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Nine For NineWorking My Way Around Target FieldJune 17, 2011 2:46 AM Let's go! Batter up! We're taking the afternoon off! Spectacularly beautiful. Those are the only words which can describe the weather, as well as the time I had, out at Target Field today. These are the types of days you dream about when you're shoveling snow, or sitting in a meeting, or doing just about anything which isn't out at the ballpark. I stepped out my back door, took one look at the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, and started singing to no one in particular: It's a beautiful day for a ball game, for a ball game today... My goal for today: See each inning from a different vantage point. With nine innings, I could see nine sections. There are way more than nine sections, of course (152 to be exact), and more than nine ticketing levels (I count 23), so I had to pick a representative sampling that would let me do some comparing and contrasting. I decided to work my way around from right to left, ending out in right-center. But I didn't want to get too lost in observation and note-taking, so I also resolved to watch the game closely and keep score. It wound up being the first game I scored completely (without cheating by looking on my phone for something I missed) since Target Field opened. It was an awesome experience, and I'll give you the end of the story first. Though the views varied widely, each section had advantages and disadvantages, sometimes correlated with pricing, sometimes not. Target Field is a great place to have a baseball party, but a darn good place to see a game too. My opinion of what I experienced may not match yours or anyone else's, but that's the great thing about having 40,000 seats. There's something for everyone. And on this day, that something also included blue sky, sunshine, the perfect temperature, and a terrific Twins win. 1st Inning - Field View 301, Row 2 ($14) Blackburn and Buerhle each sent the hitters down 1-2-3. Twins 0, White Sox 0 I decided to start out as far from the action as you can get in the main grandstand. At the first pitch, the section was sparsely populated, but it would eventually be full -- just like every place else. It feels distant, without a doubt, but it recalled very closely the view I eventually got used to over at the Metrodome. Indeed, when the two seating charts are superimposed, this section matches almost identically to the old Family Section. It's not a bad thing. You're at the game and you still have some cash for food. Just don't expect to be much of an armchair umpire out there. Between the angle and the distance, the strike zone is pure guesswork. The main scoreboard, on the other hand, was perfectly positioned for viewing from here. As I removed my cap for the Star-Spangled Banner, the gentleman behind me leaned forward and asked if I went to many games. Tough question to answer because I know lots of people who go to many more games than I do. But I also knew from the conversation I'd overheard, that I go to a whole lot more than they do. It was a bus tour group from Watertown, South Dakota in for two games. (They expressed great relief that they hadn't been scheduled to see Tuesday's rainout.) In addition to baseball, they had gambled and stayed at Mystic Lake, and visited the Mall of America. They were playing a little bit of trivia: Who is the only current MLB manager born in South Dakota? Who hit the first regular season home run at Target Field? And they were talking about the big thrill of the trip: meeting organist Sue Nelson. Every time she played, they perked up, and expressed delight that they'd been able to get a picture with her which could grace the front page of the home town newspaper. The two guys I chatted with were totally charming, and absolutely tickled to be at the game. If you've never lived outside the Twin Cities, it may be hard to understand what that's like. But I have, and I do. 2nd Inning - Right Field Bleachers 141, Row 10 ($21) Nishi made the first of two amazing stops which unfortunately couldn't be turned into outs. The White Sox couldn't capitalize on two hits and a Blackburn throwing error, but Michael Cuddyer put the Twins on the board. Twins 1, White Sox 0 As I made my way down, tons of people were streaming in gates 29 and 34 and up the escalators. What are you people doing? I thought. You've already missed an inning! I was moving against the current, and though I had originally planned a different move, I found myself only able to get to the bleachers. The last row was empty, and I sat down in the last seat, as far in from the foul pole as the bleachers go. It wasn't unbearable, but it would turn out to be the worst seat (and most overpriced) that I sat in all day. In addition to the discomfort of the bleacher seating, the sightlines were lousy and the aisle traffic was horrendous. This turns out to be due to two unrelated factors. First, the aisle which goes to section 141 also is pretty convenient for people sitting on the outside edge of 101. Rather than making everybody in their row stand, they can just hop a short fence. Makes sense -- and traffic. Second, the signage is pretty bad. The sign above the aisle actually says "141 | 140" and a lot of people came down the aisle thinking they were in section 140.
