, I told them that they were in San Francisco. Upon hearing this, the guys were disapointed about missing out on a chance to go to Wrigley, but thought they might catch a White Sox game as long as they were in town. I told them I had no idea if the Sox were in town, and or who they were playing. The guys couldn't understand why I couldn't care less about the Sox.

Moose

Well, there might not be a parking problem but there will be traffic and LRT problems if the Viking and Twins games end at the same time.

canopy going up on the east side of the plaza.

hey mazaratirick,
i'll be seeing you in the lf bleachers next year for 20 games. good times will be had by all in that section.

I am surprised the Twins have not worn their regular white home jerseys yet, 6 games into the home schedule.

Opening night they wore the '82 throwbacks, than they wore the blue alts for four consecutive games, and last night the "sleveless" alts were worn.

Those sleveless jerseys need to go.

I am a traditionalist and like white and gray uniforms. Alternates are not bad, when they are used as an alternate, but when the team wears them so frequently, I do not like them.

The blue alternates look good though. The sleeveless ones just look.......so.........unprofessional. They look like something a men's league slow pitch softball team would wear.

I thought the starting pitcher chooses what jersey to wear. I know slowey usually always chooses the blue alt. Liriano last year chose the sleeveless one a lot.

I think the blue alternates look like warm-ups - don't like them at all. Like the 82 throwbacks, but not the red hats.

I hope they go for the old school 60s look next year. I'd be happy with the exact uniforms from then - home pinstripes without the name on the back, gray away unis without pinstripes. The only change I would make would be to change the script on the away unis from "Twins" to "Minnesota".

and yeah, the sleeveless jerseys are lame

After the long winter, which got brutally cold at points, it must be really nice for the workers to have days like this to be working at target field. I for one, am a little bit jealous.

Nothing much new at March's MBA meeting. Below is a section taken from the meeting minutes that shares more detail about the Tradition Wall.

"While many professional teams have instituted successful “Brick Paver” programs as part of new sports facilities, HOK Sport and Oslund & Associates have proposed an alternate vision consistent with the classic/contemporary brand of Target Field. Similar to a wall outside Reliant Stadium in Houston, the Target Plaza Tradition Wall will be located near the main ticket office between the 6th Street and 7th Street ballpark entrances. The plan calls for a combination of etched glass panels with a series of metal or bronze pennants. PHASE 1 of the Tradition Wall program would include space for 2,400 total names to be listed on eight (8) glass panels (300 names per panel) combined with 50 pennants representing every team in the history of the Twins franchise (1961-2010). The program design allows for ample space to annually install new team pennants.

The net revenues generated through the program would be deposited with the Authority and used to fund bronze statues of legendary Twins players. These statues help celebrate the history of Twins baseball, and they will become year-round destinations and photo opportunities on Target Plaza."

For the entire meeting minutes click my name.

I am back from Chicago as well. Was at the Twins/White Sox game on Sunday at Comiskey with my Twins jacket on. Got a mighty fine sunburn/windburn, but was treated cordially by the fans (got free tickets from a STH as we looked for the scalpers). The employees of the White Sox were a different story. The security was ridiculous for a relatively meaningless early April game on Easter. No scalpers to be found ANYWHERE and apparently this was because of the ridiculous WS security force. I mean c'mon you encourage people to sell their tickets on StubHub during the game for at times huge markups yet want to clamp down on the street brokers/scalpers/regular joes selling tickets. Free market capitalism. Some games you pay a premium because the game is in high demand and others (like Easter in cold weather) sell for far less than face value. Holy ish.

I went to the Cubs Home Opener on Monday afternoon. Sat in the constant rain, brutal wind off Lake Michigan and survived 9 innings. Can't imagine a game being played in worse weather. I manned up and dressed for the conditions. Wrigley was packed and it was bananas. Lots of Old Style consumed. No weather excuses next year at Target Field.

is someone keeping track of the weather for each home game so far this year? looks like we have another winner today...

Starting pitchers choose the uni...

Click my name regarding an article explaining a lawsuit a fan is filing in New York. I love America, but why do some teams still play "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. It seems soooooo arbitrary.

You used to think I was pretty cool. I guess I'm the result of function and progress over human experience.

Steeks,
What a load of crap. That guy probably paid good money for that ticket (especially at NYS). Besides, isn't the whole idea of the seventh inning stretch to get up and take a leak?

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks
I'll be in the can.
For it's root root root for the Twins!

On that same subject, I think we are the only city that actually sings "root root root for the HOME TEAM" instead of using our team name. I've always found that strange

end rant

Gophers to open TCF Bank Stadium at 6pm on Sept 12, so I wonder if the Twins will play in the afternoon that day as it currently says "TBD" on their schedule to avoid conflicting with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium?

It will be interesting how that plays out and whether or not the Twins were in fact waiting for the Gophers to set their Sept 12 game time.

I hope that guy makes bank. There's no way you could tell me to stay seated if I had to pee.

Also, There is no way that I would pay to have my name etched into a glass wall. At least with the fan bricks you get something tangible, with the wall you just have a name on a list. The bricks are an event, the first time you go to the stadium you have to look and find your brick. Where's my brick? There it is! Honey come over here! See that? That's my brick!

"The net revenues generated through the program would be deposited with the Authority and used to fund bronze statues of legendary Twins players. These statues help celebrate the history of Twins baseball, and they will become year-round destinations and photo opportunities on Target Plaza.""

Interesting.

Lafferty,

I was thinking the same...i thought part of the ballpark money was paying for this...

Funny article. The Yankees should leave it up to "God" to smite the dude - if "He" exists and is actually offended.

I went to three ballparks over the past couple days... Petco Park, Angel Stadium, and Chase Field. I've been to Petco and Chase before, but it was my first time at Angel Stadium. After following the Twins ballpark closely for the past several years (including religiously reading this site), I noticed a few things about each of the ballparks that I thought I would share.

Petco - Beautiful urban ballpark. It really fits into the area well, and has condos and the Marriott hotel that allow you to view a game. I wish the condo development ideas that first surrounded Twinsville would be revived, as it added to the Petco experience. While I am not concerned about HERC, Petco and its surroundings did reinforce the thinking that HERC will need to go at some point. We had an hour-long rain delay that didn't bother me one bit (fortunately it occurred the inning before they stop serving beer). A couple of things I didn't like about Petco were that in some areas it looked like they missed some of the attention to detail. For instance, in the restroom they didn't have the right number of soap dispensers (i.e. one in between each sink), so you had to reach across another sink to get soap. Even the Metrodome has that right. Also, I noticed that where the exterior stone met up with a staircase there was a pretty large gap, which seemed like it should have been caulked or grouted, but instead was just open. Petco also has a number of obstructed views resulting from their awkward upper deck suite stacks on first and third base. Overall, great ballpark.

Angel Stadium - I really enjoyed this ballpark. I like how the renovations seem like it was supposed to be that way all along. It did have narrow concourses, but made up for that by having a fenced in boundary creating an area to walk around outside the concourses. You couldn't get away with that at Target because of the climate and the space, but it worked well at Angel Stadium.

Chase Field - I'm not a very big fan of this ballpark, but at least the roof was open and it was a nice night. It's nice because it is newer, but it still seems like an airplane hangar. Same problem with the bathroom soap as Petco, only worse (only 2 soaps to 7 sinks).

It was nice to see all of these parks, but it just made me more excited for Target Field to be completed.

"He" does exist and why would he be offended? I don't think the song is meant to be a religious statement either, calm down.

"Why would he be offended?"

Because he is a vengeful god.

Are we debating the existance of God on a ballpark page? Hmmmmm...I think your looking for theology 312. Down the hall fellas, second door on the right.

So you get ejected for going to the bathroom? All I know is that suing people is the best way to resolve differences! An even better idea is getting an interest group like the ACLU to work with you on your lawsuit, and then making sure they exploit your lawsuit to the national media for attention. Bravo, douche!

If he had left because he was against God, then God would be upset. But I think God is fine with people leaving to go to the bathroom.

I'm sure almost everyone is going to disagree with me...but I really like the red hats and retro unis from last Monday against the M's. Second to those uniforms are the sleeveless unis like they wore last night. The blue unis look pretty nice, way better than the white home unis.

Why on earth would the Twins give a flying hoot about the opening of TCF Bank Stadium? For the last, I dont know how many years, the Twins have been FORCED to accomodate the Gophers at least one Saturday a year, because they share stadiums. Twins play at 11. Game's over about 130-2. Switch-over to football takes 3-4 hours. Gopher game starts at 6 or 7.
The Gophers have their own stadium, the Twins don't have to accomodate schedules for the Gophers. It's ridiculous to think that the Twins would do it again, just because TCF Bank Stadium is opening.

Rational Actor,

Glad you enjoyed Angel Stadium & Petco. I drive to Anaheim at least once a year to see the Twins play at the Big A. With the exception of the rock thing going on past the outfield walls, I really like that ballpark.

