All eyes will be on San Francisco?s AT&T Park this week as the city plays host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Tuesday?s game will be the 78th ?Midsummer Classic? and the third time the City of San Francisco has hosted the event and fifth time overall in Giants franchise history (including two games played at the Polo Grounds in New York).

Meanwhile, with Minnesota?s new ballpark about to rise in Minneapolis? North Loop Neighborhood, it?s not too early to begin thinking about when the All-Star Game will return to the Upper Midwest. The Twins have hosted the game twice ? in 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium and in 1985 at the Metrodome. With Minnesota?s new ballpark slated to open in the spring of 2010, the team has targeted 2015 as the preferred year to bring back the ?Midsummer Classic? back to the Twin Cities. Five years into the new park is about the ideal time to host the game. That reality — coupled with the synergies of the 30th Anniversary of the 1985 game and 50th Anniversary of the 1965 game ? makes 2015 the obvious plan.

To date, the team has engaged in only informal discussions with MLB about hosting the game. Those discussions will formalize later this year once the new ballpark is officially under construction. One challenge which exists is the sheer number of communities looking to host the game. To date, MLB has only awarded the next two games ? New York?s Yankee Stadium in 2008 and St. Louis? Busch Stadium in 2009. Kansas City has been promised a game between 2010 and 2014.  You can expect a host of other communities ? Washington, New York (Mets), San Diego, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, and others — competing to host games in the years to come.

That competition is well justified based on the fact that the MLB All-Star Game has grown so much in stature and profile since Minnesota last hosted the event. While Minnesota hosted the first-ever Home Run Derby in 1985 (won by Tom Brunansky), that event is now an unparalleled spectacle. Throw in the MLB FanFest, the Future?s Game, All-Star Sunday and you have a three-day event attracting more than 250,000 fans and 1,800+ media. While some attempt to discredit the overall economic impact of pro sports, consider the following numbers which serve as hint of what Minnesota can expect when the Twins host the game in the years to come.

The Economic Impact of the All-Star Game
The economic impact of recent All-Star Games on its host cities and communities has been as follows, as calculated and provided by each All-Star Game host city:

Year            Host City                Economic Impact*

2007           San Francisco           Estimated $60-65 million
2006           Pittsburgh                $52.3 million
2005           Detroit                    $52.5 million
2004           Houston                   $65 million
2003           Chicago                   $60 million
2002           Milwaukee                $50 million
2001           Seattle                     $50 million
2000           Atlanta                     $49 million
1999           Boston                     $65 million
1998           Denver                     $40.5 million
1997           Cleveland                 $37.6 million
1996           Philadelphia             $55.9 million

*Past All-Star Games have filled between 14,000 and 16,500 hotel rooms and have drawn between 200,000 and 250,000 fans to the various All-Star Week festivities.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club

I?m pleased to report Twins fans will soon be able to monitor developments at and around the new ballpark site from the comfort of their home or office with the simple click of a mouse. Yes, the Twins Ballpark Webcam is in the process of being installed and is expected to be up and running at Twinsbaseball.com in a matter of days.

The Twins and MLB.com are working in conjunction with the technology provider Earthcam on the installation of the high-tech camera which will be located on the top of the 33 South Sixth Tower (formerly the Multifoods Tower in downtown Minneapolis). Fans will be amazed at the capabilities of the webcam as they will be able to zoom-in to the intricacies of the site. Most importantly, the webcam will give Twins fans real-time access to the ballpark site as the project kicks into full gear later this summer.

Stay tuned to Twinsbaseball.com for more updates on the Twins Ballpark Webcam.

I?ll be back in touch soon with additional ballpark news and notes.

Win Twins!!!

Dave St. Peter

President, Minnesota Twins

Upper Midwest baseball fans should mark the date of August 2nd on their calendars. That?s the day penciled in for the official groundbreaking festivities at the site of the new Twins ballpark in the North Loop neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis.

Fans may ask what is special about August 2nd considering that MA Mortenson has been on the ballpark site for multiple weeks. While Mortenson continues basic site clearing as well as work on adjacent properties (the 5th Street bridge, the removal of 3rd Avenue, etc.), August 2nd  will serve as the ?official? project start as the current schedule calls for the driving of piles soon thereafter. Most importantly, August 2nd will provide an opportunity for the entire region to come together to celebrate the dawning of a new era of Twins baseball.