As I settled in, a woman appeared at my elbow, holding the ticket to the seat I was in, so I slid down. As I did, I caught the back of my leg on the sharp corner of the bleacher and created a nice scratch. I don't like seats that bite me. I asked my new seatmate if she had family or friends coming who would fill up the row. She explained that she'd gotten the ticket at work, and thought she might see some coworkers there, but did not. Turns out that Wells Fargo had purchased the seats and sold them to employees at the STH cost of $17. Then they said to the folks who bought the tickets: We're taking the afternoon off! Pretty generous, if you ask me. Would your employer do that? She also told me a story about a friend who worked for Target and had recently celebrated her 30th service anniversary with the company. In lieu of a party, she had opted to see a Twins game, and her boss sprung for seats in the Champions Club. Once again, pretty generous. Would your employer do that? Ultimately, I felt rather isolated from the action in this seat. I was at the game, but also held at arm's length. Not particularly pleasant. Maybe it would have been more pleasant if my employer had given me the afternoon off to be there (and sung a few bars of that song).
3rd Inning - Field Box 103, Row 17 ($36) Blackburn again sent the Sox down in order, and the Twins were unable to make anything out of a hit batsman and a walk. Buerhle got three flyouts to center in a row. Twins 1, White Sox 0 My new seat was almost on a straight line running from my previous seat toward home plate. But that's about all it had in common with it. I was now a whole lot closer, and the action started to seem much more immediate. Plays at first base were a joy to watch. And being down closer to the field level lets you appreciate so much more the skill needed to field even that routine grounder to second. For the first time of the day, I felt sunshine on the back of my neck (the previous two seats had been in the shade), got a glimpse of right field (invisible from the previous two seats), and heard the rhythmic patter of in-seat vendors -- and lots of them. At least five beer guys (dispensing four beers for $29, yikes!) came and went during that inning, as well as a noisy hot dog guy, a more sedate popcorn girl, and a couple others that I managed to block out. Since I was on the outside of the section, this didn't really bother me because it was all happening behind my back. Had I been on the other end of the row, with the marketplace between me and the game, it would have made me crazy, likely spoiling the experience. My rule for the lower deck: always sit on the outside of a section. To check a batting average, I sought out the main scoreboard, and discovered it to be a very large head swivel and tilt away. That's hardly a comfortable move. I could tell that, unless I really needed to know something, I wouldn't be looking up there very often. (Score one for the cheap seats.) The guy I sat down next to had a light blue, mid-70s Killebrew jersey on, though he looked way too young to have been a fan back in those days. He said he'd purchased it "about a month ago" for $40 (which included shipping) on some Japanese web site. It looked good, but just had to be a knock-off, complete with convincing reproductions of the Majestic logo. But he gets props for buying it as a tribute. Know your heroes, people. The quality of this seat matched its price quite nicely. Being down low, while intimate to infield plays, has the disadvantage of not being able to get the overview of the field. (Score another for the cheap seats.) Personally, I would miss that, but could see how these would be just great for many people. 4th Inning - Home Plate Box 116, Row 23 ($53+) Each team had a single, of which nothing came. Nishi started a double-play. And Cuddyer avoided running into one by turning around and racing back to first after Hughes struck out. Twins 1, White Sox 0 It was time to try out a couple of heavy hitter sections. Getting there was tough and time-consuming because the main concourse remained completely frantic with people. Why don't you people go sit down?!? I sat down next to Harrison from Oshkosh, who was finishing up a plate of loaded nachos. He and some friends had come in just for the series, staying at the W Hotel, and one of the girlfriends was still at least an inning away from the ballpark, so he was happy to share her seat with me for an inning. He said they had tickets to all of the games in the series, and were disappointed to have been rained out on Tuesday. I asked if he thought they could road trip again for the make-up game, and it clearly had not crossed his mind. I had planted a seed... A Brewers fan, he said that he wondered why there was no roof here (he also said he was a fan of Safeco), but admitted that he'd not seen a ballpark nicer than TF. (He also chafed visibly at the thought of Prince Fielder as a Cub. "What the Brewers need to do is win the World Series this year so he'll want to sign with them." Not a bad plan, I suppose.) The seats were under the Legends Club overhang, so we were several rows into the shade, a welcome development. Despite the cover, the main scoreboard was still fully visible, and only an easy eye movement away. We were also behind the netting, which I always find to be distracting. But not nearly as distracting as the giant head which was right in front of me. That guy was a little tall, but not that much. Concern about who is sitting in front of you is warranted in these parts. Sightlines, I gotta say, were marginal