You're also right about Petco's location, and how we could use that as a model for developing Twinsville. If done right, development could really make T.F. pop.

of course they will want to schedule different times for the games. Its all about drawing a crowd, many people might go to the Twins game earlier in the day, then head out to the Gopher game later on...

Lafferty, you don't like the Rock fountain at the A?

Billymays, you're thinking old testament....

vikeologist - that people could be both twins AND gopher fans and perhaps would want to attend both games that day is apparently too much for luke to take!

:-)

wow.....what a giant turd of a game tonight! that is all.

I think with 6:00 start against South Dakota State at TCF Bank a 1pm start would allow fans to see both games... and not bend over backwards (a day game on a saturday like that is great anyway)

cj - what does south dakota state have to do with anything here? i am not following you at all. the gopher football team will not be wasting a night game on south dakota state. am i missing something?

Got a depressing letter yesterday, said i cant pick my seats for TF until late june... dammit!!!!

i don't get to choose until summer either. maybe it's the bleachers only?

No its cuz I only have a 20 game pack.. it goes in order, full season, the 41 games, then 20 games with 4 or more tix per game then me..lol

oh well I hope they stay off my bleachers...

i have the 20 game pack too for the bleachers. which section/rows are you going for?

Went to Arlington and Houston parks last week. I really liked Arlington-big concourses and museum top notch.

Jerry Jones stadium-ugly-my kids thought it was a hanger for spaceships. Lot of work left to do on that one.

AC,
I would like the LF bleachers closest to the admin blgd.. just not right up on the limestone... anyplace i can get first few rows i will take after 4-6 rows the overhang from the hr porch will take away my sun... not gonna happen i would rather ditch the LF and sit in something open with sun...

Although 131 last spot you can look down into the bullpen

i'm with you on those; i want to sit low and enjoy the sun. maybe i'll finally catch a ball at a game if i sit in the same spot 20 times. in my 100+ games in my life, i've never got one.

This isn't baseball related, so I apologize. Sid reported about a month ago that HKS will unveil the renderings for the new Vikings stadium on April 16th. Is there any truth to this?

Linked article has a reference to plans being done on April 16th. I don't know that would mean they'd be unveiled today, just scheduled to be done.

Once the Twins are out of the Dome, the vampire chairs can be completely removed. The Vikings could renovate that entire side of the building without affecting the rest of the bowl, putting in decks of suites and a club level, like the east side of Soldier Field. I bet they could even do so between the last game of the 2009 world series (hosted at the dome, no doubt) and the opener of the 2010 football season.

With baseball out, the dome could go from a good football stadium to a great one, if the Wilfs have some vision.

I was just listening to the Braves/Marlins game online and they were talking about the new Marlins' stadium.

Then the announcer began to rip into what the Twins were doing in Minnesota without having a roof and how unpredictable the weather was in April (and May and June "ha ha ha") and my blood began to boil and I needed to vent.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but the level of ignorance is amazing. I shouldn't be surprised considering the ignorance from our own fans. Still, I wasn't hearing a clamor for a roof on US Cellular last week, or a roof on Fenway when they all had very chilly/snowy April weather.

Every other MLB team can have April weather issues and postponements...BUT as soon as one Minneapolis flurry pops up the masses will say "They should have built a roof!!"

Yeah with this April weather it would sure suck to be outside.... /sarcasm

I agree boof. who wants to be outside on a sixty degree sunny day in april? I'd much rather be indoors eating bon bons and watching tv.

Dale,

It seems like most people that aren't from the Upper-Midwest think that Minnesota has the same climate as the North Pole. There is something about the word Minnesota that screams "cold" to most Americans.

I hear it all the time in California. "No wonder you moved here, it's so cold up there." Well, the winters can be brutal, and summers can be too short, but as we all know it's not much different than a handful of other Northern states and cities that have played baseball outside for years.

Most people that want the Twins to have a roof aren't from Minnesota, aren't paying for the roof, or aren't real baseball fans in my opinion.

Kevin in AZ often says, "The Twins played outside for many years at the Met and nobody died." That quote sums it up.

My humblest apologies for the attempt at injecting a bit of humor into yesterday's proceedings. You can all now go back to your ernest discussion of uniforms and caps. Wake me up when you are done...

u know you are so right on the weather myths about minnesota. i used to live in florida, lived and worked around a lot of new yorkers who had moved down there, and you never heard weather talk except when minnesota was mentioned. then the strib's twins beat writer puts a blurb in his column today that he wishes the pohlads had put a retractable roof on target field...just get over it. there isn't the space and the team wasn't going to front for it anyway. maybe there isnt anything else to talk about when the subject of anything related to minnesota comes up. but it does get a little annoying.

I went to Chicago a couple years ago to see a day game in the bleachers at Wrigley and a night game at the Cell. It was mid April and raining--probably about 45 degrees out. Both games were delayed by about 2 hours. Despite all of that, I had an awesome time. Rain, sleet, snow-- It doesn't stop the mail, and it won't stop the Twins fans!

oh and badjuggler,

just to bring you back into the conversation, we don't like red caps.

the Vikings will not get rid of the accordion seats. I asked Bill Lester about that once. And I suggested to him to convert the dugouts, whilst in odd locations but still a cool idea, to field-level suites.
Lester said that the baseball configuration will remain at the Dump, for all the amateur baseball teams whose season begins in February, and can't play atop 168 inches of snow that will be sitting in Target Field.
Charley Walters said in his column today that the Twins did a study on April games in the 21 years they were at the Met. out of all those games, only 10 were postponed. and the Pioneer Press has been tracking the first-pitch outdoor temp each game they've had at the Dump thus far this year. According to the Press, 0 games would have been cancelled, if we were in Target Field this year.
Today, april 16, would be GORGEOUS outside at Target Field.

Hahaha it's not a myth that Minnesota is really cold, its true, this state is ridiculously cold.

By the way nice link other guy, also the red hats are tight.

For the record, I like the red hats (especially with the 'new' uniforms.

luke, if Bill Lester insists they are keeping the baseball configuration in the existing building, what will happen when the Vikings build a brand-new football-only stadium in the Dome's location? That's a red herring if I've ever heard of one.

I refuse to believe that the NFL is having its business dictated by Amateur Baseball Teams. If the Vikings wanted to nail the vampire chairs to the floor and tell amateur baseball to take a hike, I would guess that Bill Lester would happily deliver the message for them.

well - then they'll have to deal with it. but, until that time comes, they're going to keep it so the Gophers can play the DQ Classic the first weekend of February.
Of course, we could always tear down Target Field, tear down the Guthrie and build the 1997 retractable roof park they originally planned to build. Since we're not doing that, the vampire seats are gonna have to stay I guess.

other guy

I agree 100%. There is a lot that could be done to the dome to make it a better stadium. Most new football stadiums look terrible anyway. poppy just mentioned "Jerry Jones stadium-ugly-my kids thought it was a hanger for spaceships." In my opinion, they all look like that. Find a way to widen the halls (if at all possible) and add suites and better seating in place of the vampire seats and you've got a workable stadium. They don't want an outdoor stadium, and retractable roofs are a waste of money that will soon look about as fashionable as inflatable domes.

Did I say retractable roofs are a waste of money? I meant to say they're a HUGE waste of money.

i agree about Jerry Jones' Mammoth Show-Off Piece in Arlington. My buddy and I talked once about how ballparks went back to the old-school stuff, the ornate iron-work and the brick inlay and stuff (not all, but most), and football stadiums went totally opposite. They're big show-off pieces. Why do I say this? Well, Mark Cuban wants 100,000 for the NBA All Star Game next year at the Jerry Jones Palace. A hangar for spaceships, that's a good one. give your kids a high five for that one.

retractable roofs are for Nancys

Boo roofs, yay beer!!!

Wow I left work 15 minutes ago and the score was 2-1, wow. Anyways I don't know really how cost-effective it would be to renovate the Metrodome. It'd probably be better just to tear down and start over and make sure it gets done right.

Oh and Retractable roofs are for Baby Nancys. Nancy should be able to handle the outdoors.

Who cares if its a "chilly"? Aren't we Minnesotans? And don't we put up with this for 6 months a year? And I'm sure I'm not the only one who has spent more than 3 hours outside in the december nd january, 3 months before Opening Day. Roof-lovers can get over it. Be happy Minnesota has baseball at all, too.

I was out in shorts and a tshirt all day today. Chilly my ass. What we consider warm southerners would consider cold. You live in minnesota, man up.....or woman up.

I also agree with lafferty. Yay beer!

Anyone check out baseball fever? Great pics from the Historical Society of Metropolitan Stadium excavating in 1955...simply amazing

I am not sure if they have been previously posted and/or mentioned on here but its interesting to look back 50+ years and see some pictures of the construction of the Met. Before the Twins and Vikings existed.

BB I don't think anyone said anything about a roof.

billymayshere, no one said anything about today/yesterday being chilly, I was out on the links.

