Twins' Target Field Has Several Seats With Obstructed Views

Twins President Says Every New Park Like Target Field Deals With Obstructed Views

Target Field has several seats with views that are "partially obstructed," according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The ballpark has "small pockets of seats near the right-field foul pole that don't have full views of the outfield because they are pressed against an angular wall," and from "other outfield seats, fans won't be able to see parts of the warning track." Twins President Dave St. Peter said, "Every new park deals with this; it's nothing new." Christensen noted the Twins on their Web site explain "which seats have restricted views of the field or the giant video board," and the team will "continue reminding fans." Twins Exec Dir of Public Affairs Kevin Smith: "We're not going to sell a ticket without someone knowing exactly what they're getting" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/22).

DOG DAYS ARE OVER: Hormel Foods Corp. and Twins officials indicated that the two organizations "no longer have a corporate partnership." Hormel VP/Corporate Communications Julie Craven said that the company in '01 "began a partnership with the Twins that has consisted of supplying Dome Dogs (hot dogs) at Twins games as well as other promotional opportunities." But Craven added that Hormel hot dogs "won't be available at Twins home games in 2010," and that a "final decision is pending on what Hormel products will be offered at Target Field" (Tim Ruzek, Rochester POST-BULLETIN, 2/24). In Minneapolis, Paul Walsh notes of the 1.1. million "sausages sold at Twins games last year, nearly 400,000 were Dome Dogs" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/25).

RIGHT ON TARGET: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Target Field, "When you walk out of the dugout and you see how compact it is, that's just a beautiful view of a ballpark. I always said that when I walked out of the clubhouse in Cleveland, you walk out and you're just like, 'This is gorgeous.' Well, we have that now." Gardenhire added the Twins are "catching up to the rest of baseball with the facilities that we have." Gardenhire noted the team at Target Field has batting cages "behind our dugout" and also has its "own weight room that's not up the runway where the trucks are delivering pizza" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/25).