Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of taking in the second game ever at Target Field. I got to see the Twins, play my beloved Red Sox. It was great. The stadium is beautiful, set right in downtown Minneapolis. The Twins are fielding a really good, and likable team. Joe Mauer is locked up for the future, which makes the field look 3 times as nice. For at least this year, Minnesota is probably the most fun place to live as a baseball fan. I feel lucky to be here.
It was really a great day. I picked the only game that the Red Sox won in the series. I got to see homers from Pedroia and Cuddyer, two players I really enjoy. I got to endure a little drizzle, but the beginning and end of the game were sunny. The only thing that could have made it better is someone to enjoy it with. My ticket was a last minute purchase, for a day game, so I ended up at a baseball game by myself. This gave me a good 4 hours to think about the following things:
1. Every baseball stadium should be downtown. Almost all new stadiums are going in this direction, and that's a good thing. Skyline views are great. Having places to go before and after the game is great. For people visiting the park from out of town, it gives them the chance to spend the day getting to know the city instead of driving out to a sports complex on the outskirts of town.
2. I'm confused about "Don't Stop Believin'" I'm all for mixing sports and music. And this is a logical song to play at sporting events: inspiring, catchy, recognizable. And I certainly don't think any one team should have the right to play a certain song at their stadium, but this AL Central thing is a little confusing. The Twins play a karaoke version of the song late in the game between innings, and show fans singing on the Jumbotron. Fun and all, but the Chicago White Sox, their biggest rival, made this the theme song of their 2005 World Series Championship run. Steve Perry even showed up at the parade to sing with members of the team. Adding to the confusion is the line in the song that says "born and raised in south Detroit", and you have your fans singing about a city of another divisional rival, the Detroit Tigers. The only division opponents who don't have a stake in this song are the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians (no, Journey, is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). However if this song speaks to any fan base, it should be the Royals. If you haven't stopped believing in the Royals, then you're faith is admirable. Someone needs to figure this out.
3. Tips for appearing to be a knowledgeable fan. I am not so aloof to think that everyone who attends a baseball game needs to know all the ins and outs of baseball. As I've said before, I think anyone can enjoy a baseball game. But here is a little advice.
a. If you are sitting anywhere but directly behind the plate, don't boo balls and strikes, honestly, you can't tell.
b. Don't boo pick-off attempts. Contrary to popular belief, baserunning makes a difference in baseball. A pitcher should not be booed for trying to keep a player a couple steps closer to the base. Baseball is best when sipped slowly.
c. Don't overreact to pop-flys. This is the funniest one. Whenever a bat makes a nice cracking sound and a ball goes in the air, most people assume it is going to be a homer. This is usually not the case. Tip: watch the fielder, if he backs up, or starts to run really hard, it's probably okay to get excited.
4. Target Field is a good name as far a corporate names go. A lot of people bemoan the fact that every field is now named by a corporate sponsors. This does not concern me so much, but I do like when a stadium name is short, easy to remember, and maybe has a double meaning that doesn't automatically make you think of the sponsor every time. Target Field meets these requirements. The United Center in Chicago rarely makes me think of the airline. Tropicana Field makes me think of breakfast. U.S. Cellular field is a mouthful. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is just awful. The Pepsi Center in Denver makes me thirsty. The AT&T Center in San Antonio makes me think of Luke Wilson. The TD Banknorth Garden in Boston makes me cry. Target Field works for me.
5. The jersey rules in practice as they apply to the Twins (read my buying a jersey post for reference).
Rule 2- Jim Thome
Mauer, of course is Rule 4
Hunter, rule 7
That 44 is a Chili Davis jersey, a classic Rule 5
There is also a Puckett jersey in there, which would fit nicely into Paul's "Face of the Franchise" addendum.
I know Twins fans liked Doug Mientkiewicz, but his legacy is now a defensive replacement for the 2004 Red Sox, so this has a little Rule 6 to it. (or the optimistic view would be to say this guy has a Rule 3 relationships with Mientkiewicz)
c. Don't overreact to pop-flys. This is the funniest one. Whenever a bat makes a nice cracking sound and a ball goes in the air, most people assume it is going to be a homer. This is usually not the case. Tip: watch the fielder, if he backs up, or starts to run really hard, it's probably okay to get excited.
