Minnesota On Target

I made the first of my yearly baseball pilgrimages last week, when I paid a visit to Target Field in Minneapolis, the new home of the Minnesota Twins. My brother and I were there to take in the 3-game Yankees-Twins series. As you can see in the photo above, the interior of the ballpark is quite beautiful, right up there with many of the newer parks, such as Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Progressive Field in Cleveland, Citifield in New York and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The exterior of the park, shown in the photo above, sets it apart slightly from those parks, with it's slightly space-agey, modern design. The ballpark's location is terrific as well, right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, next to the Target Center (where the NBA's Timberwolves play), and easily accessible from Mass Transit and the many downtown hotels. We stayed at the Westin Minneapolis, which turned out to be a great choice - very comfortable hotel (transformed from an old bank), and just a ten-minute walk to the ballpark.

After seeing 3 games there, it's safe to say that Target Field is a gem, and a startling upgrade from the dark, dank, indoor Metrodome. Great sight lines, a multitude of delicious food choices, green grass and perfect weather for outdoor baseball (at least when we were there).

But does it have any features that rank it with the best Major League ballparks, such as the bridge and city views of PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the warehouse at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the roof at Safeco Field in Seattle, the ocean at AT&T Park in San Francisco or the iconic tradition of Yankee Stadium? Sadly, no. The enormous Twins logo sign in center field is very cool (the Twins shake hands when a home player hits a home run), and it does have a few quirks, like the flower box overhang in right field, but there's nothing that really sets it apart.

Don't get me wrong, that's not a terrible thing. I'd certainly rank Target Field somewhere in the top half of the Major League ballparks I've visited (I've been to 24 of the current 30). It's outstanding, just not the cream of the crop. There's plenty here to keep Minnesota fans pouring into the gates for years to come. A competitive team on the field (led by former AL MVPs Joe Mauer and Justin Mourneau), lots of tributes to Twins greats (such as the Kirby Puckett statue pictured above), and a bustling downtown area to hang out in before and after games.

That brings me to the city itself. What a refreshing difference from the traffic, congestion and wall-to-wall people you'll find in New York City (where I spend my weekdays). Minneapolis is impossibly clean, the people are almost too friendly, the transit system is incredibly smooth and not at all congested, and there are many terrific sights to see (including the "Spoon and Cherry" sculpture pictured above).

Granted, I did spend only three days in the city, and the weather was quite good. It was 75 degrees and sunny each day, although we did witness the first rain-suspended game in Target Field history (the game was resumed the following day). Perhaps if I spent a few days at the ballpark in late April I'd have a different opinion. And if I'd spent 3 days in Minneapolis in January, I may never want to return.

But on these 3 days in May? The Yankees-Twins series at Target Field was just about as perfect as can be. If you can get a ticket (the Twins are sold out for 2010), I highly recommend a visit to this terrific ballpark in a friendly, Minnesota city. It truly is "On Target".