Preliminary plans call for a day long series of groundbreaking events starting with the 12:10 pm Twins-Royals matchup at the Metrodome. Following the game, focus shifts to the ballpark site which will be converted from a construction zone to fan festival as the team as the team joins the Minnesota Ballpark Authority and Hennepin County in inviting fans to be part of this historic occasion. The ballpark site will open to fans beginning at approximately 5 pm with a free concert set for 5:15 pm and the actual ceremonies getting underway at around 7 pm. In addition to the concert, the event will feature plenty of food and drink, interactive for kids, player autographs and the chance for fans to ?run the bases? just like the Twins will in 2010. Several current and former Twins players will join local and regional leaders as well as Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig as we turn the first dirt for the new ballpark.

Stay tuned for more details in the weeks to come as we finalize plans for Groundbreaking Day.

Dave St. Peter

President, Minnesota Twins

As any baseball fan already knows, there is nothing that compares to Opening Day. The knowledge that spring has sprung coupled with the anticipation for a new season makes Opening Day a holiday of sorts for multiple generations of fans across the country. Those ?Opening Day? feelings will be present again this week when the Twins and construction manager M.A. Mortenson Company officially set up shop on the ballpark site and commence site clearing ? all in preparation for the groundbreaking and pile driving in the month of August.

Opening Day on the ballpark front is set for Tuesday (May 15) when Mortenson begins the first phase of construction by starting site clearing. From the installation of the construction fence to the stripping away of the existing parking surface, this phase will set the stage for significant construction in the weeks and months to come. Already, we?ve seen work begin on the roads and bridges surrounding the ballpark site. Work has caused the temporary closure of the  Fifth Street bridge. Soon, work will expand to portions of Third Avenue North between Fifth and Seventh Street.

Tuesday?s events will include a briefing for local media highlighting the site clearing process and construction timeline. A focal point of that briefing will be the presentation of the actual locations of home plate, first, second and third base. I was lucky enough to be on the ballpark site in recent days when Mortenson?s survey crew marked the location of said four corners of the diamond, plus the foul poles. While the infield?s actual location on the site surprised me (it was farther East than I expected), the home plate view of Downtown Minneapolis was exactly what I expected ? outstanding!

We?ll continue to keep you posted as the exciting process of building Minnesota?s ballpark evolves.

Win Twins!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

Make way for the bulldozers, it?s time to build Minnesota?s ballpark.

Those words became reality early Tuesday when Hennepin County took the necessary action to acquire the eight-acre ballpark site in downtown Minneapolis.  The County?s presentation of a $13.75 Million to a judge signals the start of the ?quick take? condemnation process and thus ends a bizarre, frustrating four-month period of uncertainty surrounding the ballpark project. While the Twins and Hennepin County had preferred a negotiated settlement with the private landowners, all sides are resigned to reality of the condemnation process. That process will play out over the course of the summer.

Tuesday’s action by Hennepin County comes following several days of negotiations between the baseball team, the County, the Minnesota Ballpark Authority and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad. Said negotiations revolved around several critical issues including track realignment, air-rights, operations during construction and insurance indemnification. The parties reached agreement in recent days thus triggering today?s action by Hennepin County.

With the final piece of the puzzle now in place, the project team is eager to gain access to the site and commence the construction process. The only thing standing in the way of starting that process are several hundred cars currently parked on the site. Thirty-day notices had been previously sent to those parkers giving the project team confidence in our ability to gain full access to the site by the end of May. Most importantly, we remain well on pace to conduct a formal groundbreaking and begin driving piles in early August.

As we charge forward, a special thanks to Twins fans everywhere for incredible patience and support. We?ll continue to keep you posted as the project evolves.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

The date April 12, 2007 will go down in Minnesota Twins history as one of the most important days in the history of the franchise. Not only is it the day the Twins and Hennepin County unveil the vision for a new downtown Minneapolis ballpark, but it also signals the conclusion of a decade-long period of frustration and agony for the team and its fans.

Today?s unveiling comes following a four-week delay due to uncertainty over Hennepin County?s ability to acquire the necessary parcels of land. Those delays certainly challenged the viability of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark project but ultimately strengthened the bond between the team and the County. That partnership was central to the legislative passage of the ballpark bill and remains critical as the entities work together to build a great urban ballpark.

Clearly, we would not be in the position we are today without the leadership of the Pohlad family or the Twins day-to-day project leader Jerry Bell. Their vision and passion for this project continues to inspire all of us within the Twins family. Moreover, all of us with the Twins continue to be appreciative of Hennepin County Commissioners Randy Johnson, Mike Opat, Mark Stenglein, Peter McLaughlin and Gail Dorfman. Their courage and leadership on this issue remains nothing short of heroic. Finally, we must thank the fans and business leaders across the Upper Midwest. Your continued patience and support for this project is simply amazing.

