The last Twins game played at Metropolitan Stadium was in September of 1981. As you may know, this was the last time there was an outdoor Major League Baseball game played in the state of Minnesota.
Now, I've seen outdoor baseball before in Minnesota, but of course it wasn't a major league game. There's something about an outdoor Major League game that makes it more special than, say, a Northwoods league game. Maybe it's the big stadiums or (most likely) the quality of play. However, I've seen enough Rochester Honkers games to know that Minnesota has great weather for baseball in the summertime. Finally, baseball fans unable to drive large distances will get to experience an outdoor baseball game.
I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a pair of tickets to go to a season ticket holder open house for Target Field, the new home for the Twins, last Saturday. Yeah, there wasn't a baseball game, but the bottom line was this: This is going to be awesome.
The first thing you'll most likely notice at Target Field is Target Plaza. When the initial concept of the plaza was brought up, I didn't think it would pan out. I was wrong. There are monuments to past Twins greats. There's a giant gold glove. There's the tradition wall that lists every team in the history of the Twins. Most importantly, it's very spacious. I don't know what kinds of food (if any) will be on the plaza like there was on the Metrodome, but there is a lot of stuff to check out on the plaza, and I assume when games start, there will be booths and games galore.
If you enter through Gate 34 (Gates are now named by numbers of former Twins greats, so 34 is named for Kirby Puckett), you get a great view of the stadium. I think they're going to sell standing room tickets at Target Field, so you could theoretically watch an entire game there or anywhere as Target Field will have open concourses.
If you haven't seen one of these, there is no wall separating the seating area from the field. So if you've ever been at a Twins game at the Metrodome and wanted a hot dog, but didn't want to miss anything, now you won't. All you have to do is turn around and watch!
Target Field also has many different varieties of food options. It's clearly a step up from the Dome as they have great food. However, BRING YOUR WALLET! If you want to try something new and interesting, it will cost you. For example, the Twins have added a steak sandwich from a Minneapolis steakhouse named Murray's. Murray's, according to my dad, is the home of the fifty dollar hashbrowns. Oh yeah, it's $10.50 at the ballpark. Guess they need to afford Mauer's contract somehow.
If you'd rather, there are also two restaurants that are open to the public at Target Field. On the lower level, by Gate 14, there is a restaurant called Herbek's. Think of it as a TGI Fridays type place. I didn't get to go into Hrbek's, but it looks like it should be interesting. There's also the Townball Tavern, which is a more traditional bar with food. Again, you'll probably need to bring your wallet to these places.
The beauty of the open house was that we checked out the Legends Club on the club level (the Champions Club, which is open to the beautiful people who bought big shooter season tickets, was not open...don't want any of the peasant dirt in the Champions Club!). This is open to people who buy season tickets, but it's pretty cool. The concourse is sheltered and there are many murals to pay tribute to Twins greats. There are also catering areas for group events and that stuff.
Also in this level are the event suites. It's basically what you would expect in a suite. A mini bar, private bathroom, TVs, etc. The really cool thing was that the walls could be opened and you could have one giant mega suite if you wanted to.
Another luxury at the ballpark is the Budweiser Roof Deck. This can be rented out for parties, but is reserved for single game tickets on Thursdays and Saturdays. You can get a ticket up there for 15 bucks, but it's standing room only. There's also a private bathroom up there along with a firepit for cold nights.
Oh yeah, then there is where the diehards sit. The nosebleeds! There is not a bad seat in the house at all. For example, I bought tickets to the April 14th game that are two rows from the back of the stadium. At the Dome, this would have been a disaster. At Target Field, you can see everything and there's a giant roof covering the infield portion of the stadium. Most importantly, there are bars located near home plate of the upper deck. Want to take your athletic alcoholism to a new level? Knock yourself out!
In the outfield, it's a lot more interesting. For you fans of student nights, they will have that promotion on Thursday's for 9 bucks, but they took away dollar hot dogs! (That promotion has been moved to Mondays.) The most interesting part about this is the slope of the sections is steep! I am personally looking forward to someone getting way to drunk and falling down the stairs because you're not stopping for a while. Call me what you will...
Also, the game theatrics are going to be top notch. The scoreboard in left field is gigantic. It's the 4th largest in the MLB and it's crystal clear. Even when the sun beats down on it. There's also ribbon scoreboards in case you can't see the big one. In center field, there's the Minnie and Paul sign. This sign is going to light up when a Twin hits a bomb to show Minnie and Paul shaking hands across the Mississippi River. It's one of the coolest parts of the stadium.
So I'm sure most of you have already heard about this, and granted I didn't see a game there, this is one of my favorite stadiums already. It exceeds the "caved-in" feeling of Miller Park, and rivals Kaufman Stadium (which has been renovated since my last trip there). Bottom line is, this park won't need to be replaced after 20-30 years like it's predecessors. This stadium was built the right way.
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