The Twins unveiled the final design for their new stadium this past Thursday. The design was done by HOK Sport, the people who brought us Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, PNC Park, PETCO Park, AT&T Park, Great American Ballpark and the new Busch Stadium. With a track record like that, there was a lot of excitement about what the new Twins stadium would look like.
In my opinion, HOK Sport did not live up to their reputation with this design.
Don't get me wrong, the new stadium will be a vast improvement over the Metrodome. There will be fewer seats in each section and the seats will be wider and have more leg room. The concourses will also be wider and have twice as many bathrooms. I do love the use of fir trees in centerfield for the batters eye. Also, the plazas will be a great place for pregame activities.
But, the stadium does have its problems. The ticketing and team store areas still look very small. The Twins are bragging that their seats will be closer to the field than anywhere else. But those are the expensive seats. The bleacher seating is terrible! First of all, the only outfield seats are in left field. Secondly, those seats are in a two story pavillion. Fans will be force to choose to either sit just beyond the fence and have no view of the sky or to sit in the second deck, high above the playing field. HOK Sport did it right at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, but wrong in Minnesota.
Still can't wait to get there though! Play ball!
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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