The coming week represents another significant milestone in the ongoing design and development of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark. The Hennepin County Board will meet Tuesday and are expected to approve the ballpark?s conceptual design and overall program. With that approval in hand, team and county staff can charge forward in finalizing schematic design which will be up for County Board approval sometime in February.

So what exactly is the Hennepin County Board approving this week?

They are not approving the final ballpark design, look or feel. Instead, they are expected to approve the initial ballpark design concept and program. They will be looking at how the ballpark fits on the site, how it takes advantage of transit connections and how it relates to the neighborhood and downtown Minneapolis. All of those things are critical to the long-term success of the ballpark and overall fan experience.

In addition to the elements outlined above, the County Board will also be providing sign-off on the preliminary ballpark program. For those of you not familiar with the building process, the term ?program? refers to the general ballpark details such as total square footage, number of seats, proposed fan amenities, etc. The Twins front office has been immersed in those details for the past several months. With several ballparks and arenas such as St. Paul?s Xcel Energy Center providing the inspiration, the Twins ballpark program is nearly complete. Here is a look at how some of the key aspects of the Twins ballpark program stack up against the Metrodome and other recently built ballparks:

                        NEW PARK     METRODOME    PNC PARK    AT&T PARK
                	Minneapolis  Minneapolis  Pittsburgh  SF
Approximate Capacity    42,000       54,734       38,000      40,500
Gross Square Footage    1 Million    1.2 Million  946,000     967,000
Seating in Lower Bowl   20,470       22,289       23,071      21,082
Seating in Upper Bowl   10,250       32,445       11,174      13,262

Concourse Width
Main Concourse          38? to 67?   22?          40? to 60?  28?
Upper Concourse         27? to 49?   22?          22? to 27?  25?

Restrooms
Total Fixtures          667          480          494         333
Women?s Fixtures        401          256          262         182
Men?s Fixtures          266          32/192       232         151

Retail Stores           3            0            2           3 

Playing Field Dimensions          
First seat to home      45?          46?          52?         46?
LF                      339?         343?         320?        308?
LF Power Alley          377?         385?         375?        380?
CF                      404?         408?         378?        399?
RF Power Alley          370?         367?         389?        366?
RF                      328?         327?         325?        340?

In the weeks and months to come, the details outlined above and much, much more will be finalized as the ballpark design begins to take shape. What?s clear is that Twins-Hennepin County Ballpark will be among the most compact, intimate parks in all of baseball. Now our challenge is to ensure that the facility is equally fan friendly.

Win Twins!!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

New Ballpark Idea of the Week — 1. Foul poles light up green or red depending on a ball near it being fair or foul.  Only sense balls going out so fans don’t set it off.  2. Use steam or cold water to moderate the temperature in the stands.  3. Add ball movement/location information to the pitch velocity display. ? Glen of Bloomington.

Over the past several weeks. I?ve had the privilege of traveling throughout Twins Territory as part of the ballclub?s ongoing effort to build and expand the Twins Radio Network. During those travels, a few key questions continue to emerge. At the top of the list are the annual "hot stove-like" questions about the team?s quest for starting pitching, the club?s well-deserved award binge (Cy Young, Gold Glove, MVP?), and the status of phenom pitcher Francisco Liriano.

However, not far down that list are the questions about the state of the new Twins ballpark ? and specifically ? when are fans going to get a glimpse at the ballpark?s design?

The Twins took a significant step toward being able to answer that question last Friday (November 17) as the team officially unveiled the ballpark project team. Understanding the Twins and Hennepin County?s commitment to build America?s best ballpark, Upper Midwest baseball fans will be pleased with the composition of Minnesota?s new ballpark team.

