First Five Target Field Games 2012

Yikes! I can't wait any longer! Here is a mini-preview of the first games at Target Field.

4/9- Twins v Angels @ 3:10

4/11 - Twins v Angels @ 7:10

4/12 - Twins v Angels @ 12:10

4/13 - Twins v Rangers @ 7:10

4/14 - Twins v Rangers @ 12:10

I LOVE BASEBALL SEASON!!

Baseball Season!

Baseball season is almost here, which means great baseball at the best ballpark in America - Target Field. With the great weather this week (and basically all winter), I keep thinking this summer might be the steamiest yet!

Last year, the Twins saw everything from rain, snow to hail come down at Target Field. Sure, it normally is cold in April. But with my fingers crossed that this mid-March (whaaatt??) weather holds, we are sure to have great April weather too, right?

Minnesota Twins Analyze Target Field Dimensions

It is no secret that the Twins play in a pitchers ballpark.

In the infancy of Target Field, the Twins have not been afraid to change up the dimensions of their beloved ballpark. After the inaugural 2010 season, the Twins removed the spruce trees from behind the center field fence (which I was extremely disappointed in because TC hid in those trees) and hung black mesh off the batter's eye to improve the hitting background.

As the club prepares for club year 3 at the best park in America, it has yet to address the issue that every hitter has grumbled about: the dimensions.

Target Field has been one of the more unfriendly ballparks when it comes to homers, with the park averaging 1.56 homers a game in 2011 and 1.43 in 2010. That places Target Field 12th of the 14 AL teams each season. In contrast, the Metrodome gave up 2.30 home runs a game in the final year of the Twins presence.

The Twins aren't the only ones looking to make a change. The New York Mets, who moved into Citi Field in 2009, are altering their dimensions for the 2012 season. An 8-foot wall will be built from foul pole to foul pole, which will take the 16-foot wall in left field, out of play. That wall is famously nicknamed "The Great Wall of Flushing". The power alley in left field will shrink from 371 feet to 358. According to studies conducted by the Mets, the team would have hit 81 more home runs and given up 70 more home runs over the past three seasons under the new dimensions.

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw!

The Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Brother of the Suns Tour is sold out at the Target Center. Granted there are still some tickets available through the MinnesotaTwins.com website, but those will cost you $300 a pop and you don't even get a seat. Yikes.

If you're looking for tickets, there are still some available here.

Give Target Field this Valentine's Day

I would like to take a moment to express how EXCITED I am to spend at least 120 hours at Target Field this spring and summer as I utilize my 40-game season ticket plan... as well as go to Opening Day!

Opening Day is a holiday similar to that of Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is essentially a holiday made up by retailers, but it has importance to a large portion of the country. Opening Day is a holiday made up by baseball fans, which make up a large portion of the country. In that sense, Valentine's Day and Opening Day are similar. While Valentine's Day favors the woman in your life, it seems as though Opening Day might favor the man - though I am an exception: give me Opening Day any day...

Take a moment to consider, then, whether or not you should be buying Opening Day tickets for the man in your life. If you answered 'yes', then you should buy those right now, wrap them up and gift them this Valentine's Day. Did I just kill two birds with one baseball? Yes. People need to think more like me, honestly.

If you answered 'no', you need to reevaluate your position.

Spring Training Almost Here!

If you don't have a fire in your belly for spring training and the greatest sport known to mankind, consider this: Rich Anderson, the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins, has already set the starting pitching for the Twins' first three exhibition games. Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano and Jason Marquis will start the exhibition games 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

The Minnesota Twins, who struggled with, among other things, starting pitching last year, have 33 pitchers coming in to spring training. A couple of those guys have to be able to pitch... At least enough to round out the starting rotation.

If Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn are healthy, they'll round out the rotation, at least for the beginning of the season. Essentially that would mean Brian Duensing would go back to the bullpen, where he will join Glen Perkins, Joel Zumaya and Matt Capps. This is assuming, of course, that all of the aforementioned pitchers remain healthy and on top of their game... Or that their game is at least better than the next person's game.

Anderson spoke out about Matt Capps and his relationship with the mound and Minnesota Twins fans, "It broke my heart every time people booed him before he even got to the mound." I believe that fans didn't completely grasp what Matt Capps was going through last season, meaning that we booed him in ignorance. Which... is brutal. I also think there is a point to be made that Twins fans were so frustrated and disappointed in the Twins that it was easy to boo Capps because he was often at the transition point that led the Twins from a win to a loss.

Basically, the Twins have to play better this year. And Twins fans need to remain some of the most loyal fans in the MLB.

Target Field Area Benched From Vikings Plan

There had been talk of relocating the Vikings' new stadium to areas near Target Field. Those plans tentatively had my vote. Now, however, it appears as though those plans have been scratched... to my disappointment.

Yes, traffic would have been terrible on the nights where events overlap. Sure, parking would have been a nightmare.

Let's try to think about the positive aspects of having the Wolves, Twins and Vikings within walking distance of each other.

The light rail - hey, people might actually start using it regularly seeing as the traffic and parking would have been horrendous.

The Block E economy - as we have seen by the closing of several key restaurants, the Wolves and the Twins aren't enough to sustain all the entertainment on the block of entertainment. Adding Vikings fans could help. Think of all the new restaurants and bars that would spring up in the name of purple and gold.

The atmosphere - I personally believe Vikings and Twins fans are some of the most energetic and fun to be around. The Wolves fans are clearly loyal. Combine those three and you have the best party and fanatic atmosphere around. I would thrive in it!

If it were up to me, I would build the new Vikings stadium by Target Field for sure. I need to be president.