Going forward, much work remains as we strive to put the necessary elements in place for a final vote of the County board which will result in the ?quick take? of the ballpark land. In the days and weeks to come, the team, the County and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority must work to finalize a number of contractual agreements (i.e. the Development Agreement, the Lease/Use Agreement, Grant Agreement). Moreover, the team and the County remain engaged in discussions with MnDot and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad on a series of issues relating their respective operations and the ballpark. We remain confident those issues will be resolved allowing the project to move forward as scheduled.

THE BALLPARK VISION ? ONE OF BASEBALL?S MOST INTIMATE VENUES

As the Twins and Hennepin County unveil the vision for Minnesota?s new ballpark, it?s my hope that fans and media will focus on the following critical elements:

ARCHITECTURAL INGENUITY
The new ballpark is nestled in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis on an 8-acre site ? The smallest site of the new generation of ballparks.

The ballpark will be uniquely positioned between the 5th and 7th Street bridges on the north and south, and cantilever over the interstate and railroad tracks on the east and west.

Despite site constraints, HOK Sport and Minneapolis-based HGA have devised a way to design approximately 1 million square feet of programming, slightly larger than PNC Park in Pittsburgh and AT&T Park in San Francisco . . . benchmark ballparks which our fans have identified.

Despite site constraints, HOK Sport has created one of the most efficiently designed facilities providing all of the modern amenities fans should expect.

UNIQUE ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTIONS
The siting and design provide a central convergence point with unparalleled access and connections to our city, region and state, some of which may not exist ?but for? the ballpark, including:

• Skyway access
• Pedestrian bridge and plaza connections to the Warehouse and Downtown Business Districts
• Cedar Lake bike trail
• Interstate 94/394
• Light rail terminal for existing Hiawatha Line for future lines, including the Central Corridor
• Northstar Commuter Rail terminal

DESIGN UNIQUE TO MINNESOTA
The ballpark has been designed with Minnesota in mind, including:

• Native Minnesota materials, including limestone, glass and steel.
• Environmentally friendly, including sustainability and energy efficiency.
• Weather resistant, including wind shelter, heated concessions, restrooms, restaurants and lounge areas, and one of the largest sun decks in all of MLB.
• Extensive native landscaping features.
• A celebration of Minnesota baseball history.

THE PEOPLE?S PARK
Raising the bar on the fan experience:

• Superior baseball sightlines.
• Concourses twice as wide as the Metrodome.
• More concessions points of sale and options.
• A Major League quality scoreboard and sound system.
• More than a ballpark ? a gathering place 365 days a year.

Yes, this is an exciting time to be a Twins fan. Going forward, we hope you will take the time to share your comments and feedback on the schematic design. Please take a few moments to weigh in by clicking on the Fan Feedback box as part of the New Ballpark page at Twinsbaseball.com.

Win Twins!!!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

My apologies Twins fans!!! It?s been a while since I?ve had the chance to update this blog. Needless to say, this is a hectic time in the Twins front office as we prepare for the start of the 2007 season and specifically Opening Day — is set for Monday, April 2nd when the Twins host the Baltimore Orioles at 6:05 pm. Make plans now to be at the ballpark for season?s opening week April 2-4 vs. the O?s. Also, don?t forget the New York Yankees make their one and only visit to the Metrodome April 9-11th. Great seats remain available.

Meanwhile, work continues in the ongoing effort to get the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark project back on track. Despite the well-publicized challenges with the County?s attempt to purchase the necessary land (i.e. the Rapid Park site), the baseball team remains squarely focused on providing leadership and solutions aimed at keeping the project on schedule for opening in the spring of 2010. Rest assured, over the past several weeks the Twins organization has gotten heavily involved in discussions with the private landowners, the County and the City of Minneapolis.

While the final solution remains elusive, discussions continue. Most importantly, the Pohlad family and all of us within the Twins organization are quite hopeful of resolving the land issues and allowing the project to move forward in a timely fashion. More on this is the days and weeks to come.

Understanding the land dispute has delayed the project team?s ability to take control of the site during the current month of March, the most critical dates for fans to keep an eye on are in August. That?s when the project timeline calls for the start of construction and specifically the driving of piles. In other words, the original timeline contained some cushion, thus allowing the project to deal with the current delay. With the assumption a satisfactory resolution will soon emerge, a significant amount of work continues to churn behind the scenes:

Ballpark Design — Earlier this week, Twins, County and Minnesota Ballpark Authority (MBA) officials traveled to Kansas City for a series of meetings with the project design team. Our group reviewed the ballpark?s schematic design and made various adjustments aimed at improving the overall fan experience and accessibility. At the top of the list was the Twins desire to create incremental outfield seating options for fans. Progress was made and I?m confident those changes will be reflected when the ballpark?s design is ultimately unveiled.

