7/1/2011 - Target Field - MLB Ballpark #33

2011 Game #1 Milwaukee Brewers at Minnesota Twins

Final Score: Twins 6, Brewers 2

Hot Dog ("Dinger Dog") - 3/5

 

The last time we came all the way to Minneapolis to see a Twins game, there could have been 20 feet of snow and we would have had a baseball game that started on time.  Well, maybe not 20 feet, but there certainly wouldn't have been a 2 hour, 1 minute rain delay.

The tremendous thunder, lightning, and downpour reminded us of a game we saw on our 2009 road trip.  It was the last game of our 30-park tour in Baltimore.  Tony, Jenny, and Pete joined us and we got absolutely soaked.  We stayed a bit drier here in Minneapolis, but the views were much the same.

Despite this little hiccup, the game was a good one, particularly for Francisco Liriano (pictured at top) and Joe Mauer (pictured just below), who went 4 for 4 on the night.  We also saw Jim Thome's 594th career home run sail into the left field seats.

There was a strong show of support from Brewer fans, since Milwaukee is only a few hours' drive from here.  On the other hand, there were still plenty of Twins fans, who were very excited at the end of the game when the giant neon sign in center field flashed "Twins Win."

Game-time inside the park was a mixed bag.  The concourses were nice and large with great views.  There were many food options as well.  We especially liked how the ushers would hold people back from walking down the aisles during at-bats.  It was a nice, polite thing to do (and not unexpected in this nice, polite part of the country).  The in-game presentation (including music and displays), however, was pretty cheesy/corny.  At least it still featured my favorite lame graphic from 2009 (though upgraded to LED):

Another definite drawback in last night's game was the insane amount of kamikaze (and stupid) moths.  They were giant, and dive-bombing like crazy.  It got so bad that we ended up leaving our seats in the nosebleeds and heading for a less infested (though still buggy) standing room section.  Of course, they weren't intentionally dive-bombing the fans, but rather they were falling out of the sky when they got tired of crashing into the field lights at the top of the stadium's overhang.

After the game ended (a little before midnight, Central Time), there was a lackluster fireworks display.  We were both disappointed in the quality of the show.  There were very few giant ones, and there were mostly single blips of differing colors.  Prior to last night's display, I had never been bored by a fireworks presentation.  Maybe the Minnesota stadium planning people just aren't used to planning fireworks, since it's been so long since they have had an outdoor stadium.  Whatever the reason, it was a boring show.

Overall, we would rank the Target Field experience on par with Nationals Park in Washington.  It was nice, and new, but nothing special or particularly memorable.

-Karyn (& Rich)