The talented, veteran lineup includes project architects HOK Sport (HOK) and Hammel Green and Abrahamson, Inc. (HGA) as well as construction manager MA Mortenson. More on the project team is detailed below:

HOK Sport
Based in Kansas City, Mo, HOK Sport?s is widely viewed as the world?s most innovative sports architect. The excellence surrounding their body of work speaks volumes. Baseball?s Camden Yards, Jacob?s Field, PNC Park and PETCO Park are just a few of their masterpieces. Locally, fans in the State of Hockey will remember that HOK Sport was the lead architect on the design of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Going forward, HOK?s workload remains heavy. In addition to the Twins ballpark project, HOK Sport is also designing new ballparks in Washington, DC as well as two in New York (the new Yankee Stadium and the Mets? CitiField). Meanwhile, HOK Sport will be quite busy in Minneapolis as they are also the lead designer of the University of Minnesota?s new TCF Bank Stadium.

HGA
Based in Minneapolis, HGA will provide local design expertise along with strong knowledge of the neighborhoods surrounding the Twins ballpark site. That base of information – combined with HGA?s deep resume of significant Minnesota building projects (Minnesota History Center, Minnesota Public Radio, Hennepin Theatre District, Mall of America, MPLS-St. Paul International Airport) ? makes them the perfect complement to nationally-based HOK.

Mortenson
Since 1987, Mortenson has emerged as one of the nation?s top three builders of major sports facilities. The company?s national sports facility experience includes Coors Field and Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.; the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.; the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. Locally, Mortenson?s sports work is best demonstrated by St. Paul?s Xcel Energy Center. Working with Mortenson will be Thor Construction Company ? the state?s largest African American-owned company and a long-time associate of the company.

The Twins are proud of assembled team and confident of our collective effort to design and build a landmark facility. Collaboration amongst the trio of firms will be critical as the team designs a dynamic ballpark which fits within the transit-oriented site in downtown Minneapolis.

With the team now in place, all eyes turn toward the design process. Look for more on that in the weeks to come as the team expects to unveil an updated site plan and preliminary ballpark program by mid-December. A more detailed design package ? including the public?s first look at the ballpark?s external look and feel ? should be available in February. Yes, last Friday?s announcement of the project team is simply the first of many milestone days over the next several months.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

New Ballpark Idea of the Week – Make it like the new library or the Weisman -forget nostalgia! Make this stadium so new & far out that every kid who sees it can’t wait to get inside; that every time the Twins are on ESPN the announcers say "We’re at the UNUSUAL ballpark in Minneapolis". Give the City Council fits! Give it wings and curves and sculptural accents. Have courage! ? Erica of Minneapolis

Baseball?s most unpredictable postseason is in the books (just ask the Twins, Yankees, Padres, Athletics, Mets and Tigers) and all of us with the Minnesota Twins would like to congratulate the St. Louis Cardinals organization on winning its tenth World Series title. The Cards ? with just 83 regular season wins ? were unlikely World Series winners. However, like the 85-win 1987 Twins, this Cardinals team refused to lose and deserved to claim the championship.

Throughout the month of October, much was made across the Upper Midwest about the impact of weather on postseason games. It seems as though the Twins presence in the postseason ? coupled with rain outs and frigid temps in New York, Detroit and St. Louis ? sparked a plethora of conversation about the future of outdoor baseball in Minnesota. In fact, it?s my belief that many across the region just recently focused on the reality that the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark project calls for the construction of an open-air facility versus a retractable or fixed-roof facility.

Newspaper stories, radio talk shows, calls and e-mails to the Twins front office all carried a consistent theme: Can the Twins and Hennepin County be serious about building an open-air ballpark? We?re going to find a way to include a retractable roof ? correct? Aren?t fans going to be miserable watching baseball outside in less-than-perfect weather? Somebody will come forward to add the roof ? right?

In response to those who are just now figuring out the future of baseball in Minnesota is outside, remember the Twins fought for ten-plus years to gain support for the construction of a retractable-roof facility. Plan after plan collapsed leaving significant doubt about the franchise?s future in Minnesota. Understanding the roof adds at least $130 million to the overall project cost and that the state of Minnesota was unlikely to participate in any funding plan, the Twins organization had a decision to make. Either remain in the Metrodome or partner with Hennepin County on the plan to build an open-air ballpark in Minneapolis? Historic Warehouse District. Clearly, the Twins chose the latter with hopes of gaining the necessary approvals, setting this debate aside, and preserving the future of Twins baseball for many generations to come.