at best. It may get better as you get lower, but I don't think that's a guarantee. It's a subject for further research. From what I could see, the immediacy of the fielding plays was more muted, but the batter's task now became the primary focus. When you see the pitches coming from this angle, you understand just a little bit more why someone might swing at something that started on one trajectory, then took a nasty turn. You can also see how judging pitch speed is tremendously difficult. You also get a deep sense of the distance from the plate to the fences. They look almost impossibly far away. Who would think they could hit a ball that far? I didn't ask what the guys had paid for the tickets (what with it being a variable pricing section, there's no way for me to know without asking, though with Stubhub, that's true throughout the park). Some will believe that these seats justify a higher price, but I would agree only to a certain extent. Even the STH price of $53 seems like too much for the back of this section. Maybe that would be OK for the front, but these seats were just OK. Frankly, if I'm going to sit right behind home plate, I'd rather be either in the Champions Club, where the hitter's game really fills your eyes, or up higher, where a general overview is possible. To each his own, I guess. 5th Inning - Dugout Box 15, Row 8 ($82) Again, each team has a hit, but nothing comes of it. Blackburn and Buerhle are dueling, both on cruise control. Twins 1, White Sox 0 Across the moat, it's a different world. Worth the price? Maybe. This is the section just beyond the end of the Visitor's dugout, and it was relatively sparsely-populated. In fact, it was kind of like the crowd density back in 301. With the rest of the ballpark now almost completely full, it took me a while to figure out where everyone went. The most notable feature here is the very high danger level. You're not behind netting, and the hitter seems to be pretty close. I didn't have my glove, but certainly wished I had. For the most part, people seemed pretty unaware of the potential doom. The guy behind me brought his glove, but it was sitting on the ground next to my feet. Here you get to observe closely the life of a third base coach. It's a lot of clapping, roaming, talking to umps, and tapping various portions of your anatomy. With a runner on third, I'm sure it's quite exciting. (Contrast this with the first base coach's life, which appears to be mostly whispering and batting helmet management.) Also, you can get a glimpse of why it's called the "hot corner". The third baseman's job appears even harder than the second baseman's, as the "routine" grounders are fewer and farther between. Everything seems to be faster, harder. This isn't news, of course, but it's quite something to watch, and these seats are a great place to do it. Don't plan on doing much scoreboard-watching from here, however. It's way, way up there, and hard to see clearly -- kind of like looking at your LCD TV from the side. Also, you will be forgiven if the seat angle reminds you of the Metrodome just a little. These seats are not articulated toward home plate. They essentially face straight forward, more or less toward center field. I have come to believe that Populous uses a formula something like this: If some portion of the infield is within 15 degrees of straight forward, there is no need to articulate either the section or the seats. Just a hunch. The crick in your neck, on the other hand, could be very real. As something of an offset, for the first (and only) time of the day, I sat on a cushioned seat. This may be the big advantage down there. They certainly are comfortable. I sat down in an empty row, and before the inning was up, some of the occupants returned. They weren't in a very good mood -- certainly no mood to talk to some stranger. I didn't even try. But they were loaded down with food and drink, including a cheese dog which almost immediately spread its payload all over this guy's pants. That's when I noticed that people were returning all around me, and they all had food. And it was then that I realized why the place was so empty: There were hardly any in-seat vendors, and it's a very long walk to the main concourse to get a snack. And even though there's a very handy concession stand nearby in the Third Base Lounge, apparently not everybody in these seats is aware of it. Or maybe they think it's exclusive somehow. I overheard one conversation in which an usher was enlightening a fan about it, actually trying to convince him to go down there and check it out! Apparently, the family in this row had trudged all the way up to the main concourse, fought the crowds, stood in the long lines, and then made their way slowly back down. With the way these guys were pitching, I bet that trip took at least two innings. Know your ballpark, people. 6th Inning - Left Field Bleachers 129 ($23) The Sox strand Alexei Ramirez at third, and the Twins go quietly. Twins 1, White Sox 0 Now to the outfield, where value is always a prerequisite, and the immediacy of the game has diminished substantially. Prices have also gone down. But enough? Once again, getting here was very time-consuming due to the crowds. The gate 6 corner is usually among the less-traveled during the game, but it contains a little choke point as you come around the pro shop. Even with the seating bowl appearing essentially full, there were all these people filling up that path. The attendance came in just under 40K. The place wasn't sold out. So where do these people belong? Once I found a bleacher seat, I noticed immediately that things are more leisurely out here. Lots of people are eating ice cream or nachos. I'm back to bleacher seats, but these don't bite me. There's room to stretch out (though, as commenter Chad points out, stretching may lead to kicking of the person in front of you, or being kicked yourself from behind). It's actually a very cozy atmosphere, and you do really feel like you should be ready to catch a home run ball. Here your glove is more a source of potential souvenir than an implement of self-defense. Sightlines are excellent.