When I said Minnesota being cold, I'm talking about the winter when it hits negative 20, not in April. I apologize if you guys read it the wrong way.

Ho un intenso amore per la birras.
Ich hasse die Kuppel.
Will the light rail station open when the northstar station opens late this year?

denver is supposed to get 10 inches of snow this weekend. where's the clamor that they need a roof?

I am sure the light rail extension will be done when Northstar opens. They have been feverishly working on finishing the tracks alongside the ballpark the past couple of weeks.

Went to my first Twins game of the season last night after not going to a single one all last season. Still can't turn down free tickets (although now I wish I could). Butt-ugly game in a butt-ugly toilet on a beautiful 70 degree evening with virtually no wind. Criminal.

I am going 2night, and yea im dredding it.. supposed to be 70 degrees i guess me and the boy will spend alot of time on the plaza b4 we go in...they better win or atleast keep it close... the last 2 night s were sad

I'm interested in knowing if any of you follow amateur baseball in the state, or get out to some of the great town ballparks? TF will be the King obviously, but getting out to some nice town parks is a real treat in summer. I have a south metro bias, but Jordan and Chaska are great.

Oh, and Arlington is another favorite.

MATT, my comment wasn't directed at you, but more or less at people who say april is too cold in minnesota to play outdoor baseball. I've lived in minnesota for most of my life and once the temp goes above 45 i'm in shorts.

Twins announce new sponsorship with Blue Bunny...I wonder how this will affect their sponsorship with Kemps?

Steeks,

Pretty much the best times I have every summer is going out to western Minnesota to watch my home town team. Rosen is a town of less than 50 people but they've been able to keep a team going (mostly due to the efforts of Tom Radermacher - check the link). Half the reason I'm so looking forward to the new ballpark is how much I enjoy watching the town games outdoors in the summer.

On another note, I'm going to have a quarter of the games for four season tickets next year. I am interested in swapping seats for some games to get a different view of the park. I believe we are going for somewhere down the first base line (my friend is in charge of the seats so not completely sure where he is looking). Any interest? Maybe there's a web site around for like minded fans?

I agree Steeks, there are some great town team parks. In southern MN, Waseca has a great town park that is well kept and sports seats from the old Met in its grandstand and dugouts.

Andy k

I am down.. I will have Bleachers

27

Yeah I'd be down too, I'm thinking more upper deck behind home plate for mine, get a better view of Downtown and the Scoreboard. As for site's here, and probably baseball fever when it comes time. Unless someone knows of one.

Oops, that last post supposedly was by me directed towards Andy. Not sure what I was thinking. As for the support, isn't it 26, I never saw anyone say 26 is up. It's not like you can look and count anymore.

When I counted spaces for supports a long time ago, it looked like there was enough for 29, therefor I counted backwards. If it's only #26 I apologize, either way I was pointing out a new one is in place.

according to the model it looks like there is only one canopy support left to claim in locker's "most exciting game ever with no real prize"

If you look at the 3rd comment on this thread, it looks like other guy spotted the previous support, but did not number it at the time. Also I checked the webcam on that date to make sure it corresponds with the date and time of his post.

im so glad i get to go inside to watch the twins play tonight.. its so worth never seeing the sun to be able to avoid those 2 rain outs a year!

Did you guys notice the little canopies are taking shape on the plaza? (Sorry if this was already mentioned)

Would someone please put Crain and Guerrier on a one way train outta town????? JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!

lol kevin.

Jason Kubel...

ladies and gentleman... the birth of a hero.

btw... I had a pithy response to the SDSU thing from above regarding U of M's scheduling enough cupcakes to give themselves diabetes and a birth in the crappy it company website bowl... but it was blocked for having a link in it...

Can Kubel pitch?

i saw the the cycle!!!! going into the dome finaly paid off!!!!

What song do they play when the Twins hit a homerun?

Star Wars theme, I think.

yes the Star Wars theme, I think in the new stadium they need a new homerun song...

Brad, When we first started counting the canopy supports a while back, some dude wanted to include the endcap piece, so indeed the 27th CHS has been added, and you are the winner. My guess is that we will end up with 30 total if we include the endcap on this 3rd base side too.
GREAT WIN LAST NIGHT! Gardy has got to keep Kubel in the line-up 100% of the time. No more platoon with Delmon and Go Go.
I would like to see which one of you folks can guess when the first seat will be installed. Post your guess!
I'm guessing May 10.

I'm gonna go with may 11, considering that may 10th is a sunday.

I just thought 29 would be a subtle way to celebrate the career of a certain former Twin. My guess for the first seat installation is May 4th, it's logical because it's a Monday and also it's my daughter's birthday.

If I remember correctly, they play the star wars theme in memory of Kirby

I dont know about what day, but i know what section.. i think the belachers will go in first.. just a guess but lf has been the first done for all stadia i think so why not?

I'm gonna go with May 4th too.

Maz,
You've got to give me a day...c'mon dude! I did not look at my calender, I'm switching to May 8. Friday (VETERAN'S DAY)...media will all be invited for the big event. It will be a great way to honor our Vets with the first seat being installed, hopefully with an inscription on it honoring all those in the Service.
Brad...29...my favorite Twin of all-time. We should just end the stupid CHS contest with 29. Good call!

price is right rules apply in all aspects of life. You should know that by now.

Last night's game at the Dome was bananas. Kubel looks close to returning to his Minor League form. He absolutely raked at every level.

Indians put up 14 in the Top of the 2nd today at Yankee Stadium. Ha classic!!!

I know...the Yanks got blown out in the opener of the new place too...lol. I couldnt believe it, 16-2 Indians in the 4th inning, that's when I checked it. What was the final?
To see the Yanks embarrassed on national TV like that - total satisfaction.

Can someone comment why they play the Star Wars Theme in memory of Kirby? Never heard of this before...

no they do not play the Star Wars theme in memory of Kirby, in fact they played the Star Wars theme while Kirby was still playing... they have played that at the dome for as long as I can remember...

alright Locker

i say it will be late...June 2nd per kubel will hit a blast that goes thru the roof, bounces off bobby n steves and flys all the way to TF and knocks a crane over and sets back instalation for 3 weeks or so in that time gomez will find his swing, delmon will tell his dad to go home and let pro hitting coaches teach him and Mauer will return with a 6 for 6 ala "saint Kirby in the brew"

My guess is May 18th, on what would have been the 90th birthday of Dame Margot Fonteyn. Of course you would get the requisite number of Keith Olbermann jokes about how old Target Field is...like 206!

April 29th, I'm going with an april date

Eh, I heard when they were planning on the first seat, but I can't remember, I think I heard late spring, but that seems later than necessary. April 29th is my brothers birthday would make a good date, though the sooner the better in my opinion. Anyways I was talking with my dad while at his place during the game today, we had to postpone a trip we were planning due to him needing knee surgery, but it seems the Twins will be on road trip during late June in St. Louis and KC and we're thinking of hitting a couple of games over the weekend. Should be fun. I've never seen an outdoor MLB game, Miller doesn't count, especially when the roof is closed. {Hits head}. Anyone know the stadiums well and have recommendations on places to sit?

I will be in STL and KC in june it will be smashing

Camden,

this will be my first trip to STL but Kaufmann is nice and every seat is good.. monday u an get 5 buck upper deck view seats or 7 buck water faulton seats... eat the shyboygen!!! skip the gates bbq at the stadium and go to aurther bryants on brooklyn ave its to die for!!!
get the burt ends....

uh huh. that's what we'll be in about a year and a half. We'll be selling really cheap seats...of course, minus the water "fountain."
get out your rain check/refund material. if this was next year, and we were still playing the Angels, today's game at Target Field would be...drumroll please...rained out.
Not bad, for April 20 and only having one postponed game thus far.

So it's been a few days since I've been here but that whole cold thing....try living in Alaska. Ironically, MN (on average) actually has colder winters than AK. One survey of people in the lower 48 revealed that about 15% think AK is snow covered year round (which it's not). Granted, the summers can be tough; last year we hit 70 all of three times, but the daylight makes up for it.....and I'm digressing. There is a semi-pro baseball league up here and I've yet to see one covered ball field for them. There's also a well established city adult baseball league that I've played in the past few years. The weather can certainly suck (snowing during a game in May) but nobody complains.

As for the first seat, I'm going with 5 May, Cinco de Mayo!

It also appears that they're setting up markers for the gates on the plaza too.

Someone needs to tell channel 29 that this is NOT HD. Hopefully they can upgrade by the end of the season because I don't want to watch every Sunday like this.

luke - I am pretty sure this game would NOT have been rained out today had it been at Target Field

this is an intermittent drizzle to light rain... playball.