The rest so they say is history. With the ballpark approvals now in place, the Twins, Hennepin County and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority are now focused on building the best open-air ballpark in America. Despite rumors and misinformation suggesting there is a ?plan? to ultimately add a retractable roof, the project team remains focused on shaping and improving the open-air experience. Fan comfort is the goal as we collectively explore a variety of options ? some of which have never been implemented in a Major League Baseball facility. More on that in the months to come as we prepare to unveil the ballpark design and amenities in early 2007.

Meanwhile, all this talk about the Minnesota weather and outdoor baseball motivated me to do some research. Interestingly, what I found was in contrast to much of the sentiment of those suggesting an open-air ballpark will prove disastrous for the baseball team and its fans.

I started with a review of the average monthly temperatures for nine northern climate markets ? all of which play open-air baseball ? during the months of April, May, September and October. While the survey confirms Minneapolis will have some challenging days and nights, it also confirms we are not alone. Yes, those less-than-perfect days will be more frequent in October. However, how many empty seats did you see at Comerica Park or Busch Stadium when temps dipped to the low 40?s earlier this month? Based on the following chart, why is outdoor baseball in Minnesota doomed when the average monthly temps are quite close to those in markets such as Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit? I thought Minnesotans were hardy people. What am I missing here?

	Average Monthly Temps
	April	May	Sept.	Oct.
Boston	56	67	73	62
Chicago	58	70	74	62
Cincinnati	65	75	79	68
Cleveland	57	69	72	61
Detroit	59	72	75	62
MINNEAPOLIS	57	70	71	58
New York	60	71	76	65
Philadelphia	62	71	77	66
Pittsburgh	62	71	76	64

So if Minneapolis? average monthly climate is comparable to some other northern climate MLB cities, I thought those folks predicting disaster must believe rain will be the ultimate challenge. More research produced similar results. The Twins have looked at this issue for a long, long time. Yes, we will have rain but it will result in fewer rainouts (2-3 per season) than most believe. However, a review of the average monthly precipitation for the seven-month period of April-October suggests that the Twin Cities are actually less likely to deal with rain problems than other northern markets playing outdoor baseball.

	Average Monthly Precipitation
	April-October
Boston	3.20 inches
Chicago	3.55 inches
Cincinnati	3.31 inches
Cleveland	3.32 inches
Detroit	3.01 inches
MINNEAPOLIS	3.13 inches
New York	3.63 inches
Philadelphia	3.60 inches
Pittsburgh	3.25 inches

Despite the facts outlined above, I?m certain the roof debate will continue to rage for years to come. The important thing is the debate has shifted. For the past decade people across the region squared off over the decision of how to fund a ballpark and ensure the long-term viability of Twins baseball. For those of us within the Twins organization, we will happily engage in a debate over the merits of building an open-air ballpark. That change in dynamic represents progress.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

New Ballpark Idea of the Week: ?The interior could be divided into two sides, where each side is identified as MLPS and STP.  One interior concourse would have Minneapolis pictures, names and theme, the other concourse would include a Saint Paul theme identity.? ? Dana Peterson of Eagan, MN

When Upper Midwest baseball fans look back on the year 2006, they will remember one of the more eventful and uplifting seasons in the history of the Minnesota Twins franchise. The disappointing performance versus Oakland in the American League Division Series notwithstanding, the 2006 Twins had a heck of a season. CONGRATULATIONS to Terry Ryan, Ron Gardenhire, the entire coaching staff and team on winning 96 games en route to winning the club?s fourth American League Central Division title in five seasons. Twins fans far and wide applaud the grit, determination and never-say-die attitude of the 2006 Twins (i.e. The Little Piranhas).

