I had the opportunity to attend a ballpark-related meeting at the job site last week and for the first time – a hard hat was truly necessary. The folks from M.A. Mortenson and various subcontractors are now spread across the ballpark site driving the first phase of what will ultimately be roughly two-thousand piles. In the days to come that work will spill into the Interstate 394 right-of-way as the crews begin work to construct the plaza and pedestrian bridge which will connect the ballpark to the downtown core. Stay tuned at www.twinsbaseball.com for more updates as Minnesota’s ballpark slowly begins to take shape.

Meanwhile, last week’s trip to the site reminded me how lucky we are to have the group of all-stars M.A. Mortenson has assembled to build Minnesota’s ballpark. Locally owned and operated, M.A. Mortenson is truly the hometown team building the hometown ballpark. Needless to say the ballpark project is a source of significant pride for the entire M.A. Mortenson crew. That reality should give Twins fans a sense of comfort, knowing the folks building the park will also be bringing their respective families to the park. They also should take comfort in the star-studded team M.A. Mortenson has put together to work with HOK Sport in developing America’s most dynamic sports facility. The M.A. Mortenson ballpark project team is as follows:

Name                       Role                                      Other Projects

Dan Mehls                 Construction Executive            Edward Jones Dome; U of Iowa Kinnick Stadium; Alerus Center; MPLS Central Library

David Mansell            General Superintendent           FedEx Forum; Sprint Center; Xcel Energy Center

Greg Funk                 Chief of Staff/Ops Manager      Walt Disney Concert Hall; MPLS Convention Center; MPLS Children’s Medical Center

Troy Blizzard            Project Manager                      Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital; Walker Art Center

Lynn Littlejohn        Community Participation Mgr.    FedEx Forum; Sprint Center; Xcel Energy Center

Greg Clark               Vice President, Estimating         Museum Plaza Tower; LA Convention Center; Edward Jones Dome

Ken Sorensen            Vice President                         Sprint Center; MPLS Central Library; Xcel Energy Center

John Wood              Principal-in-Charge                   Target Center; MPLS Convention Center; Museum Plaza Tower

Ballpark Notebook:

Many Twins fans attending the Ballpark Groundbreaking Celebration on August 30, noticed the voice of legendary broadcaster Bob Costas voicing a new team-produced video highlighting the imminent return of outdoor baseball. The Twins were honored to have Mr. Costas narrate the new video, which contains interviews with dozens of current and former Twins, and showcases Minnesota’s  new ballpark. Look for the video to be featured at www.twinsbaseball.com in the weeks to come.