Fireworks: A Baseball Tradition and Part of New Ballpark Experience

Over the years, the Minnesota Twins have enjoyed a reputation across the world of sports as being one of the most innovative teams in terms of promotions and fan giveaways. From bat day to bobblehead day, from cap night to fan appreciation day, Twins fans have long enjoyed some of the most complete promotional calendars in all of Major League Baseball.

However, since moving indoors to the Metrodome in 1982, the reality is Twins fans have largely missed out on baseball’s most popular promotion – the postgame fireworks show.

Yes, there are traditionally more fireworks shows at MLB ballparks than any other day of game promotion. According to a study conducted by the Sports Business Journal, 19 MLB teams combined to conduct 142 postgame shows during the 2006 season. MLB’s Top Ten most popular promotions during the 2006 season were as follows:

Rank      Promotion                              Dates                                    Teams

1              Fireworks                                  142                                          19

2              Run the Bases                          112                                          15

3              Concessions Discount               93                                           14

4              Cap                                            73                                            26

5              Bobblehead                               69                                            22

6              T-Shirt                                      59                                            19

7              Baseball Card                          58                                            20

8              Autographs                              56                                            10

9             Concert                                     50                                            10

10           Magnetic Schedule                  47                                            29

 

Yes, the Dome’s roof has served as a canvas for numerous laser shows while the Plaza was home to an occasional postgame fireworks show. But as fireworks help America celebrate another Fourth of July, Twins fans are looking elsewhere for a spectacular show. All that will  change come the spring/summer of 2010 as the Twins look forward to making fireworks part of the team’s annual promotional schedule.

It’s exciting to imagine the splendor of a dynamic postgame show lighting up the Minneapolis skyline on a beautiful Minnesota summer night. Yet another reason to look forward to the opening of Minnesota’s new ballpark.

Twins Ballpark Notes: Fans will enjoy views of the ballpark construction site when a second Ballpark Webcam is installed on the Ford Centre in the near future … Georgia-based Fields, Inc. has been retained to oversee installation of the natural grass playing field in the Twins ballpark. Fields, Inc. brings a wealth of turf management experience as their team has worked on legendary venues such as Lambeau Field, Augusta National, Coors Field and Safeco Field … Twins season ticket holders will receive a comprehensive New Ballpark Seat Relocation Guide in August … The exterior stone will start being installed on the new ballpark later this month … Mortenson has now completed roughly 55% of the concrete work associated with the Twins ballpark.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter

President, Minnesota Twins