Speaking of the fans, what can you say about the passion and dedication they continue to demonstrate for Twins baseball? They came to the Metrodome in big numbers as the team posted the fourth largest total attendance (Nearly 2.4 million including the postseason) in club history. Those same fans watched and listened in record numbers as Twins fever spread throughout Twins Territory.

I believe that fan support had a lot to do with the reality that these Twins defined the meaning of TEAM as much as any club in recent memory. Well done boys. Thanks for the memories.

Back in late May, in the midst of this memorable season, a new ballpark was approved thus preserving Twins baseball for future generations. Those approvals not only put Hennepin County and the Twins on track to construct a 40,000-seat open-air ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, but they once-and-for-all eliminate the nagging questions about the long-term viability of Twins baseball in this marketplace.

The balance of 2006 will be spent shaping our team for 2007 and beyond. With Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire at the helm of a nucleus of returning players featuring the likely Cy Young Award winner, an AL MVP candidate, the AL batting champ and the best bullpen in baseball, we fully expect to once again contend for a World Championship.

Meanwhile, the Twins front office remains focused on shaping and finalizing plans for the new ballpark. The next few months will produce a plethora of new ballpark-related news including the release of an updated conceptual design as well as the launch of a marketing campaign aimed at providing fans their first opportunity to secure premium seats in the new park.

Yes, these are exciting times to be a Twins fan. The team ? currently the second youngest in baseball ? looks to be a prime contender for seasons to come. A new ballpark is on the way meaning the team?s Metrodome era is drawing to a close. April 2010 is just over the horizon as we begin the countdown (three seasons ? 243 regular season home games) to the return of outdoor baseball. 

Dave St. Peter

President, Minnesota Twins

Ballpark Idea of the Week
I think it would be a great idea to have fireworks shoot off every time a Twins player hits a homerun. Just like they do for the White Sox. It would bring so much excitement to the game and it will let Downtown Minneapolis let their Minnesota Twins hit a homerun. ? Steve of Minneapolis.

Last Friday, the Minnesota Ballpark Authority took the first step toward working to accomplish something no other American stadium can claim. Yes, the MBA passed a resolution authorizing its executive director to submit applications for grants and other activities in association with the Twins to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the new Twins-Hennepin County ballpark. To date, no other U.S. ballpark or stadium has obtained this prestigious certification putting the MBA and the Twins in position to break new ground as it relates to building an environmentally friendly facility.

Established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is now the benchmark for integration of environmental elements within building projects. To gain certification, a project must reach a certain point level based on a variety of building factors (materials, energy use, transit, etc.). The Twins-Hennepin County ballpark legislation provides that ?if the authority obtains grants sufficient to cover the increased costs, the authority must ensure that the ballpark receives LEED certification.?

Understanding we have a long way to go to determine the feasibility of securing grants, let alone gaining LEED certification, the Twins organization is genuinely excited at the prospect of working hand-in-hand with the MBA and Hennepin County throughout this process. With or without LEED certification, the Pohlad family and Twins organization have long been intrigued at the opportunity to build an environmentally sustainable facility. It?s exciting when you consider the opportunity to not only use environmentally friendly construction materials and procedures, but to also determine the possibility of creating a district heating system using waste heat from the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) and other sustainable design features as part of the overall ballpark project.

As Minnesotans, we know firsthand the importance of prioritizing environmental issues. To that end, the Twins are committed to building an environmentally friendly ballpark. It?s the smart thing to do – but more importantly ? the right thing to do.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

New Ballpark Idea of the Week ? In the land of ten thousand lakes, we should definitely have a water feature in our new stadium. One idea might be to have some kind of lake stocked with native fish, or there could be a foot bridge similar to Pittsburgh?s stadium crossing over a Minnesota state-shaped lake in front.

As we approach the final weeks of the 2006 season, it?s safe to say that the current campaign will go down as one of the more memorable stretches in the 46-year history of the Minnesota Twins franchise. The remarkable on-field run has the club contending for a fourth postseason appearance in five years, total attendance is on pace to surpass 2.2 to 2.3 million fans, and interest in Twins baseball across the region is soaring as demonstrated by some of the top television and radio viewership and listenership ratings.