In terms of the game, you are now living the life of a left fielder. For each pitch, he has to get himself set and focused, then relax and shake it off when the ball goes somewhere else. He'll repeat this process 100 times or more per game. Juan Pierre would get three chances to touch the ball in this game; Jason Repko, one. I remember playing in the outfield. Existential questions flit through your mind. If I weren't here, would anybody notice? If I slipped into this scoreboard for a moment, would the world come to an end? You actually come to believe that, since the chances of needing to do anything are so slim, you can probably just enjoy the sky and clouds and grass until you hear the crack of the bat. (Snoopy and Lucy come to mind here.) So, you gotta admire the professionals. It might look easy at first, but when you really watch, it's a mental game of staying ready for the physical game. I think a lot of people would find this section to be a pretty good balance between price and location. But the family in front of me had a different opinion: "These seats...not so much." 7th Inning - Home Run Porch Terrace 233 ($24) Offense has dwindled to almost nothing. Each half-inning featured a walk. And Nishi did the turn on a double-play. Get right back on the horse, eh? Twins 1, White Sox 0 Up and out, and it feels like it. All around the ballpark, the Terrace level is made up of small sections which hang off the front of the upper concourse. In the outfield, these are actually a full level lower than in the main grandstand, the height of which must accommodate the Legends Club. In other words, out here, you're sitting at the same height relative to the field as the Legends Club. (If you think of Target Field as a six-story building, which it is, the upper concourse of the main grandstand is on the fifth floor, while in the outfield it's the third floor.) But while the height may be the same, the distance is much greater. And being so distant, and nicely shielded from the fracas in progress on the concourse behind you, these little sections are actually very quiet. There's something about the configuration, maybe it's the brick wall at the back, or just the presence of only five rows, but every conversation can be heard. Just behind me, a girl sat on the steps in the aisle (sleeping usher, I think) and carried on a whispered conversation with a guy sitting in his seat at the end of the row. Seriously, she was whispering. (I wasn't trying to hear her, and could not, but I couldn't help noticing how weird that was in a building filled with 40,000 people.) But the acoustics also made it possible to really appreciate the roar of the crowd coming from the main grandstand. TV and radio just can't accurately capture that sound. It's part whoosh of air, part white water rapids, part freight train, part wild animal stampede, and part tornado. Even when nothing much is happening, the murmur of the crowd on the other side of the field is crystal clear, and it sounds a little like an engine idling quietly, or maybe a gentle rainfall. Because this section faces the sun, the seat back was pleasantly warm when I sat down. The sun had been dancing with the clouds all day, but the warm seat reminded me that, were it not for those clouds, these seats would be cooking. That's why these seats are among the first to empty out on hot days. The 7th inning stretch came, and out in this region was accompanied by much photography at the railing. Moments later I heard a hot dog guy enter the section. "Hot dogs! Hey, what inning is it? Bottom of the 7th? Oh! LAST CALL for hotdogs!" The view of the game from up here is nice, but there is no semblance of immediacy. You're in a cheap seat, and it feels like it. It's one notch from watching on TV (for some, that's a notch down, by the way.) But for those who just want to be in the ballpark, it'll do. ($5 cheaper and I might change my tune.) One last thing. I came to realize that you lose a lot of stats out here since you can't see a whole bunch of ribbon boards or the out-of-town scoreboard. Obviously, you also can't see the main scoreboard. The new auxiliary scoreboard is a godsend for these seats (though I think they're still figuring out how to best use it). And that brings me to a pet peeve I was reminded of while sitting here: I still have no idea where to look in this ballpark for scoring decisions. Maybe they could electrify that Thome home run sign and light the H for a hit and the E for an error. Something. Anything. Please! 