Take a look at the TF webcams. You can see how effective the sunscreen/overhangs will be as far as rain cover goes. Look at where the dark/wet concrete is. kinda cool.

really Mike? I beg to differ. well, we shall see in the Pioneer Press tomorrow. They've been doing "First-Pitch comparisons" for each home game, what the temp was, and the number of postponements. We shall see what they say tomorrow.

a delay? maybe. full-fledge rainout? absolutely not. today's game would be played today without a doubt

Yep baseball would have been played today.

at first pitch, yes there was rain and would have been a delay, but they would have played the entire game today...no doubt about it! So what does that make it now....11 games played at home, and ZERO would have been postponed...

If the Pioneer Press has the game postponed for today, it is crap. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon in the TC. 11 for 11...right on!

and to think, in 1982, on this date, we had 1.2 inches of snow. that figures, the year they move indoors, the weather button pushers at the airport made it snow. how convenient fellas.

Chuck,

I work in AK during the summers. I love the ABA! Last summer was brutal. It rained every day in July (and most of June) Do they ever have volcano delays??

i mean ABL

here is for the guy who said the Twins wouldn't work their schedule around the Gophers home opener in TCF Bank Stadium...

"The Twins have announced that their game vs. Oakland on Sept. 12 will start at 1 p.m., to avoid interfering with the Gophers' 6 p.m. start for their first game in TCF Bank Stadium, against Air Force."

so the gopher's first outside home game is a night one, huh? Fun. I'm putting the over-under for drinking related arrests at 37.

also, for you canopy counters, If we have 27 up, I only see room for 28. not sure how you would fit another 3 in there.

Webcam 1 may be showing the beginings of Target Centers new green roof. It was approved last December and will be installed by a firm from Fridley. Click the Link for a graphic

waste of money.

Instead of greening the roof, why don't they cover the entire facade with ivy to cover up the ugly dog!

Patriots Day!!!!!!

Only 70 games left in the Dome + playoffs...

I wish that the Twins and Ballpark Authority should start concentrating on the interior areas of the ballpark as far as updates and photo galleries , since we already know what is going on on the outside of the ballpark from the webcams. How about a new post and maybe some new pictures.

That Target Center roof is a complete waste. Let's spend money on something NOBODY will see...then bitch about the HERC, which actually does something to help green energy in our community. Why not spend that $$ giving the HERC a facelift - make it look cool and attractive rather than painting it the color of the shitstack?

Rick!

We want more pictures, details, info, and comments from you!

Also, where is the TIWMATM?

Rick!

We want more pictures, details, info, and comments from you!

Also, where is the TIWMATM?

Just kidding, love the site and the information provided, I am just starved for more! :) Is it bad if you come to this site about 15+ times a day?

Sorry for the double post... :(

OG Jeff,

Green roofs aren't about getting people to see them.

1. Target Center needs a new roof regardless.
2. Green roofs reduce stormwater runoff, reduce the urban heat island effect, reduce heating and cooling costs, etc. They make financial sense in the long run. There are tangible benefits.

But no, that money is better spent on something really useful, like a new coat of paint for the HERC. Suuuuure.

The Target Center green roof isn't for cosmetic purposes.

The roof needed to be replaced and a green roof actually has a longer life span than a regular roof. It cost more to install initially, but will reduce heating and cooling operation costs. So, in the long run it should be a good investment...

...unless they tear town the Target Center...but my guess is that since the city owns it, they'll just give it a major overhaul.

By green roof, do you guys mean that the color of the roof will be green or is it a "green" (as in environment friendly) roof?

The "green" roof will both be the color green but also "green" in the eco-friendly way. As stated before, there are very tangable reasons for a green roof, reduction/management of rainwater, better insulation for the building meaning a reduction in energy consumption, and a whole slew of other reasons. The HERC is connected to the ballpark and supplies some of the electricity needs, perhaps they could collect the rainwater off the roof of Target Center and use it for grey water (bathrooms, laundry rooms) in Target Field

Good article on the New Yankees Stadium windflow and why it has become a hitters dream. What is going to be the prevailing wind direction in TF?

Sorry, click my name above

Was anybody at yesterday's game? They were letting people walk out the doors behind the Home Plate Gate instead of armbarring them with ushers (See: JohnK) and forcing people to lineup for exit through the revolving doors. I thought that was interesting. It doesn't happen often and I was curious why on Sunday.

Eric: Yankee Stadium is a bandbox. Lazy flyballs are going out. Something needs to be tweaked or it will be worse than Citizens Bank Park and Great American Ballpark or how Coors Field used to be.

Mazaratirick never saw the cycle! Was he at the game? Yes. However, he left before Kubel hit the Salami!

Haha!

In an unrelated topic...how does everyone feel about the limestone? Am I alone when I shout, "I can't stand it"?

Just my opinion.

A new coat of paint for the HERC? Please read my comment again.

Many european cities have turned their Energy Recovery Centers into very modern places of education and sustainability. Not only does the the HERC convert 365,000 TONS of garbage into energy every year, it does so using some pretty cool technology. Why not follow the footprint of other cities who have turned these kinds of places into something that is both appealing to the eye and adds value to the community? Alex, the idea isn't mine, I'm only echoing what others are saying. Clicky Click.

The TC does need a new roof - it's too bad the roof didn't have enough lifespan to wait till 2011 when the naming rights will be renewed and a new pile of cash will be available for an update of the whole place.

I saw the cycle, but about half the already sparse crowd had left. I'm sure they were banging their heads against the steering wheel while listening to Gordo in the traffic they were trying to beat. Twins fans have an annoying habit of leaving early. I know you want to beat the rush to the revolving door, but sometimes you pay the price. A grand slam to hit for the cycle and win the game? Seems like a one in a lifetime thing to me--although I'll admit I'm still pretty young. The last time anyone hit for the cycle in the dome was 1991. I was 9.

Oh buy the way, I took your seat!

I mean BY the way. Don't I look silly? Poetic justice for my arrogance.

Also, there seems to be some confusion about the target center roof. It will be a "vegetated" green roof. In other words, they're going to grow grass up there.

They're growing grass on a roof? Well that's just silly.

Umm I had a 5 year old with me Tim and it was my 4th twins game of the week and a half... and one of those was in 38-42 degree weather in chicago (Total of 14 hours in a Kia for the trip) .. so please forgive me for leaving in the 8th inning friday ! E johnston is a crack investagator!

And you were probably up in Duluth at the time.. not worried about the seat, how many twins games have you attended? or how many in other parks? seems to me that every ballpark i am at thier is a crowd leaving no matter what team, sport, state.. when i left it was tied 3-3.. so it was not out of losing... i saw the first 3 hits!

go twins!

Again, I apologize for the arrogance. Obviously you had a good excuse for leaving. That being said, it's discouraging to see people streaming out when there are two innings of baseball left. Unfortunately, I don't live in the cities, but I get down there when I can (I was down for the weekend). That's part of the reason I love this site. Those of us who can't see the progress in person can still get an idea of what's going on.

No hard feelings, Maz. I know you were in Chicago, I saw your pics. Looked like an awesome time.

No hard feelings over here! glad you got down here to see a awsome game!

Where's the crack. I'm looking for the crack.

The projected 2.8 million for a vegetated roof is just ridiculous on the TC. $10 gets you some gum bonding and a Chia pet...wash and repeat about 2000 times and you'll have the roof covered.

Eh Johnson the roof actually costs more than $5 million. That and it won't even reach a break even point for over 20 years, by then the Target Center would have to be extensively renovated or the wolves will be out of it completely. Within a few years, I'm sure they'll be banging on the Capital's door especially if the Vikings get a new stadium. Who knows if they can't get some decent product going maybe Seattle will be wanting a team back in 15 years or so.

Anyways I think this is a waste of money and I'm glad I only pay Sales Tax in Minneapolis.

As for the Limestone I like it a lot, beats the Yankee's limestone that just looks like cement. I don't know if you've seen it in person or not, but it looks much better up close.

Our bullpen is getting fatter....Click name

Unfortunately, I am being told it will cost between 1.5 and 2.8 million; but at this point, anything over $27.50 with or without a coupon is way too much.

I love the look of the limestone. I actually prefer it to the similar limestone of Petco or PNC and especially New Yankee. I like the different textures and how much the colors vary. Nothing else looks like that, and that is a good thing, imo.

Thanks for bringing this up Camden -- the article last year stated that the price tag would be 5.5 M. Alex B and Doug, I understand there is some cost savings in this green roof but I want to see the financial analysis that showed planting some seed on the roof is going to save that much. Rediculous. Are they getting some kind of green energy grant or tax benefit?

Steeks, I play amateur baseball. We played in the Dome last Monday after the Twins game...the field turf had seems that were big enough to trip on.

I'm going out on a limb saying there won't be many amateur games allowed at TF. The Dome is easy to keep maintained and can be used at any time of year. That has allowed games to take place there, but the Twins will probably want to protect the grass - and amateur ball is not a source of $$ (either to pay rental fees or draw people).

