Twins Ballpark

[buzzcut]

Assesing the new stadium:

I went to the ceremony today and came away very impressed with the plans(obviously the plans will be tweaked).

Architecture: Top class design work by HOK and HGA(the local firm), in utilizing limestone and glass to create a very futuristic but classy look for the exterior. Almost Xcel Energy Center-ish in ideas, but different in execution.

Seating: Great sightlines will be had by all, even on the top row. Another nice touch is the double-decker bleachers in left(Remind you of the old Met? Should, it's copied from there)

Concourses: Wider and heated, with more concessions and restrooms AND an open view of the field? [borat]It's Niiice, very nice![/borat]

Remembering the past: The Twins get five for honoring the greats of the past by naming the entry plazas after them. (At least that's the plan.)

Getting there: Should be easy to get there with light rail and commuter rail stations, plus a bridge that connects the park with downtown, a bike trail and lots of parking(One garage will even have spots where you can actually see the field in full).

I'd say more, but I didn't take any photos while I was there.

[Roger Clemente]

Any dumb person who is not aware that the Twins share their current stadium with another sports team named the Vikings will probably find this page amusing.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[averyj]

Any dumb person who is not aware that the Twins share their current stadium with another sports team named the Vikings will probably find this page amusing.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

HA!

Never thought about it like that.

"Controlled by Vikings"

[NoHoJoe]

That looks real nice. Athough, I wish they'd put a roof on it.

There are alot of new stadiums opeining on the next 3 years.

08-Washington

09-Mets, Yankees

10-Twins

With a few more possibilities in Oakland and Florida

11-12-New Montreal Expos

[Dilbert]

If it snows they can always move the games to Milwaukee. Isnt that right Cleveland?

[DEAD!]

Any dumb person who is not aware that the Twins share their current stadium with another sports team named the Vikings will probably find this page amusing.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

I never knew Leif Erikson had such an impact

[EatSleepJeep]

If it snows they can always move the games to Milwaukee. Isnt that right Cleveland?

Naw, we play in that. Just send the Wild out there. We'll kill 'em.

[illwauk]

I'm looking forward to seeing the plans and am really happy to see the Twins finally getting a baseball only stadium of their own. It's been a long time coming - what, 46-47 years?

As for the K, the field and surroundings are among the finest in all of sports. The concourses not so much. Hopefully those improvements will be made. Frankly, they should raze Arrowhead (now that it's not going to be covered), build a kick ass football facility downtown and use the land where Arrowhead now stands as the site of a Ballpark Village development which would create a year round residential and commercial district for the HST Sports Complex.

Well thanks to the moron voters of Jackson Country, Missouri that is not going to happen.

The Chiefs (Thiefs), will spend the money to do upgrades that will not really effect most fans. The wider concourses on both stadiums will happen.

The local leaders screwed up Royally (pun intended) on this. the Ballpark should have gone downtown like most of us would like to have seen. It would help make Downtown the preimier spot to be. along with the Sprint Center.

Build a new Retractable Roof football stadium where The K stood and raze Arrowhead. More room for Tailgating.

But alas, we put another band-aid on things. We see how well that worked with Kemper Arena. They spent all that money then replaced it 10 years later.

D-Oh!

So you mean the idiot politicians decided to keep their sports teams in the middle of nowhere instead of giving the downtown a much needed addition?

Are you sure Kansas City won't be changing its name to Milwaukee West?

[HatManTC]

ok excuse me if this is wrong. but are they going to be sharing the stadium wih the Gophers? i think i saw a picture of what they had planned for their stadium and the way it was set up, it reminds me of this.

[no97]

ok excuse me if this is wrong. but are they going to be sharing the stadium wih the Gophers? i think i saw a picture of what they had planned for their stadium and the way it was set up, it reminds me of this.

The Gopher baseball team? Not that I know of... The Gophers (baseball) currently use the Metrodome for early season games when the weather is bad, but have an on-campus stadium in (Siebert Field - which is in need of upgrading/replacement itself).

If you're thinking football, the Minnesota Legislature approved a seperate stadium bill last year for the Gophers. TCF Bank Stadium is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009 on the U of M campus...

Now, we could discuss what will happen to all the amateur baseball and softball (Gophers included) if the Metrodome is demolished or renovated for a Vikings stadium... That could be very bad for amateur baseball/softball in this state.

