Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (91 page)

There are four distinct options for fans seeking just-beyond-the-wall seating in long-ball land. Then, higher up, there are three more seating tiers available.

The Bleachers (Sections 139–141) in the right-field corner are actual aluminum benches with flat aluminum backs. Appearing in Rows 1–15, they are perched above the twenty-three-foot-high right-field wall, and provide an excellent vantage point. There is a three-foot wide railed off dead space between the first row and the top of the wall, which prevents fans from “accidentally” interfering with the flight of balls destined to smack against the fence top.

Adjacent to the Bleachers in right-center, three narrow sections of Overlook seats (Sections 136 to 138) provide seven rows of more comfortable sweet-seats for homer-hounds. The first row actually overhangs the warning track by quite a bit. To the center-field side of the Overlook, four sections of Powerball Pavilion seating (Sections 132–135) offer three rows apiece tucked below the overhang of the 200 Level Right Field Grandstand (237–240). Finally, after the batter’s eye and tiered bullpens, four sections of Field Terrace (Sections 128–131) bleachers appear in straight-away left to comprise a second swath of benches with backs. The first rows of the Field Terrace offer the lowest to the field outfield viewing locale because the fence in left is only eight feet high, or, a third of what the fence in right is. We liked the Field Terrace but were lukewarm on the 200 Level and 300 Level US Bank Home Run Porch seats above it. Surely, the back rows of this left-field seating deck house some of the worst seats in the house. On the plus side, this left-field grandstand reminded us more than just a bit of the similar outfield seating bank at old Metropolitan Stadium. So on the nostalgia scale, it rates high but you should probably get yourself a closer view if you’re only going to be visiting Target once or twice in your lifetime.

Above the Club deck, the lower third of the upper deck contains the Terrace seats. These begin with Section 201 in deep left field, continue to Section 209 at first base, make the turn at Sections 215 and 216 behind the plate, and head down the other line with Section 221 at third, before concluding with 228 in deep left-field foul territory. These sections hang below the upper deck’s covered but open concourse. There are between four and eight rows in each Terrace Section so even a “back” row seat is just fine. For upper level seats, they are a solid value for the money. From any section on the infield we liked the view a lot. We were impressed by the fact that the underhanging deck didn’t affect the quality of the view as is sometimes the case.

Ringing the top of the stadium, the View sections offer fourteen rows, almost all of which receive some shelter from the expansive sunroof. For the best view of the trademark Minnie and Paul sign as well as of the city skyline, aim for seats in Sections 316–322 on the left-field side of the diamond. The buildings that rise behind the outfield seats in right are chic and modern and combine to form a crisp, aesthetically pleasing backdrop for a game. The ingloriously named 33 South Sixth building is among the most prominent of the high-rises, while other monoliths like the well-rounded Capella Tower and the IDS Center are also on display.

Following in the learned footsteps of the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies, who took up residency in their cities’ club- and studio-laden warehouse districts to excellent effect, the Twins welcome fans to a vibrant Warehouse District of their own where a lively club and restaurant scene abounds amidst ample studio and gallery space. We suggest arriving in the neighborhood early to take a stroll along First Avenue. Speaking realistically, you’ll need at least a few hours to sample the food, drink, and culture.

There are four large parking garages on the outfield side of Target Field—known as the A, B, C, and Hawthorne municipal ramps. These are accessible via 2nd and 3rd Avenues and their bisecting roads. Another just-outside-the-gates option is the Rapid Park lot on the corner of 3rd and 5th Street, which sprawls under the highway overpass. There are also surface lots and smaller garages throughout downtown on the first-base side of the park. Typically these charge between $4 and $15. Supply is high, it seems, so prices are relatively low.

For those staying overnight in Minneapolis, we recommend taking public transportation to the game. This will allow you to maximize your time in the Warehouse District before and after. The Northstar Commuter Rail and Hiawatha Light Rail Line both drop fans off outside the ballpark gates at Target Field Station. Or, those looking to do some bar-hopping before the game, can get off the Light Rail three blocks farther into the Warehouse District, at Hennepin Avenue Station.

Northstar Info:
www.northstartrain.org/station_mpls.html

Hiawatha Light Rail Map:
www.metrotransit.org/hiawatha-line-route-55.aspx

Before we get you too totally confused by referring to the landmarks surrounding the park in relation to their proximity to the nearest stadium entry gate, we should mention that rather than numbering Target Field’s ramps in the traditional (Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3) manner, the Twins opted to fly atop each gate the old uniform number of one of the legendary players whose numbers have been retired by the team. This was a clever touch that we really appreciated … after, that is, Kevin spent about twenty minutes circling the park, scratching his head in search of Gate 1. In any event, Harmon Killebrew’s Gate 3 sits in center field, Tony Oliva’s Gate 6 sits in left by the train station, Puckett’s Gate 34 and Carew’s Gate 29 are in right at Target Plaza, and Kent Hrbek’s Gate 14 is behind the plate.

Kevin:
Hey, isn’t Bert Blyleven a Hall of Famer? Why doesn’t he have a gate?

Josh:
He joined the Hall in 2011, and his No. 28 was retired by the Twins in 2011, but …

Kevin:
…Target Field opened in 2010.

Josh:
Exactly.