My favorite amateur stadiums in the state:

Miesville (simply AMAZING - every fan should visit) http://www.miesvillemudhens.com/page05.html

Waseca (gorgeous field - MLB level manicured)
http://www.waseca.k12.mn.us/vhm/1901-1918/eacobball3.htm

Union Hill (like playing at the field of dreams)
http://www.unionhillbaseball.com/UHBulldogs/default.asp

Chaska Athletic Park (may be removed and rebuilt shortly)
http://www.digitalballparks.com/Minnesota/Chaska1.html

Jordan Mini-Met (well maintained park)
http://www.digitalballparks.com/Minnesota/Jordan1.html

E Johnston, you "can't stand" the limestone? why is this? i think it's a great look for TF, and it goes well with the other buildings in the Warehouse District. a brick facade, i.e. Coors Field or an industrial look, i.e. Nationals Park or Progressive Field, would not look good in that location. It would look very out of place with its surroundings. for a good example of looking out of place with it's surroundings, look no further than the Metrodome.

They should reface both Target Center and HERC with the same limestone used on Target Field. Target Center is just an off color. Everything around it is brick, so a stone face would be more appropriate.

Green roofs have other benefits besides just energy savings. This is a public building, and putting a green roof on it will reduce the heat island effect in downtown. It will increase biodiversity and air quality in the area as well, by providing a refuge for birds and insects, having plants that will scrub CO2 out of the air, etc. It will reduce stormwater runoff, reducing the impact on the area's storm sewer infrastructure and improving the cleanliness of the water that does come off the roof - improving the water quality of the Mississippi and other local waterways.

It will indeed take 20 years to pay off, but that's based on the incremental increase of the cost of the green roof over conventional roofing. The roof needs to be replaced regardless. This is an investment that will eventually pay for itself on energy savings alone, but there are far more public benefits to this other than just energy savings.

And the cost is 5.3 million total for the project. Again, the roof needs to be replaced either way. Might as well make an investment in something that does some good.

OG Jeff, you wrote this:

"That Target Center roof is a complete waste. Let's spend money on something NOBODY will see...then bitch about the HERC, which actually does something to help green energy in our community. Why not spend that $$ giving the HERC a facelift - make it look cool and attractive rather than painting it the color of the shitstack?"

...which totally misses the point of why they're putting a green roof on the target center. It's not meant to be seen at all - it has tangible benefits to the community and the arena. The tangible benefits of a HERC facelift is peanuts compared to this.

I've played and seen many a ball games at the Mini-Met. It was my stomping ground back in the day. It was never a bad day playing there. The grounds were immaculate. The locationg was picture perfect with the river and train tracks running on either side of field. The ole Jordan brewery across the highway. It was an absolute privledge to play there.

new picture update on twins website click my name

"They should reface both Target Center and HERC with the same limestone used on Target Field. Target Center is just an off color. Everything around it is brick, so a stone face would be more appropriate."

This sounds impractical - especially for something purely aesthetic. I don't know how exactly this could be accomplished but since those are precast concrete walls I'd have to believe that it would be so labor intensive as to be less cost-effective than tearing the whole thing down and rebuilding it. Its hard to see that much public money being set aside to make something prettier - we couldn't even get the money together to get the other half of 5th Street flattened, and that's a pretty straight-forward project.

Personally, I kind of like the horizontal "gateway" element that the Target Center and the skyway give to the view out of the ballpark across the plaza and into downtown. I wish the building weren't quite so ugly but it's not the worst thing I've ever seen. I'm more disappointed that we waste money funding separate arenas for both the Wild and the Timberwolves...

I agree with Alex B. on the priority of a green roof for Target Center vs. beautifying the HERC.... but that's based upon two assumptions-

1.) The Target Center roof actually needs replacing severely (this seems safe because all parties (city council, consulting group hired, etc.) seem to agree)
2.) The Target Center will be around long enough for the savings to be worth the expense.. I think that (and I could be wrong) even with the Timberwolves around the Target Center operates at a loss - what if the T-Wolves left / were contracted within the next 20 or so years? This seems like a decent-sized gamble given the Wolves recent (and past) history. Keep in mind that the Wolves have only been here for just now 20 years. Its not too hard to imagine that franchise dissolving.

OG Jeff - that link was interesting, but its still a tough sell. I could get on board with spending some money to pretty up the HERC if its well thought out and economical (like the rough redesign concept in that pdf you linked to) but not if we're talking about tearing down the entire sheet metal exterior and building a whole new limestone building around it. That small redesigned HERC in the PDF kind of reminded me of the Guthrie.. which would be really cool. Making it look nice on the cheap (because cheap is the only way it will happen) is an intriguing problem that hopefully a creative mind out there will solve though.

I guess, my view is that both of you guys (OG Jeff and Alex B.) ignore the possibility that BOTH of these projects might be boondoggles... or they might be neat, clever ideas. (my wishy-washy way of saying I don't know).

those pics look like they were taken from a camera phone, the quality is just awful. come on twins, you're better than that.

Thanks for the link BB

DuluthTim,

Last summer was a doozie. It was only my fourth summer here but longtime residents were saying it was the worst summer in 20yrs or so. The only delays from volcanos are at the airport. It blows (no pun intended).

Eric, I agree with you. My first thought was how grainy those pictures looked. I'm glad to see some interior pics but it just didn't seem consistent with prior postings.

fyi - snow is in the forecast for the city of detroit on tuesday.

don't worry i heard that they did the right thing and have decided this minor inconvenience - which is quite common in the state of michigan considering their state is also located in upper midwest - requires that an atmosphere killing DOME immediately be placed on comerica park to appease tiger fans traveling to games in "the big city" from northern michigan.

sorry....i couldn't help myself. the detroit weather report is true. i just can't stand the dome (retractable or otherwise) whiners who show up here from time to time!

:-)

Thanks for the links to town ballparks, OG Jeff. Very cool to see town baseball continue to prosper across the state.

I agree with the above poster, thanks for the link. I am from the St. Cloud Area, any thoughts on some good town baseball stadiums in the area. I want to go to some, just don't feel like traveling a few hours to do so, especially with a 1 yr old. :)

I agree about those pics. The twins have been doing a pretty poor job keeping people updated. Those were the first pics in a while, and not great quality. Good thing Rick and everyone who contributes pics to this site do such a good job! Keep it up. Thanks!

Updated photos on MBA's site

Thanks for the link, some good photos, just wish it wasn't in a slideshow.

Thanks Steve, that made my day!

I dont know about you guys but weather the Twins are playing good or bad off days kill me! i need my fix!!!! Boston sux

It will be really fun sitting in the LF foul territory seats and trying to catch not only a foul ball but one that is rocketed off the admin building back into the seats

Yes, Target Center is getting grass on the roof. Think they'll have the Target Bulls-eye mowed into by April of next year? That roof will be a huge billboard for them. Kind of a bummer.

Won't grass add a lot of weight to the roof?

Billymayshere- Probably not because the rubber underneath is currently being weighted down with rocks in the center and concrete pavers along the edge. If anything I would say it'll be less weight.

A green roof will typically have a the same composition of standard tar roof except when after you put the weather barrier down, you put 4 - 8 inches of dirt on top depending on the plant life selected. This system will weigh more than the current roof type and a structural analysis was completed to confirm the support of the extra weight.

Usually the design of a green roof is circular. It has been found to be the easiest design to make while allowing access to roof top vents, hatches, and other items that are sticking out. (Think connect the dots) In this case it is just bonus that anyone flying from MSP or watching a Twins game next year thinks about Target.

Twins rained out tonight in Boston. What the hell were they thinking when they built Fenway without a roof. I'll bet there are riots down Boylston and all throughout the Kenmore about Fenway being open air. How could the Red Sox organization thumb their noses at all of the other New Englanders coming in from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. Goodness knows there's nothing else to do in Boston except watch baseball so what on earth are all of those people supposed to do with their time tonight?????

My biggest problem with these April games is why does MLB schedule so many non-divisional games in April?

The Twins play Seattle, Anaheim, Toronto, Boston, Tampa all in April? For rescheduling purposes, MLB should schedule more division games early in the season in the case of postponements. These divisional games would be much more easier to schedule throughout the season unlike non-divisional games.

If a Twins-Indians game is postponed in April, it is much easier to reschedule than a Twins-Red Sox game.

Also, why are the Twins only playing TWO games in Boston this year? I thought every team plays a minimum of three games in each ballpark within their respective league?

With the unbalanced schedule, you have plenty of opportunities to play your division opponents throughout the season.

I just think it would be nice to balance the schedule a little better between division and non-divisional games.

you all know that I think of Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press as God...and rightfully so of course. Today he quoted DSP in his column "The Minnesota Twins, who move outdoors to Target Field next season, have played 11 games this season in the Metrodome. Despite Sunday's mild rain and mid-40s temperatures, Twins president Dave St. Peter said, "frankly, even if we would have incurred a delay (under the same conditions next year) and were one out of 11 for delays, I'd take that right now. Where do I sign up?"

and also, Walters quoted that traitor Torii Hunter who said that the Twins ought to do much better next season, after they get off that God-awful turf. so, i did a little research. The Twins have struggled to win over 90 games a season (Yes, I know not all 162 are played in the Dome,blah blah) during their tenure at the Dome. the best season record the Twins ever garnered was 95-67, that was in 1991. during their time in the Dome, the Twins win column has been somewhere in the upper 70s to mid 80s.