Moose

[The_Admiral]

I'm an advocate of downtown (or at least in town) ballparks, but I like Kauffman Stadium just the way it is on the outskirts. It looks so nice and pastoral to have green grass and blue skies beyond the fountains, and I like how the stadium feels gentle and curvy where most are hard and angular. It feels more Kansan/Missouran in the grand scheme of things to have it this way. Kansas City never struck me as an especially vibrant or compelling metropolis, anyway, so I'm not clamoring for a convoluted bandbox in the city. Deep fences and relative simplicity is a much-needed change of pace.

[spyboy1]

My first reaction to the look of the exterior of the new stadium is that I really, really HATE IT.

I want it to look like a :censored:ing baseball stadium, not a :censored:ing 1960's airport.

We've waited to damn long for this and then they it up badly.

BRICKS Goddamnit. I want it made out of bricks.

Oh well, at least when I'm watching game I won't be looking at the outside. The inside looks great. I'm more concerned with how easy it is to get to, espcially since I live on the rail line that will go straight to the park, and how well it functions.

It's just this totally frustrating Minnesota thing where we always have to be so damn proud of ourselves and where we live to try to reassure ourselves that it doesn't suck here. It's an inferiority complex that pervades everything we do here. So it's got to be Minnesota Limestone, cause that's what we have here and what we have here must be used to reassure ourselves that it's good enough to use. And if it's good enough to use, then it must be OK to be here because we really are from a good place to be, aren't we? We are, aren't we?

Now if we made the damn thing out of bricks that didn't come from here, well, that must be because what we have here isn't good enough and it makes us embarassed to be from here. And so it goes with everything in Minnesota.

Need proof?

Minnesota Wild Team Colors - Forest Green, Iron Range Red, Minnesota Wheat, and Harvest Gold.

See? Things that come from here. Can't be ordinary Green, Red, Tan and Gold. It would give us an inferiority complex because OUR colors aren't good enough, therefore it must suck to be from here.

[The_Admiral]

With New Busch, bricks-and-steel became played out. It's time to try new things. I think it's appropriately progressive for Minneapolis.

[Mings]

With New Busch, bricks-and-steel became played out. It's time to try new things. I think it's appropriately progressive for Minneapolis.

Yes, I agree with this statement. But then again I don't. If you do brick and steel right, it can be one of the most beautiful things in the world (besides a great set of knockers). But if you don't, it doesn't look right.

I believe Busch did it right, Citi Field is doing it right, but the New Lucas Oil Stadium (yes I know different sport) has it all wrong. Think it is actually brick? Guess again. Its precast concrete panels made to look like bricks with limestone headers, sills, lintels, etc......

The time for modern is at hand. While there are some quirks to the new Twins ballpark, all and all it is very well designed.

[BBTV]

Concourses: ... AND an open view of the field? [borat]It's Niiice, very nice![/borat]

Citizens Bank Park has the concourses with the open view of the field, and it is the single greatest (interior) feature that a ballpark can have! From anywhere in the concourse, you have a completely unobstructed view of the field, without fans or anything in the way (unless you're behind a hotdog cart.) They even have ledges set up so you can just stand in the concourse and eat / drink watch the game.

Coming from a stadium like the Vet (which I'm assuming is very similar to the Metrodome in regards to the concourse location) where going to the concourse meant completely missing 2 innings of the game, it is probably the feature you'll enjoy most about your new park.

[no97]

Concourses: ... AND an open view of the field? [borat]It's Niiice, very nice![/borat]

Citizens Bank Park has the concourses with the open view of the field, and it is the single greatest (interior) feature that a ballpark can have! From anywhere in the concourse, you have a completely unobstructed view of the field, without fans or anything in the way (unless you're behind a hotdog cart.) They even have ledges set up so you can just stand in the concourse and eat / drink watch the game.

Coming from a stadium like the Vet (which I'm assuming is very similar to the Metrodome in regards to the concourse location) where going to the concourse meant completely missing 2 innings of the game, it is probably the feature you'll enjoy most about your new park.