Meanwhile, the single most significant development during the 2006 season took place last week when the board of Hennepin County Commissioners voted to authorize a .015 percent county-wide sales tax with proceeds directed to fund a portion of a new Twins ballpark in the Minneapolis Warehouse District. Last Tuesday?s vote represented the final hurdle in a ten-year struggle to finance a ballpark and preserve Twins baseball for future generations.

Years from now, long after the new ballpark is opened, I?m quite confident the citizens of Hennepin County, the State of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest will look back at this period of time and recognize the significance of last week?s 4-3 vote.

Last May, in the wake of securing legislative approval for the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark bill, we offered well-deserved kudos to Governor Tim Pawlenty, Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum and many others for their efforts to support the plan and resolve this important issue in a bi-partisan manner. There is no question that everyone mentioned above played a HUGE role in getting a ballpark approved and thus ensuring the long-term viability of baseball in this community.

However, the true heroes of the day are Hennepin County commissioners Mike Opat, Randy Johnson, Peter McLaughlin and Mark Stenglein. These are the gentleman who demonstrated the vision to dream about what a 42,000-seat open-air ballpark could do for Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis. These are the officials who filled the ?leadership void? on this issue by coming forward with a comprehensive plan and delivering a fair, responsible solution. Most importantly, these are the leaders who showed incredible courage for standing by their convictions in the face of criticism and attack from various sectors of the public.

Yes, Mike Opat, Randy Johnson, Peter McLaughlin and Mark Stenglein deserve the credit for their unwavering leadership and support of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark plan. They also deserve special THANK YOUs from Twins fans across the region.

In a year when players such as Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Johan Santana, Joe Nathan and others have made the Twins one of baseball?s top teams, history will show that commissioners Opat, Johnson, McLaughlin and Stenglein have made the most significant contributions to Upper Midwest baseball in 2006. Well done.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President

Ballpark Idea of the Week: A heated field would insure games in late spring or early fall not be adversely affected by unseasonably cold weather; at least minimize the delay. Such a field would also insure a premium-playing surface for the athletes. Such a playing surface would provide an astatically pleasing look for ballpark patrons during late spring or early fall. — Greg from Minneapolis

The process to design Minnesota?s new ballpark took another important step forward Friday when the Minnesota Ballpark Authority (MBA) passed a resolution authorizing the Minnesota Twins to take leadership in designing and constructing the facility. While still subject to Hennepin County consent, the resolution paves the way for the baseball team to begin finalizing a project team including architects and general contractors. More on that front in the weeks to come as the Twins look to put the right firms and people in place to ensure a superior design and efficient construction as we target Opening Day 2010.

As the Twins prepare to move into a full-fledged design process, the team continues to collaborate with multiple groups with hopes of generating a functional ballpark program. From the best practices of other Major League Baseball teams to local government units such as the MBA, Hennepin County or the City of Minneapolis, the team is currently all ears when it comes to accepting input on the ballpark design.

However, no group will have more impact on the ballpark?s final design than Upper Midwest baseball fans. Look for opportunities for fans to provide feedback on the ballpark as the process continues. In fact, fans stopping by the Twins State Fair Experience can share their ideas and visions for the new facility. The State Fair opportunity continues the New Ballpark Suggestion Box found at www.twinsbaseball.com, where the team has received more than 2,500 unique ballpark ideas in just a five-week period. Starting this week, we will feature an ?idea of the week? (see below). Rest assured, every idea is reviewed by Twins management and sorted for future consideration.

A significant majority of the ideas fall into one of the following three categories:

1.  Antithesis of the Metrodome

Understanding the Twins have been playing baseball in the corner of football stadium for 25 years, fans are seeking the following:

• Superior sightlines and views
• Fan comfort ? wider seats, more leg room, restrooms, wider concourses, open concourses.
• Major league scoreboard and sound systems.
• Expanded food and beverage offerings ? signature food items.