During their tenure at the Met, the Twins regularly finished their season win columns in the mid-80s to mid-90s, even winnng 102 in the 1965 season. during the Twins stay at the Dome, the team has never had a 100-win season.

so - maybe we'll be better off without the roof...just maybe.

HOLD EVERYTHING! I stand corrected, 2006 we went 96-66. Sorry about that...lol.

Thanks for the reporting Luke, I feel that has more to do with the teams that were made then the stadiums themselves, but they have certainly concentrated more on speed in the dome.

Anyways I demand they put a roof on Fenway, there is no way on a slow day at work I should be robbed of watching the game. Absolutely unacceptable, maybe they can build one with all this stimulus money. I'm sure Kerry and Kennedy could swing it.

Tori Hunter a traitor? He left to go play under the sun with a longer contract. Tori helped bring the MN fans back to the game. I was sad to see him booed last weekend. I'll always stand up and clap for him.

Yeah you can't blame the guy for taking $90 million, I think we all would do the same.

Guys: Search google for Jim Mandelaro's (AAA Rochester Red Wings beat writer) interaction with Torii in the Ft. Myers clubhouse during ST of 2007. I think it might paint a different picture of who #48 really is. Definitely made me think twice....

Waiting on pins and needles for Rick's update.

Torii was a great centerfielder but I got so sick of him striking out with runners in scoring position. I like him much more now that I can see him choking for another team. Joe Nathan made him look silly last weekend. He always sucked in the clutch, but then with nobody on base, he'd blast a 450 footer.

Kev,

true.

Hunter didn't "take the money and run" ala Jack Morris in 1992.

The Twins made a laughable offer to a guy they didn't want to bring back. It's a shame, Hunter was one of my favorites, but I don't blame him for taking what he's worth to play in LA rather than play at discount under the teflon sky in the big blue room.

I'm sitting next to Mazarairick right now...he's wearing a Jermaine Dye jersey.

I also overheard him saying, "Wow, I wish Nick Swisher still played for my Sox...he was my favorite."

Anyone heard anything about the wood louvers on 7th St recently? Last I heard (posted here) was that they were going in on 16 Apr, or something like that.

Also, that work they're doing near Ramp A, is that just going to be a pedestrian bridge/walk over 7th street and then stairs down to ground level?

chuck in ak,

There is an interior skyway down that side of Ramp A, and the end of the bridge is right next to an elevator. I am betting that they will connect the pedestrian bridge directly to the Ramp, and access the skyway.

the twins offered hunter 3 years/$45 million which isn't laughable, it was just beat out by the 5/$90 million anaheim offered.

annoying customer is correct....The Twins offered Hunter what he was worth and the Angels OVERPAID for him.

More recent news about Hunter's attitude from AaronGleeman.com on 4/3/09:

"On a related note, Torii Hunter explained to Sports Illustrated how he's still a much better fielder than Carlos Gomez by saying: "Just look at his errors." Not surprisingly, Hunter also took the opportunity to use the media to a) inform everyone what a tough guy he is, and b) tear down others. Unlike his range in center field, some things never change."

hey I've been reading everything on this site since almost the beginning but never commented, just wanted to say thanks to Rick and for starting this and posting all the information, also everyone else who adds. Also the laughs from all you crazy dudes!
I've never had the chance to see an outdoor game (saints don't count), the dome was built before i was born (1986) so i have been forced to see all games in that piece of shit Metrodump my whole life! It'll be nice in clear June day to watch the twins play outside with my favorite city skyline in the background! But for now, I'll finally see baseball outdoors in June, I'm going to Milwaukee with my girlfriend and her mom, to see a game in Miller Park, even though most of you of said it's not that great, what is everyone's opinion on it?

I was just having a conversation with someone that involved that since the Twins were rained out in Boston last night, this person felt that was a legitimate reason to lament the fact that Target Field was being buld sans roof... I eventually had to walk away shaking my head.

There are simply too many people who have grown up expecting that every game will be played on time, with a rain-out (or delay)the worst thing to ever happen in the history of the sport. I can't wait for TF to open, but dread the first delay/rain-out, as half of the Twin Cities will erupt with either an "I told-you-so" attitude, or sheer panic over what to do with themselves, when a Twins game doesn't happen when it's supposed to...

Moose

"Anyone heard anything about the wood louvers on 7th St recently? Last I heard (posted here) was that they were going in on 16 Apr, or something like that."

Haven't heard or seen anything recently, but I'm excited to see how these things will look once they're up.

Sooj - I've been to most of the parks in MLB (after this summer, I'll ahve been to 25 current and former MLB parks), but not Miller. Just your luck, it'll be 60 deg, and they'll close the roof because "it's too cold." Or it'll rain. Yet another reason to not have one (sorry to start back on this subject, but last night's rain-out is sure to bring it up somewhere)...

Moose

Sooj,

I was like you, never been to a outdoor game in my life...so i went to Miller park a ways back and fell in love with it... i go every year for the twins games... when all you have to compare Miller park to is the dome its wonderfull..the food selection, the tailgating, all the twins fans...but then i went to kansas city.. and from that moment on miller park has been nothing but one step better than the dome to me...the roof is closed alot.. and when it is open its pretty closed in...i say enjoy it until next year then never go back.. unless you want to get sh$t faced.. miller park is good for that too

I saw a mock-up of the wood louvres near the spot where they demoed the limestone installation panels. They look phenomenal, it will be a nice complement to the stone and will add some interest to the facade.

Moose, I would tell that guy that there will never be a roof, we won, end of discussion.

Since we're kinda on the subject of other ballparks, has anyone been to AT&T Park? I'm actually heading there in about a month. Any suggestions or good advice in seeing a game there? Also is it really as good as it's hyped up to be?

On last nights jog, I noticed...

1. Stairway being built/poured in the center field entrance

2. Concession/bathrooms going in above center field wall

3. More limestone has been added to the admin building on the west side. The glass on the admin building is awesome looking.

4. The entry (near the lightrail) is getting finishes. The overhang above the entry looks a lot like the overhang jetting out from the top of the Metro Club.

Matt,

I've been to AT&T Park a few times. You can get into the field level concourse with a standing room only ticket, so it's easy to "move up."

The views of the China Basin from the upper deck are fantastic. The location truly makes this ballpark special since the architecture itself isn't groundbreaking.

The concessions are better than average. The Gordan Biersh garlic fries are pretty good, and they have a nice selection of West Coast microbrews, but like every other stadium, it's expensive.

Remember to bring warm clothes. Even in the heart of the summer, it can be chilly in San Francisco.

Have fun, it's a great city.

Matt - I agree with everything that Lafferty said. AT&T is realy nice. It's my favorite of all that I've been to (I've been to 21 parks so far, and will add new Yankee, Citi, Nationals and Citizens Pank this summer). I was there where Bonds was sitting on 753, and it was a zoo. I'm sure it will be a bit les full for you this summer.

I'll second the seggestion to bring warm clothes. Everywhere else I went (every other California ballpark) was in the 80's, but it was in the 60's at first pitch, and I was glad I had a sweatshirt, and even wished I had long pants, rather than the shorts I was wearing by the 9th inning.

I'd recomend that you get out to the RF wall for at least an inning (that was crazy - I was there for two Bonds AB's), and that you walk around the park as much as possible (inside and out). It truely is a jem.

Moose

Moose,

Have you been to the new Busch stadium, I will be going to both Busch and the K in late June, and am looking for suggestions on where to sit, good places for food and the like. And does anyone know where there are some good pictures of Busch III, it seems like the only pictures are up on their website, I can't find anything substantial from baseball fever.

On rainouts. Two summers ago I drove from Indy to Cincy to see the Reds and Giants. It poured rain for the two hour drive and was still raining in Cincy when I got there. The game started a little late but I saw the whole thing. The fields are so good unless it's pouring rain during the game, they will be played. It was kind of nice it rained, I went in the museum they have and really saw a lot of neat things. It was also neat to see how they got the field ready to play after a big rain.

OG, It must be nice being able to jog by the new park.

Okay, what the hell is wrong with Scott Baker? Do we have another injured player who isn't telling coaches/trainers that he's hurt? He has no control of his fastball and the entire team suffers for it. Where will he end up first, the DL or Gardy's doghouse for not speaking up?

Matt, you will love SF. Bring very warm clothes as there's a saying "The coldest winter I've ever experienced was summer in San Francisco." Sure the temp may only be in the 50's but the wind is fierce. The best time to visit is Sept/Oct. AT&T is great but I still prefer both LA ballparks. Dodger stadium is still my favorite west of the Mississippi and what Disney did to the Big A was fantastic. I got to see Petco 2 weeks ago and it was nice but I still prefer Dodger and Anaheim.