Ballpark Agreements — The team remains engaged in discussions with the County and MBA on the finalization of important documents such as the Development Agreement and Ballpark Lease Agreement. Once again, we will be well prepared to have these documents ready to go once the County review process commences.

Ballpark Sales Effort — The Twins season ticket base continues to grow as fans jump on board to support the 2007 Twins while also securing their new ballpark priority. Meanwhile, the team remains on target to launch the sale of the ballpark premium seating (private suites and club seats) early this spring.

Twins fans should take comfort in the reality that many, many people are working around the clock to ensure the Twins-Hennepin County Ballpark project remains on track and on schedule. Moreover, those same fans should be pleased with the Pohlad family?s ongoing commitment to making this a ballpark the entire Upper Midwest can be proud of.

We?ll work to keep you informed as the process continues. Please continue to keep the faith.

Win Twins!!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

In light of recent media reports, I?d like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the status of the Twins ballpark project.

Since the Twins-Hennepin County legislation was signed into law by Gov. Tim Pawlenty last May, the baseball team has worked tirelessly to design Minnesota?s new ballpark on the North Loop site near the historic warehouse district. As part of the process, the project team has spent countless hours seeking the input of fans, neighbors, business leaders and public officials ? all aimed at ensuring the new ballpark is representative of the North Loop neighborhood, city of Minneapolis, state of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Thanks to the work of many Twins staffers and the highly skilled project team of HOK Sport and Minnesota-based HGA and M.A. Mortenson, we are pleased to report the schematic design has been successfully completed; including the challenging integration of the ballpark with the Hiawatha light rail, Northstar commuter rail and Cedar Lake bike trail. The result is a plan for one of the most intimate and accessible urban ballparks in America, which fans across the region will be proud to call home

It was the Twins hope to unveil the exciting design this week. Unfortunately, due to the inability of Hennepin County and the ballpark site landowners to make progress on the acquisition of the land, it would be premature to unveil the ballpark plans until those differences are resolved.

While we are obviously disappointed at missing the opportunity to share our design, the Twins, together with our loyal and resilient fans, remain hopeful that the parties can bridge their differences so we can unveil the wonderful schematic design and get on with the business of building the ballpark in time to open for the 2010 season.

As spring training gets underway in Fort Myers, Fla. next week, the Twins organization thanks fans everywhere for their incredible support and continued patience. Rest assured, the Pohlad family and Twins organization remain committed to ensuring the long-term viability of Twins baseball within this community.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

New Ballpark Idea of the Week — I would like to see a restaurant serving a full menu that would be able to have a deck on it where you could go out on it to each and watch the game, drink and eat.  I could be built of maybe put plexy glass on the from of it for protection that would be sweet. GO TWINS!! ? Lance of Ramsey, MN

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It?s been quite a month for the Minnesota Twins organization and baseball fans across the Upper Midwest. Throughout January the Twins and their fans have bonded ? perhaps like no other time in the history of the franchise. You see, this region has fallen in love with Twins baseball. Consider the following:

Capacity crowds greet the Twins players and staff everywhere as the team?s 47th annual Winter Caravan travels 4,500-plus miles across five states. Highlights of this year?s Caravan include special visits to the Minnesota Academy for the Deaf, a visit to Camp Ripley, a stop at Whitewater State Park as well as the Steger Mukluk Store in Ely, MN.

The Twins season ticket family is expanding. As of today, thanks to strong team interest and fan?s desire to secure new ballpark priority, the Twins have added 2,100-plus new full season tickets. Combined with an expected renewal rate of 90% or better on existing accounts, the team is on pace to surpass the 10,000 mark in total season tickets for the 2007 season. Should the Twins secure 10,000-plus season tickets, it would represent the second time in franchise history (1993).

Meanwhile, Twins single game tickets went on sale last Friday in conjunction with TwinsFest, and fans stepped to the plate big time. Over a three-day period, Twins fans secured seats to a plethora of great matchups surpassing the 2006 single game ticket totals by a ******** 37%.

Speaking of TwinsFest, nearly 36,000 fans ? a new attendance record ? packed the Metrodome this weekend. There was a noticeable element of excitement in the Metrodome all weekend long as fans flocked to interact with 60 current, former and future Twins including reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, AL Batting Champion Joe Mauer, AL MVP Justin Morneau and perennial Gold Glove Award winner Torii Hunter. Most importantly, the players and fans came together to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for youth baseball and softball programs supported by the Twins Community Fund.