Among the many points of interest on Target Plaza is a large sculpture of a Gold Glove. This, to honor standout Twin City fielders like Jim Kaat, who won eleven Gold Glove Awards for the Twins between 1962 and 1972 amidst a streak of sixteen consecutive Rawlings trophies he won overall, including his years with the White Sox and Phillies. While Kaat’s sixteen in a row is a record for pitchers and ranks Kaat tied for second in total Gold Gloves in a career with Brooks Robinson, Kaat places second among pitchers in total Goldies to Greg Maddux, who won eighteen over his distinguished career. Other terrific Twins leather-men have included Puckett, who won six Gold Gloves, Torii Hunter, who won seven while with the Twins, and third baseman Gary Gaetti, who won four back in the 1980s.

As for the statue, its placement on the plaza is no random thing. It sits 520 feet from home plate, which is the distance the longest home run in Twins history traveled. It was struck by Killebrew at Met Stadium. If you keep reading, you’ll learn a bit more about that famous clout, because we’ll revisit it when we discuss the Mall of America.

The Plaza also offers an unusual degree of personal access to oversized statues of Puckett, Carew, Killebrew, and Oliva. The first three debuted in March 2010, while the Oliva one was unveiled on Opening Day 2011. And in 2011 the Twins added statues of former owners Calvin Griffith and Carl and Eloise Pohlad. Yes, that’s right, the same Carl Pohlad who offered to sell the Twins to a group fixing to move the team to North Carolina in the 1990s and offered to sell them to MLB so they could be contracted in the early 2000s.

Josh:
These friendly Midwesterners are more forgiving than folks back East.

Kevin:
You guys still booing Bill Buckner?

Josh:
No, he’s been forgiven. But we spit on John McNamara’s grave for leaving Billy Buck at first instead of inserting defensive whiz Dave Stapleton.

Kevin:
Classy.

Josh:
Especially considering Johnny Mac ain’t dead yet!

The Twins bronzes are plopped in patches of infield clay right at ground level, allowing fans to walk up and pose for pictures. You can wrap your hand around “Killer’s” extended bat as he completes a home run swing, or give Kirby a fist-bump as he celebrates his walk-off homer against the Braves in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

The statues were crafted by Minneapolis sculptor Bill Mack. When Josh caught up with Mr. Mack, the sculptor
emphasized the uniqueness of the street-level placement of his work. “I have to hand it to the Twins,” Mack said. “They really wanted these to be interactive. If you create a monument and put it high in the air or on a pedestal, it’s more of a decoration. With these, people can touch them, pose with them, and even hang from them if they want, although I don’t necessarily encourage that. This type of presentation allows for a much more personal interaction.”

For the record, the nearly horizontal bat that extends from Killebrew’s hands is fortified by a steel rod and was stress-tested before leaving the California foundry where the statues were produced.

Mack isn’t worried about the Carew statue either, even though it stands near a busy intersection. “It seems only a matter of time before a car jumps the curb and runs into it,” Mack said, chuckling, “We’ll see who wins. My money’s on the statue.”

Such permanence seems fitting for Carew, a class act, who won the AL MVP with the Twins in 1977 when he batted a franchise-record .388 with 239 hits. He also crossed the plate 128 times while racking up sixteen triples, fourteen homers, one hundred RBIs and twenty-three steals. And his 1.019 OPS led the league. With his .388 BA he claimed the sixth of seven batting crowns he would win during twelve seasons in Minnesota. And that season he played in his eleventh straight All-Star Game, continuing a streak that would eventually extend to Mid-Summer Classic appearances in his first eighteen seasons from his Rookie of the Year campaign of 1967 to his penultimate 1984 season with the Angels.

Fans on the plaza are also treated to a whole new kind of art. At least it was new to Josh, who wasn’t even sure it
was
art. He had to admit it was pretty cool, though. Each small panel of the façade is hinged so as to shift slightly in the breeze, making the patterns of the wind visible. It’s really an amazing effect that you have to see in person to fully appreciate, especially when it’s lighted at night. Or you can do a YouTube search and watch it on your computer, but it’s not quite the same.

Located between the Carew and Puckett gates, this unique monument takes an all-inclusive approach to honoring current and former Twins. Rather than just celebrate the franchise’s greats—a la Monument Park at Yankee Stadium—the Twins inscribe the name of every player to don a Twins uniform on hanging metal pennants. There are also quotes from the franchises’ icons and from fans who have added their messages to the wall for a cost. We also found on the wall the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “We’re Gonna Win, Twins.”

Kevin:
This is a really nice touch….

Josh:
But?

Kevin:
… it seems more like a fence than a wall.

Josh:
“Tradition Fence” doesn’t have the same ring.

Because there’s something to be said for nostalgia, we thought that after first offering our take on the best bars and eateries in the new ballpark neighborhood, we’d include a few golden oldies from the days when the Twins played at the Dome. In all likelihood, you’ll spend most of your pregame and postgame time in the Warehouse District, but downtown isn’t far away at all, so don’t be afraid to explore this clean and exceptionally friendly city.

500 First Ave. North

http://looncafe.com/

If you’re looking to watch an out-of-town West Coast game, like Kevin was, this just-outside-the-gates saloon is a solid bet. Not only does the Loon offer the MLB package but its chili is pretty good too. If you’re an early riser like Josh, they offer a Sportsman’s Breakfast before Twins day games.