Sooj,

Miller Park is an airplane hangar with a baseball field inside of it. Is it better than the dome? Yes. Milwaukee used to have a wonderful ballpark (County Stadium). They replaced it with a mistake. We had a wonderful ballpark (The Met) we replaced it with a mistake and will now replace our mistake with another wonderful ballpark (we think). I'm not sure what Milwaukee was thinking when they survived just fine with outdoor baseball. Their climate is the same as Chicago and Detroit and they seem to so just fine. Enjoy the brats and beer in Milwaukee as that's about all Miller Park has to offer. If you have time the new art museum downtown, the brewery and the Pabst Mansion are interesting things to do. The north side along Lake Michigan is beautiful otherwise the rest of the area is an armpit...Oh and when you're on the freeway overpass near the brewery, plug your nose!!

Matt - I consider AT&T to be one of the finest ballparks built in the modern era, if not ever. The location, the field design and the food (garlic fries!) are a home run. You can mill around the entire park during the game, which is fun if it turns into a blowout. Bring a sweatshirt - and wear pants!

After visiting most of the parks in the MLB, I would give AT&T a "A+ must see" grade. Have fun!

Kev-

Gonna have to disagree with you on Dodger Stadium...I've been 4 or 5 times, and after visiting last year, it's evident it needs a facelift. The park itself is great, and could easily be freshened up to reflect its original glory. The sight of peeling paint mixed with the smell of dried urine is not my idea of an enjoyable night at the game.

C'mon Jeff, that's all part of the experience...That's many years of piss built up...Just think, Tommy Lasorda pissed many gallons of slim fast in that ballpark, you can't get an aroma like that anywhere else outside the NY subway system. Dodger Stadium has been getting updated in stages. I'm not sure what upgrade schedule is but I'm sure Lafferty can fill us in since he's a ticketholder out there. Say what you want Jeff but I'll take the old smelly parks with comfy chairs and wide aisles anyday over these new cookiecutter HOK bores.

just can't wait for the park to open, host some games and put an end to the media's obsession with the "scent of trash wafting from the burner next door." again in the latest city pages.

OG, Dodger Stadium has actually begun the renovation process, starting with the field level concourse last year. It's true the bathrooms in the loge levels on up need some work, same with the parking and lack of public transportation. Overall this is a solid park that still has that 60's feel. It's a true retor park in a unique setting.

One of the main reasons I love Dodger Stadium is it screams baseball. No major gimmicks or quirks. No major distractions unless you count the beautiful smog-free days when the San Gabriel Mountains pop in the background.

Check out the this link.

Here is a link to the Dodger Stadium "Next 50 Years" renovations.

I second that Miller Park sucks. Poor ballpark in a worse spot. Middle of a big parking lot on the freeway. Last time I was there a few summers ago on a beautiful 60 degree day in June they had the damn roof shut. I haven't been back.

Only other of the newer ballparks I have been to is Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Absolutely loved it. I envision Target Field being kind of similar, unfortunately without the gorgeous river view. How cool would TF had been on the Mississippi like originally dreamed? Great American is a monumental improvement over Riverview/Cinergy when I lived there 1987-1992.

We have almost the exact same dimensions as G.A.B.P.

T.F.

LF - 339
LF Power Alley - 377
CF - 404
RF Power Alley - 367
RF - 328

G.A.B.P.

LF - 328
LF Power Alley - 379
CF - 404
RF Power Alley - 370
RF - 325

G.A.B.P. is weird to me because the seating bowl down the first base side is completely different than the third base side.

Not a huge fan of the fake riverboats in the outfield ethier. It is an improvement over Riverfront though, but even the worst HoK park would be.

I also visited GABP in person the year it opened. I never could get anyone at the ballpark to explain its multiple personalities to me. Very strange. I think GABP would be a great park if they mirrored the first base side along the third base side. I do like the Kentucky hills in the background but even more I would have liked the beautiful Cincy skyline had they turned the park 180 degrees.

Camden - haven't been to Busch III, sorry. After this summer, I'll need that one, Miller, Safeco, Rogers, PNC and the two in Florida.

I'll second GABP as a disaster. It's easily one of (if not the) worst new parks. The multipal personalities, the batters eye monstrosity, the river-boats, the better view behind home-plate than in the outfield, and most importainlty Laferty - "The Gap" in the left field upper deck (more influential in GABP being a band-box than it's dementions because of the wind paterns it creates).

Moose

Moose-
the twins will be at Safeco in June. I like that one a lot. It's the only retractable roof ballpark that I've been to that doesn't feel closed in. The reason? It's not completely enclosed. The roof just keeps the rain out, but it doesn't seal off the park for ac or heat.

Lafferty,
I loved all the pics on baseball fever of dodger stadium. I went there a couple of years ago and had a blast. I wish I would have walked around more to enjoy the great views (we were in the upper upper upper deck behind the plate, and it was a smoggy night.

I agree that Miller Park isn't great. But it's miles ahead of the dome. Cheap food, great tailgating (if that's what your into) and a fun environment. Of course, the sausage race isn't to be missed. Hilarious.

Thanks Duluth Tim,

You were sitting in the Top Deck at Dodger Stadium. That's where my tickets are for only $7 per game. ($11 per game w/o season ticket plan.) One of the best values in baseball.

Moose, yeah that gap at G.A.B.P. is pretty bad.

Boy talkin about ballparks sure is fun. Much better than discussing washed up players like Torii Hunter :)

The leaders in Cincinnati blew a good chance for a great ballpark.

For one, they could have had a nice urban ballpark in downtown, but those plans fell through for some reason.

The current location on the site of the old Riverfront Staduim is not bad, but they could have made it much better by taking advantage of the riverfront and skyline.

As for Miller Park, its just an average park. In the middle of the pack of current ballparks. Nothing great, but definitely not a bad place.

Prices are very reasonable, the tailgating is exceptional, infrastructure is great getting into and out of the stadium off of I-94.

I still don't like the enclosed feeling you get in Miller Park regardless if the roof is open or closed. Even considering the enclosed feeling, its still nice (when the roof is open) to see the sun and blue sky as well as feel the nice cool breeze. More than we can say about the Metrodome...

The only time Miller Park feels open is when the roof is open AND the panels in the outfield wall are open. you get some great breezes in there when everything is open though it rarely happens. I live in Milwaukee and have gone to my fair share of games there over the past 4 years (my buddy has season tickets) and I have been to 1 game when everything was open. Great atmosphere before and after games, great beer, okay stadium.

I agree that miller park with the roof closed is pretty bad, but I don't understand why people don't like it so much. Maybe its because I only go to a few games every year, but when I go to miller park its a good place to sit and watch a game. As for it being in the middle of a parking lot, well, I guess if you don't show up a couple hours before the game and tail gate (ie drink copious amounts of amber liquid) then it would be a bad spot.

Also, I have a lot of family who are brewers fans and they all say that county stadium was a dump and not a good place to go to a game. They all love miller park and if I asked I'm sure they wouldn't trade it for county

safeco was gorgeous when i went three years ago; the roof was open and the sun was shining on us in right field. i'll find and post later tonight the picture i took of the sunset that night complete with the burning pink colors coming over the lights.

Billy - It's all about what you're used to.

As I've noted, I haven't been to Miller, but have not heard good things (and have been to enough parks to have a good idea what it's all about). As Maz noted above, Miller is nice, compared to the Metrodome (and County), but if you've never been to AT&T, or PNC, or Camden, or any of the other parks routinely in the top lists of MLB parks, then you will never know the difference.

Same can be said of GABP. I've had several Reds fans tell me that Great American is a great ballpark. Once you start talking to them, it usually turns out that they've never been to another ballpark besides Riverfront/Cinergy. Well, of course GABP is nice compared to that dump...

Truth is, you kind of answered your own question when you said that your family wouldn't trade Miller for County. The real question is would they trade Miller for PNC (or AT&T or Camden) in a great downtown location, with bars within walking distance, and a great skyline view, or a view of Lake Michigan (and have they been to one of those parks to know what they're missing)?

Moose

Kevin, don't forget Chase Field in Phoenix. I like your comparison of Miller Park to an airplane hangar. I second that for Chase Field. I don't know if it's a gymnasium, hangar or a warehouse with a ballfield in it.

we have scenes like this to look forward to (click my name for a safeco sunset)

luke...Chase Field looks like a hangar from the outside but inside it really feels more like a shoebox. 50,000 seats cramped right up to the ceiling - I hate it. But one thing about Chase is great sightlines which the Metrodome does not have. Chase has awful food and a boring chain restaurant in left field. Chase is wonderful place to go on a 110 degree day when the shopping malls are too crowded with snotty teenagers.