2.  Minnesota Look and Feel
Fans feel strongly that the ballpark must be a proper showcase of Minnesota.

• Ballpark exterior/interior ? materials, color scheme
• Landscape architecture ? native trees, flowers, waterfalls, fountains, stream

3.  Minnesota Baseball History
Fans want the ballpark to celebrate the history of Minnesota baseball.

• Tributes to former Twins greats.
• Celebration of Minnesota amateur baseball ? town ball.
• Symbolize Minnesota ballparks ? Metrodome, Metropolitan Stadium, Nicollet Park, Lexington Field.

No matter where fans stood on the ballpark financing package, everyone shares the common goal of building America?s best ballpark. While the research is difficult to quantify, we think it provides a tremendous sampling of what the average Twins fan wants to see in Minnesota?s new ballpark. So keep your ideas coming. Who knows? Perhaps your idea will be implemented in the new ballpark.

Win Twins!!!

Dave St. Peter

President

Ballpark Ideas of the Week ? 1.) A giant, old scoreboard. The kind where someone has to manually change the numbers. 2.) A Skyway Café above/behind center field. People could eat and watch the game. 3.) An underground viewing area behind the backstop. Open during batting practice, then covered during the game. ? Megan of Deephaven, MN.

As we approach the home stretch of the 2006 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins find themselves in the midst of the Wild Card hunt. The next eight weeks promise to be exciting times as this current group of Twins battles the likes of the World Champion White Sox, the Red Sox and Yankees for a spot in baseball?s postseason.

Meanwhile, planning and coordination continues surrounding the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark project. Here is a summary of the news and notes from the past few days:

MBA Names Dan Kenney Executive Director

Just last week, the recently-formed Minnesota Ballpark Authority (MBA) made one of their first critical decisions when they named Dan Kenney executive director. Kenney brings a wealth of related experience after serving as a member of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. Moreover, in his role as chief of staff to Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat, Kenney was a key player throughout the development of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark vision. In short, Dan Kenney was a responsible choice to bring day-to-day leadership to the MBA?s oversight of the ballpark project?s coordination, design and construction.

Public Hearings Scheduled for August 22-24

Twins ballpark supporters should make plans now to attend the Hennepin County ballpark hearings which are scheduled for August 22-24. These public hearings are designed to provide Hennepin County residents with the opportunity to provide input on the ballpark funding source, design and overall implementation. To that end, it?s important that your voice is heard in relation to the importance of this project to the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota. There is no question that the vocal support from people throughout the state played a key role in ensuring the passage of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark legislation. It would be wonderful to see that same level of support at the County level. The public hearings are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, August 22 ? 5-7 p.m.
Hennepin County Government Center
Board Room ? 24th Floor
300 S. 6th Street
Minneapolis

Wednesday, August 23 ? 6-8 p.m.
Bloomington Civic Plaza
Council Chambers
1800 W. Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington

Thursday, August 24 ? 6-8 p.m.
Maple Grove Government Center
Council Chambers
12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway
Maple Grove

Stay tuned to Twinsbaseball.com for the latest ballpark developments.

Win Twins!!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins front office concluded our whirlwind tour of recently built ballparks last week with a trip to California to visit San Diego?s PETCO Park and San Francisco?s AT&T Park. The following is a summary of what we learned while on the West Coast ?

PETCO Park ? San Diego

In an era when new ballparks have been built from coast to coast, PETCO Park stands out as perhaps the most unique of all the new facilities. While many of the new parks feature traditional brick and steel materials and colors, PETCO makes an architectural statement like few others. Custom cut stone ? all the way from India ? is the dominant structure on the exterior of the ballpark. Combined with the white steel (symbolizing the city?s white beaches) and navy blue seats (symbolizing the Pacific Ocean), PETCO park is beautiful on all fronts. Credit well-known architect Antoine Predock, who worked closely with HOK, for creating the memorable design.