4. Target Field is a good name as far a corporate names go. A lot of people bemoan the fact that every field is now named by a corporate sponsors. This does not concern me so much, but I do like when a stadium name is short, easy to remember, and maybe has a double meaning that doesn't automatically make you think of the sponsor every time. Target Field meets these requirements. The United Center in Chicago rarely makes me think of the airline. Tropicana Field makes me think of breakfast. U.S. Cellular field is a mouthful. Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland is just awful. The Pepsi Center in Denver makes me thirsty. The AT&T Center in San Antonio makes me think of Luke Wilson. The TD Banknorth Garden in Boston makes me cry. Target Field works for me.
5. The jersey rules in practice as they apply to the Twins (read my buying a jersey post for reference).
Rule 2- Jim Thome
Mauer, of course is Rule 4Hunter, rule 7
That 44 is a Chili Davis jersey, a classic Rule 5
There is also a Puckett jersey in there, which would fit nicely into Paul's "Face of the Franchise" addendum.
I know Twins fans liked Doug Mientkiewicz, but his legacy is now a defensive replacement for the 2004 Red Sox, so this has a little Rule 6 to it. (or the optimistic view would be to say this guy has a Rule 3 relationships with Mientkiewicz)That's all for now. I look forward to a few more games at Target Field this season, but hopefully with company.
3 comments:
I hope some dissent is okay for my first comments...
Every ballpark should be downtown? Of the many ballparks I've been to, only one of my top five was downtown. Of course, none of them were off a remote exit on the interstate. I know this was the thing to do in the 50's and 60's, but why Dallas and Philly decided to do it again within the past decade is beyond me. But newer downtown stadiums can be cookie cutter in their own way. Cincy, Detroit, and Baltimore are downtown parks that are way better than the prior wave of parks. But the don't stand out. The best ballparks are in neighborhoods. Places more interesting than both the freeway interchange and the central business district. Places like the Back Bay Fens, Lakeview, the South Bronx, or McCovey Cove... all miles away from downtown, and with much more character than if they were sandwiched between the skyscraper, convention center, city hall, and the aquarium.
The one new downtown stadium that does stand out is PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Best park in the majors. I hope to find that Minneapolis' new place is in that class. The pictures look good. Certainly beats the unspeakable monstrosity that its replaced.
Can people sitting in the back section of the lower deck at Wrigley be exempt from the "Don't overreact to pop flys" rule? Also, booing a pickoff attempt and booing balls and strikes is not necessarily a sign of ignorance. It's trying to get into the opposing pitcher's, or umpire's, head. It's the crowd being a good tenth man.
But I should end this by agreeing with something. You are very right about acceptable corporate stadium names. The three beer ballparks are fine, but probably because the companies, like Wrigley, are named after a family name in the first place. I've always thought that the Great American Ballpark sounded fine too. Who really thinks of the insurance company when you hear that name? I've never been to a Padres game solely because I'm afraid I'd go out and buy a hamster.
Tim-dissent is welcome. I enjoy the dialogue. And when someone knows baseball stadiums like you do, I am happy to listen. You're right, I exaggerated. Perhaps it should have read that all ballparks should be incorporated into the city. Baseball stadiums are better as a part of the context of the city (or geography) than when they stand on their own. This may have been a reaction against my experiences at Kaufmann and the Ballpark at Arlington. Or perhaps a reaction against lack of scenery in the Metrodome. My point is that baseball stadiums have a unique opportunity to use scenery, and I think they should.
Also, I see where you're coming from on my tips for fans. Maybe it's something that just bugs me, or maybe I've sat in front of a few too many people actually think they can see balls and strikes from 400 ft. (when the boo is supplemented by a comment like "Looked good to me"). Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. And I really like booing guys for intentionally walking star players, even though it usually makes sense. So maybe I'm a bit of a hypocrite on this. But at the heart of the matter is probably the fact that I was rooting for the away team, so the home fans annoyed me. So maybe, they were just doing their job, getting in the head of the ump, the opposing players, and this Red Sox fan.
I agree about Target Field. Don't like corporate names generally, but this one trips off the tongue.
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