I understand why they have a roof here. I don't like it, but I understand why. I still would rather they had open air with a huge canopy of misters to keep patrons cool. We use them on our patios, no reason why they couldn't have used them at an outdoor ballpark in phoenix. Chase (Bank one) was built during the retractable roof craze started by Skydome. I've been to all but one of the retractables, including the original Stade Olympique in Montreal and unfortunately the only one that I like is Safeco. The only one I haven't seen in person is Houston, but I can't imagine it's much different than Phoenix based on pictures.

contrary to what the legendary denny green once said: apparently "scott baker is NOT who we thought he was!"

hope he pulls out of this initial "funk" he is in. he is a complete 180 degrees from where he was most of last year. what's up? let's go baker!

thanks Kev. Chase is a borderline stadium anyway. they've played football, basketball and had monster truck shows in there. I can't imagine Bigfoot at Target Field. i too can understand why they have a roof at Chase.
before I die, i wanna go to Seattle and see Safeco. it looks like a great park.

Did anyone mention Coors field? I know it has a typical "retro" look, but it fits well with it's surroundings. It's located near some great bars and restaurants in lodo. It has good views of downtown from the cheap seats (4 dollars a game) and views of the mountains from behind the plate.

Coors does fit in very well with the LODO district. My only problem with Coors is that there's too many seats, especially in right field. It should have around 40,000 seats like Twins Field or PNC.

I agree. If I'm not mistaken, they added a lot of those seats after initial demand (while playing at mile high) was so high. In the long run, a lot of seats have sat empty.

certainly true of Coors, if not the other "Camden Yards" incarnates, i.e. Texas and Atlanta. Lots of seats, and empty seats. I watched highlights from the Rockies game the other night, it seemed the entire right-field side of the park was nothing but a sea of green seats.
It's funny, there certainly have been different eras of ballpark construction. the 70s and 80s saw the multi-purpose age. the 90s went to a "retro" look (some, not all), and it seems like parks built this century favor small and intimate.
Camden Yards isn't the golden standard anymore, PNC Park seems to fit that description now. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, usually laughed at in the past because of their small capacities, now seem to be "the norm" again.
Have the Yankees even sold out a game in their new 51,000 seat mammoth?

thought i would pass along some great TCF Bank Stadium (the new gophers football stadium for those not from the midwest) pictures for those who are interested.

i am really excited for both Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium to open their doors.

ski-u-mah! go gophers! beat becky and those damn hogeyes!

should have mentioned it in my post above, but click on my name for the link (for the newbies to this site).

peace.....

luke - the Yankees home opener had 48,000, and subsequent games have had 42-45,000 each. However, you take the recession out of the mix, and I'd bet that NYS would be sold out. From what I've read, the low end tickets ($5 - yes, they exist - up to $250) have sold well, and the high end tickets ($750 up to $2500) have sold well; It's the mid range ($250-$750) that they are having a tough time selling.

One story I heard what that a guy had season tickets down the line in the front row. Two years ago ('07), those seats were $150. Last year, they doubled them to $300 for the last year of OYS. For '09 and the first year of NYS, they more than doubled them again to $750. That was too much for this guy, and he opted for $75 upper deck tix.

Moose

Beta-
Nice pix! I had no idea that the seats were that close to the goal post, any more details on that? That seems almost too close, and not safe...

josh - the person who took the photos today included a description underneath the picture that i believe you are referencing.

it reads: "You can get an idea of how close the crowd will be to the field with this picture. In the middle is the pier for the goal post. The end zone line is 6 feet inside of the goal post. The stands are right behind the goal post."

to add some additional clarity to those specific seats it is believed by those "in the know" that those seats are in fact the "band pit" where the U of M band will be hooting and hollering during gopher football games.

Sweet, thanks for the advice guys! I'm definitely pumped for this trip, I wasn't that excited to be going to SF until I found out I could catch a game at AT&T, now I can't wait. Sounds like I'll need to dress in layers, thanks again guys I appreciate it!

Nice pics Beta, so happy watching our teams move out of the Dome. Catch up Vikes.

matt - no problem. have fun in SF. been to the west coast many times, but have never made it to san fran for some reason. and yes, please do catch up vikes......AND gov. pawlenty....AND....the MN legislature to be fair to the vikings.

let's get the third piece of the stadium puzzle in place already!

the metrodome outlived its usefulness about 15 long years ago.

Thanks for the pics Beta! It sure won't be long until they begin the Field Turf installation. I would say its just a matter of a couple weeks?

Hard to believe that TCF Bank Stadium is opening in just four months!

Beta,

Thanks for the TCF pics, it looks great and I can't wait to be there for the first game. As far as the Vikings, I don't have a good vibe about their chances for a stadium anytime soon. Unfortunately Pawlenty may be their best bet and that's a long shot at best. I'm saying this because when I look into my crystal ball, I don't like what I see as far as stadium support is concerned with possible Gov candidates.

Let's take a journey into my crystal ball. I have been removed from MN for some time but many of the players involved I know well from my lobbying days and I know some of their feelings on the subject of stadiums. Pawlenty has aspirations to a higher office yet and won't be around at the local level after this term. Norm Coleman has dropped hints that he's interested in running for Governor again and would most likely support a Vikings stadium, however, with the drama he's created, he's pissed off even the mushy middle and probably doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning public office in MN again. It's a shame, because he was a hell of a Mayor and does well in local politics (and I'm saying this as a liberal). Now let's go to the DFL side. Mark Dayton has thrown his hat into the ring...I'm not clear on his feelings for stadium funding...I'm leaning more toward lukewarm to chilly - but there may be some hope with him. Then comes John Marty (que the grim reaper). He still wants to be Governor even though Arne Carlson kicked his ass the last time he ran. If that moron wins, you can kiss the Vikings goodbye.

Unfortunately the Vikings and their fans are not nearly as organized as the Twins and Gophers were a few years ago. They're also facing a recession during their quest for this stadium. The Vikings need a Shane Nackerud to keep the heat on politicians and organize the stadium supporters. Shane, where are you? The Vikings and their fans need you.

Why is it that all Minnesota has is terrible politicians. As a libertarian leaning conservative I'm really beginning to be irritated by Pawlenty, but of everyone on either side he does seem the most gubernatorial followed by Dayton. Coleman's will never win again, I'm pretty sure I'd vote third party before I ever vote for him or Franken. I went to school with Marty's son, and he is a nice guy, but don't see him ever winning anything outside of his district which is one of the most liberal in the state.

I have a feeling we could have another third party win if they can get a good campaign going as people are really sick of the D's and R's, and who knows on who that would be and their stance on a stadium.

But the single greatest obstacle will be Speaker Keihler ( I think I spelled that right. When it was announced she would be the new Speaker the first thing she said is "over my dead body" would she let it reach even the floor. So as long as she is in the House there is no chance.

San Francisco is a great American city.

You guys have me jacked up about ballparks tonite. I'm gonna need to plan a trip or two this summer to see some new parks....

Vikings stadium is DOA - and it doesn't matter who is in charge.

The state is beyond broke... you could layoff EVERY state employee and not cover the deficit.

Looking ahead to the gov race - if Pawlenty doesn't run (CW is that he's out... but who knows) the GOP race will be between Laura Brod, Tom Emmer and (if she gets in) Michele Bachmann (pardon me while i throw up)

DFL side it's that old mad magazine joke "the 43 man squamish"... my hunch is that Bakk, Kelliher and either Rybak or Chris Coleman will be contenders. Dayton is actually crazy, Marty is a gadfly, Theissen will surge with the DFL base, but fade, Gaertner will die off when the Speaker gets in, Entenza has a TON of money but minimal political support at this point.

(this is what I do for a living...)

the vikings are persona-non-grata at the Capitol, and it has a lot to do with their own behavior. Lester Bagley (Pawletnys old spokesman) is the Vikings chief lobbyist, and he's made no friends. Their not-so-subtle threats to move, combined with the disastrous state of the economy and budget, mean a billion dollar stadium is a non-starter.

... As far as the (San Francisco) ballpark goes, it's ok, but nothing special compared to TF, PNC, Camden, etc. As far as the fans of SF, where else would Bonds get applauded and defended for cheating and ruining the purity of the game and tarnishing sacred records. Maris HIT 61 HR in '61 and was dead before he ever got credit for it, but Bonds on the other hand gets that record immediately and Hank Aaron's record. ...

Sorry for the rant, I just get pissed off when talking about the integrity of the game.

wow...

Jerry Falwell from beyond the grave trolling a ballpark site...

according to charley walters in todays Pioneer Press:

"The Twins' Target Field canopy, which will be the biggest in baseball and will be a signature aspect for the new ballpark, is nearly half completed. Twins co-owners Jim, Bill and Bob Pohlad toured the ballpark the other day and were pleased with the progress, which remains ahead of schedule.

Installation of green seats will begin in 30 days."

I really like that last part

I'm listening to the Royals/Indians on gameday audio on MLB.com. It's 44 degrees in Cleveland - no roof. It's currently 69 degrees in Minneapolis according to weather.com.

I think we'll be fine.

Luke where is the article located from Charley Walters in the Pioneer Press?

The new target field is looking really good .. Nice job everyone have a wonderful summer and GO TWINS