Once inside the park, our group was intrigued by the segmentation of the seating bowl. Referred to as ?neighborhoods?, the PETCO seating configuration is more segmented than any stadium I?ve ever seen. Each ?neighborhood? is designed to give fans a distinctive sightline and experience. While the segmentation could have been overdone, the Padres did everything they could to bring all 42,000 seats ?lower and closer? in relation to the playing field. Good lessons were learned by the Twins ballpark team on that front.

Perhaps the signature element of PETCO is the Camden Yards-like Western Metal Supply Company warehouse which forms the ballpark?s left-field corner. Credit the Padres for making wonderful use of this San Diego landmark. Not only does the building serve as the left-field foul pole, but it houses the Padres Team Store, the Hall of Fame Bar and Grille, multiple party suites and a section of rooftop bleachers.

Other unique elements of PETCO include the ?Park in the Park,? which serves as a casual, family-friendly grassy area beyond the centerfield fence. The ?Park in the Park? once again demonstrates the importance of creating space for fans to gather before a ballgame (not unlike the Metrodome Plaza).

All in all, PETCO Park is a unique facility which serves the Padres and the City of San Diego quite well. A special thanks to Padres? officials **** Freeman, Erik Judson and Richard Anderson for their hospitality and guidance with our ballpark team.

AT&T Park ? San Francisco

Despite the fact that AT&T Park was the last facility our group toured, it was clearly the most important. Opened in 2000, AT&T Park is among the most intimate facilities in all of sports. Built on a small footprint (12.5 acres) and only totaling 960,000 square feet in total space, AT&T Park provides a model of sorts for the Twins and Hennepin County as we build a similar ballpark on the highly-constrained Rapid Park site in downtown Minneapolis.

With those realities in mind, our group paid close attention to how the Giants utilized their limited space. Beyond the majestic views of the Bay Bridge and the marina, we found a ballpark featuring some the best sightlines in all of MLB. The 41,500 seats include an adequate seating bowl and a wonderful split upper deck. Perhaps one of best uses of space was the left-field ?bleachers? section along with a kids-only entitlement zone (featuring the large soft-drink bottle slide and baseball glove). While the main concourse was too narrow, the Giants did quite well by the fans in shaping the general seating and premium seating areas.

Meanwhile, our trip to the AT&T Park service level served as reality check for our ballpark team. While invisible to fans, the service level serves as the ?nerve center? for a ballpark. It includes the concessions areas, grounds crew space, storage, ballpark ops space, interview rooms, clubhouses, batting tunnels and more. Due to space challenges, the AT&T Park service level was more constrained than any we?ve ever seen. To the Giants credit, they make it work. It?s safe to assume the Twins will face similar challenges with the service level in Minnesota?s new ballpark. To that end, it will be critical that we continue to find ways to be efficient with service level space.

Inspired by classic ballparks such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, the Giants modeled AT&T Park after Jacob?s Field, Coors Field and Camden Yards. The Giants, along with HOK Sport, hit a home run in creating a facility which is widely regarded as one of the best ballparks in America.

A special thanks to Giants? officials Alfonso Felder and Jorge Costa for their time and counsel during our stay at AT&T Park.

With the ballpark tours now complete, the Twins front office will now turn our attention to shaping our overall project team while working to determine a final design. In addition, we will continue our collaboration with the Minnesota Ballpark Authority and Hennepin County. More on those fronts in the days to come.

Win Twins!!!!

Dave St. Peter

President, Minnesota Twins

The Twins ballpark team continued its tour over the past few days with stops at Philadelphia?s Citizens Bank Park and Cleveland?s Jacobs Field. The highlights of those trips are detailed below?

Philadelphia ? Citizens Bank Park
The scorching heat followed us to Philadelphia this week when a group of 10 Twins officials and advisers visited Citizens Bank Park. Opened in 2004, Citizens Bank Park seats 43,500 and is located away from downtown in a long-standing stadium district (it was built directly adjacent the old Vet and Spectrum and next to other new facilities ? the Eagles? Lincoln Financial Field and the Sixers? Wachovia Center).