Clearly one of this year?s most popular TwinsFest attractions was the Twins Outdoors booth highlighting the team?s new ballpark. The space provided fans a more detailed glimpse of the conceptual ballpark design as well as the facilities relationship to downtown Minneapolis as well as the North Loop neighborhood. Thousands of fans spent significant time reviewing the ballpark plans, providing valuable feedback by filling out comment cards and speaking to representatives of the Twins and project architects HOK Sport and HGA. In case you are wondering, the most frequently asked questions surrounded the following topics:

What is the status of the land deal? ? As part of the Twins-Hennepin County agreement, the County is responsible for securing the appropriate land for construction of the ballpark. As reported by the local media, the County and private landowners have been unable to come to terms on price. As outlined in the ballpark legislation, the County is exercising its eminent domain rights which should allow the project to remain on schedule while the judicial process determines the actual sale price. While the price uncertainty presents a real concern, we continue to be hopeful that realism will set in for the landowners thus allowing the project to move forward as planned.

Are you really building an open air ballpark? ? After this weekend, I?m convinced that a number of fans continue to believe there is a ?secret? plan to add a retractable roof to the ballpark. While this issue has been repeatedly addressed, some fans want to believe a magic funding source will emerge to pay for a roof. The reality is the Twins and Hennepin County are 100% committed to building a great OPEN-AIR park.

When will we see what the ballpark will actually look like? ? Very soon. The team, County and Minnesota Ballpark Authority are working to finalize the schematic design (which includes a look at the building?s exterior) of the ballpark. It remains our collective hope to unveil this design during a series of events ? including a public open house ? on Thursday, February 15 at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. The Hennepin County Board is slated to vote on final approval of the schematic design on February 27th.

When will we be able to pick out our seats in the new park? ? Current Twins season ticket holders have already secured new ballpark priority. That priority will come into play later in 2007 when the team announces the complete new ballpark ticket transition plan. While the Twins will launch premium seat (suites and club seats) sales in the spring of this year, the current plan calls for the team to actually begin assigning specific seats in the new ballpark in early 2008.

Where will TwinsFest be held once the Twins are in the new park? ? As long as the Metrodome remains standing, the team would hope to continue holding the Twins Community Fund?s largest fundraising event in the facility. Should the Metrodome not be an option, the Twins would seek a new home ? possibly the Minneapolis Convention Center ? as the future TwinsFest venue. One thing is for certain. TwinsFest will continue to be one of the largest fan festivals in all of professional sports.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

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While 2006 will long be remembered as the year of ballpark approval, 2007 will go down in history as the timeframe during which the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark starts to become reality.

Think about it. The coming year will feature a plethora of new ballpark related news including final site acquisition, the unveiling of schematic design, the implementation of the county-wide tax, the sale of the bonds, the public groundbreaking and the commencement of construction. Meanwhile, the new year will also mark the official start of the team?s ballpark development efforts featuring the opening of a Ballpark Marketing Center, the launch of the premium seating sales effort as well as the rollout of the season ticket holder migration plan.

With those key elements on the horizon, some have suggested the coming months are critical. That?s an understatement. The weeks and months to come will be central to the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark plan and the eventual construction of America?s premiere baseball facility. While the significance of the work and looming deadlines present challenges, I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be part of the Twins family.

Over the past several weeks, many people across the region have inquired about a new ballpark timeline. What follows is my attempt to provide you with a better understanding of key timeframes for ballpark-related news and events over the next several months. Enjoy the journey!!!!!

January-March
– County-wide sales tax is implemented.
– Development Agreement and Lease/Use Agreement is finalized.
– Complete site/infrastructure plan.
– Complete site assembly.
– Schematic design is unveiled.
– Twins open Ballpark Marketing Center.
– Twins launch premium seating (Private Suites and Club Seats) sales.

March-May
– County issues bonds.
– County holds hearings on findings of environmental impact statement.
– County Board votes on EIS findings. 

June-July
– Groundbreaking ceremony.
– Site excavation and construction begins.

More on the elements outlined above in the weeks to come. Enjoy the journey.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club
2006 American League Central Division Champions

New Ballpark Idea of the Week
Set up certain areas for Standing Room Only.  Sell SRO tickets in game in which more than 30K seats are sold.  Petco Park has designated SRO counter areas behind some 1st deck seat sections.  Fans unable to afford season tix can still get decent score decent spots for the game by coming early and standing in line. Rick of Minneapolis.

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