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Longing for Target Field.....
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PNC Park - Pittsburgh / AP Photo
Outdoor baseball looms, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Twins have 42 regular season home games remaining at the Metrodome before they venture outside to Target Field for the 2010 season. Although the Metrodome has been much-maligned over the years (really since the day it opened) one cannot overlook the history of the building. Still, there are few in the Upper Midwest who will lament its passing.
The closure of the Metrodome leaves one fewer MLB ballpark needing to be replaced. Oakland and Tampa Bay desperately need new digs and Toronto's Rogers Centre is a dinosaur at age 20. The recent trend of new ballparks across the league has created new revenue streams for its teams. In fact, 2007 and 2008 marked record attendance years for baseball, and the sport has seldom seemed healthier. This is due, in large part, to the new wave of ballparks around the majors.
I had the opportunity to visit three of MLB's crowning jewels. Washington's Nationals Park, Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Pittsburgh's PNC Park are but three of the new generation of ballparks. Despite being home to some of MLB's worst teams in 2009, all three ballparks were filled to capacity, and if Target Field can match some of the amenities of each park, the Twins' new playground will be something to see.
All three ballparks are considered "retro-type" parks, although Washington's is certainly more modernistic than the others, complete with its glass and stone exterior and sleek design inside. I suspect Target Field will be most similar to Nationals Park in that respect. Opened in 2008, Nationals Park is part of a long-term plan to re-vitalize the maligned Navy Yard area in Southeast Washington. The plan is a work in progress, and the economy is not helping development much, but the ballpark sure is nice. It's warm, inviting, and is designed with fan comfort as its main concern. The sightlines are excellent, and our "seats" in the standing-room-only section in the left field corner offered a fantastic view of the field. It will be amazing to see a Twins' home game and have each seat point toward the infield instead of shallow center field.
PNC Park opened to rave reviews in Pittsburgh in 2001 and looks shiny new eight years later. Situated near the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers into the Ohio River in downtown Pittsburgh, PNC uses the rivers to perfection. Homers fly into the river, but not too often. Our second visit to PNC was followed by spectacular post-game fireworks shot from barges in the river. The park has a very small upper deck which means that the view is not too steep and that the bulk of seats are in the lower bowl. This is also similar to how Target Field will be set up. The food is spectacular, with local selections mixed in among ballpark staples. Hopefully, Target Field does not disappoint in this area. Tickets are affordable, the workers are friendly, and the ballpark is a masterpiece. If only the Pirates could translate this into on-field success!
The finest of them all is in downtown Baltimore. Camden Yards thankfully ended the era of cookie-cutter stadiums which dotted the MLB landscape throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Opened in 1992, Oriole Park was a modern jewel with features borrowed from the great parks of yesteryear. Nearly 20 years later, the ballpark still shines, and is my pick as the best in the majors. The B&O Warehouse is featured prominently in the ballpark design, as is Eutaw Street running alongside the once-abandoned warehouse. Various food delicacies line Eutaw Street, sending in irresistible aromas of bar-be-que, grilled hamburgers, and so many others. The sightlines are perfect, the Orioles' fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and the experience is wonderful.
Sampling three new MLB ballparks this past weekend makes me very excited for outdoor baseball in Minnesota. The Twins have their work cut out for them if they are to be on par with these three venues, but I am confident the new Twins' stadium will be spectacular.
Monday Night in Kansas City: aThe bats were largely silent against Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar and the Twins' late rally fell short as they dropped the series opener to the Royals 4-2. Hochevar held the Twins to just one hit over the first five innings, and ended up going 7 scoreless innings.
Justin Morneau's 2-run shot in the 8th accounted for the only scoring. Nick Blackburn took the loss, but pitched ok over 6 innings, allowing 10 hits and 3 runs. The long ball hurt him, as he allowed back-to-back shots to Alberto Callaspo and Miguel Olivo in the 6th to put the game out of reach.
R.A. Dickey allowed his first run in 9 appearances on Monday night, snapping a 12-inning scoreless string.
Game two of the series is Tuesday night, and Scott Baker and Brian Bannister are the mound combatants.
In the Meantime......: Here is the text of Jon Marthaler's (from Twinkie Town) "Dugout Splinters" piece as read on the Twins' pregame radio broadcast; Aaron Gleeman looks into the Twins' bunt hits; Nice post by the Strib's Howard Sinker on St. Louis shortstop Khalil Greene; Stick and Ball Guy summarizes the Twins' Gulf Coast League play of late; Over the Baggy covers a bunch of topics from the weekend that was; Twins Geek has pictures of his visit to the "Field of Dreams" in Iowa on his way to catch the Twins in St. Louis;