I couldn't agree more. I've been to about half the parks in MLB, and simply can't understand why there are any new parks that are built today without this feature... The concept of the 360 degree concourse is the single best design feature today. I don't think that it should be compromised even for a few extra suites (The Jake - 3rd base line), or the press box (Minute Maid).

Moose

[yh]

Any dumb person who is not aware that the Twins share their current stadium with another sports team named the Vikings will probably find this page amusing.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

HA!

Never thought about it like that.

"Controlled by Vikings"

How about "Vikings Lounge?" Sounds like the crapper in a bad smorgasbord restaurant.

Yes, I realize "bad smorgasbord" is redundant.

It's just this totally frustrating Minnesota thing where we always have to be so damn proud of ourselves and where we live to try to reassure ourselves that it doesn't suck here. It's an inferiority complex that pervades everything we do here. So it's got to be Minnesota Limestone, cause that's what we have here and what we have here must be used to reassure ourselves that it's good enough to use. And if it's good enough to use, then it must be OK to be here because we really are from a good place to be, aren't we? We are, aren't we?

Now if we made the damn thing out of bricks that didn't come from here, well, that must be because what we have here isn't good enough and it makes us embarassed to be from here. And so it goes with everything in Minnesota.

Jeff, I believe much of this has to do with the building carrying a substantial amount of public funding. The political reality is that if you're reaching out to the taxpayers to fund your construction project, you need to maximize the amount of locally produced/mined/farmed/etc. materials you can and then promote the hell out of the fact that you're keeping local dollars in state. That's a pretty universal practice.

I'm sorry that you're not thrilled with the designs for the park. I happen to think it looks fantastic and is a nice altermative to the "new retro" theme of the last 15 years or so. I hope you'll grow to love it.

[SEMOSTLfan]

Overall I really like the design of the new stadium in Minnesota. My only concern is something similar to what Cleveland has dealt with this season, is this really a positive if the twins have to play the first month of the season in Milwaukee?

That being said I support this "60's airport" look. My biggest fear as a baseball fan is that all of these "new" and "Unique" retro stadiums are doing nothing more than creating another generation of cookie cutters because they are all fundamentally alike. While I love the new Busch, it is one of the biggest culprits of this.

It would be better with some kind of roof but if the money isnt there then its not there and the twins have to make do with what they have. Basically anything will be better than the metrodome. I hope you guys in Minnesota are excited because your first time in a new ballpark thats all your own is awesome.

[The_Admiral]

With New Busch, bricks-and-steel became played out. It's time to try new things. I think it's appropriately progressive for Minneapolis.

Yes, I agree with this statement. But then again I don't. If you do brick and steel right, it can be one of the most beautiful things in the world (besides a great set of knockers). But if you don't, it doesn't look right.

I believe Busch did it right, Citi Field is doing it right, but the New Lucas Oil Stadium (yes I know different sport) has it all wrong. Think it is actually brick? Guess again. Its precast concrete panels made to look like bricks with limestone headers, sills, lintels, etc......

Oh, I like New Busch, but for me, that was the point where I said, "okay, we've seen it all before." Interesting trivia about the new Lucas Stadium, by the way. It makes me think of old houses with those fake hollow plaster bricks. Real brick is real good, but fake brick is right in the hunt for "tackiest building element in the world."

[no97]

My biggest fear as a baseball fan is that all of these "new" and "Unique" retro stadiums are doing nothing more than creating another generation of cookie cutters because they are all fundamentally alike. While I love the new Busch, it is one of the biggest culprits of this.

See, I realy don't understand this type of thinking... I don't recall that people felt Sportsman's Park, Crosley, Ebbets, and Shibe were "cookie-cutter" (or Wrigley and Fenway for that matter). The only reason that the parks mentioned were torn down was that, for the most part, the baseball and football teams that shared them wanted larger capacities. Cities, in turn, built multi-purpose (yes, "cookie-cutter") large capacity stadiums for those teams. The re-emergance of the "true" ballpark (while, yes, they are mostly retro, or now, starting to be modern again) is not "cookie-cutter," rather a return to the origional form of the stadia (i.e. a departure from multi-prupose). Seriously, what do you want someone to build, an erector set? A glorified high school bleachers with some suites tacked on top? Please. I'll gladly take a "cookie-cutter" ballpark (as you call it), over a "cookie-cutter" multi-purpose stadium anyday.

Moose