Beyond the heat, what we found in Philly was a fantastic ballpark that in my opinion is underrated among MLB insiders. Citizens Bank Park?s design is credited to the team of HOK Sport and local Philadelphia architect Ewing Cole. Along with Phillies staff and project manager John Stranix, they did a superb job with their overall attention to detail and ensuring a incredible fan experience. This was a ?buttoned up? project. In other words, they truly managed every aspect of the facility design ? not only to ensure it was functional ? but more importantly to ensure it benefited the fan. The sightlines are outstanding, the finishings are remarkable and the food-service areas are inviting.

My favorite ballpark feature at Citizens Bank Park is Ashburn Alley (named after Phillies legend Richie Ashburn). The ?Alley? is as good a ballpark feature as you are going to find. Found beyond the centerfield fence, this area offers something for fans of all ages. From the unique interactives to the Build a Bear to Bull?s BBQ (named in honor of Greg ?The Bull? Luzinski). You can?t help but think what the possibilities are for similar space in Minnesota?s new ballpark.

Other highlights of the park include the view of the Philadelphia skyline ? the Liberty Bell sign high atop centerfield (a carry-over from the Vet) which ?swings and rings? when the Phillies hit a home run? the commissioned Phillies-themed artwork throughout the facility.

Field dimensions were an issue at Citizens Bank Park. Sensitive to being labeled a ?band box? or hitters park, Phillies officials moved the left field fence out (about 6 feet) before the 2005 season. The Twins are watching this situation closely as we focus our efforts on building a ballpark which is fair for both hitters and pitchers.

The only downside of our trip to Philly was the state of the playing field. The park had hosted a Bon Jovi concert a day or two before our visit and the field was showing significant wear and tear. Apparently the concert coincided with the recent heat wave driving ground temps beyond 115 degrees leaving the grass in tough shape. Needless to say the head groundskeeper was not pleased.

Thanks to Mr. Stranix as well as Phillies executives Mike Stiles and Richard Deats for their time and hospitality during our trip to Philadelphia.

Cleveland ? Jacobs Field
Now in its 12th season, Jacobs Field remains one of the best ballparks in America. You might be wondering why our group decided to tour Cleveland?s Jacobs Field. The decision was made with hopes of giving our group a sense of what is required in maintaining a new facility. The Indians organization ? as well as the Gateway Authority ? deserve a lot of credit for coming together to ensure that Jacob?s Field remains among the upper tier of MLB parks.

Nestled near the heart of downtown Cleveland, ?The Jake? sits immediately adjacent ?The Q? (Quicken Loans Arena ? the home to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers). The proximity to the arena is interesting based on the closeness of Minneapolis? Target Center with the new Twins-Hennepin County ballpark. We learned a lot from the Indians about the importance of cooperation between the ballpark and arena in regards to scheduling, cross promotion, etc. A nifty plaza actually connects the two facilities (leaving us to ponder what can be done to better connect Target Center with the new ballpark).

Highlights of Jacobs Field include a nice view of downtown Cleveland, one of the best scoreboards/video boards in sports today, the trademark white steel and ?vertical? light standards (which actually symbolize smoke stacks from the area’s rich industrial base). I?ve always found the sightlines to be quite fan friendly at Jacobs Field. Another trademark element are the field-level suites which sit directly behind home plate from dugout to dugout.
While the conceptual Twins
ballpark design does not call for field-level suites, this week?s trip resurrected some discussion about finding a way to include a couple similar options within the facility.

Special thanks to Indians? owner Paul Dolan and Executive Vice President Dennis Lehman for their generous hospitality and counsel during our stay at Jacobs Field. It?s amazing what you learn during a three-hour tour.

Next week we are off to San Diego (PETCO Park) and San Francisco (AT&T Park). We?ll check in with a full report in the days to come.

Win Twins!!!!!!

Dave St. Peter
President, Minnesota Twins