8th Inning - Home Run Porch View 333 ($21) Blackburn gives up a couple of hits, one of which involved another amazing stop by Nishi. With Buerhle done, Jesse Crain's errant pick-off attempt moves Nishi to second. But that would be it. Twins 1, White Sox 0 Much as I didn't want to, I continued my climb toward the sky, this time settling into the front row of one of those little eight-seat sections above the stairwells. A grandfather with three grandkids sat in the row behind me. On my way up, I thought I might get a burger (having not eaten a thing all day). But the line was extraordinarily long, a mystery explained when I found my new seat. The grandfather explained that he'd purchased the tickets, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they come with a coupon for a hot dog and soda. Aha! Now, I thought immediately that these seats are pretty lousy, but I'd been on a wild ride for the seven previous innings, so it may have clouded my judgement. I decided to ask directly for a review from those who had been sitting here for the whole afternoon. It was a dumb question, I know, because everyone says the same thing about tickets they've paid good money for. "They're pretty good -- for the money." Not overly enthusiastic, but a reasonable reaction. The food was also mentioned as a mitigating factor. But a few moments later, when not responding to a direct question posed by a stranger, I heard the truth come out. "Boy, I can't pick the ball up off the bat at all," said the grandfather to his grandson, who readily agreed. One positive was that the little sections of eight seats turned out to be OK for traffic flow. There was more traffic, of course, because you're surrounded by aisle on three sides, but it wasn't an impediment to seeing anything, and was easily ignored. These outfield View sections are sold a lot to groups, and they really fit that purpose beautifully. If you really want to be at the game, go for it. But if you have a choice between this and anything in the main grandstand View sections, take the latter. You'll probably be happier. 9th Inning - SRO behind Pavilion 133 ($26-ish standing, $25 for a seat) Matt Capps can't get the 1-2-3, but he gets the save. Twins 1, White Sox 0 My plan was to finish the game in a Pavilion seat, but it was not to be. The section was still pretty full, and there's not much to it -- only five rows. So, with tons of people standing quietly behind the seats (many featuring oddly blank stares), and ushers able to see everything, empty seats remain empty. This is the only area of the ballpark where I found this to be the case (and the only area I've ever found an usher who was routinely, shall we say, less-than-smiley). So I did the only thing I could and pulled up behind a couple of tall guys to watch the top of the ninth. The view is typical outfield, and as tight with the action as seats so high off the ground can be. Given that there is a roof above your head, it's a very different experience from sitting in the Overlook (which I've done on several occasions), though the view is comparable. The shade, on a day like today, was welcome. At $25, these seats are priced just about right. Deep in my heart, I hope someday they move the fences in by about five feet in right center, and replace these seats with a sort of Green Monster Seat equivalent. Imagine a section tiered down (similar to the Bud Deck), much closer to the action, with high-top tables. Good for the offense, if nothing else. After sitting for the previous eight innings, I was ready to stand, but the drop in immediacy is off the charts. The SRO option is truly just for the person who wants a foot in the door for the event. The hope is, I guess, that once the novelty of the ballpark wears off a bit, they won't be able to sell as many of these. Ultimately, all the milling about by the seatless is pretty annoying, and kind of depressing. With less SRO being sold, the park could return to the way it was originally intended to work, i.e. people with seats can stretch their legs a bit and still see the game. That's just not possible in the current environment. Of course, as we've learned, days of uncomfortable temperatures also push people from seats to standing areas. The open design does have its downsides. But as SRO spots go, this was actually among the least crowded that I saw. I had two tall guys in front of me, but could see pretty well between them, enough at least for half an inning. Thankfully, the top of the 9th was just about as fast as everything which had gone before. Total time of game: 2:09! Twins win! Spectacularly beautiful. CommentsTo utilized enhanced comment features, please enable cookies in your browser. As usual Rick, well written. Sounds like a fun adventure. The thing about the pavilion seats, I sat there 3 or 4 times last year. First, they are not padded and are quite narrow. Two there is an Usher out there near section 132 who is an ass to people going to sit down until they show their tickets showing they belong. He sort of reminds me of the the ushers that used to sit near the metal gates on the upper concourse of the dome preventing people from going from the GA to the Reserved. That being said the view from those seats is amazing, especially in the front row. Plus you can talk to the Center Fielder, now if he talks back is a different story. I enjoyed reading this! Seeing many vantage points! Nice post Rick! Oops. You're right, Duffman. No padding out there. And the seats are very skinny. And that guy is an ass -- the only TF usher I've run into who is. I was starting to drift as I was writing. I will make the proper amends. Posted on June 17, 2011 at 09:13 AM by Rick 3 I love the fact that you (Rick) comment on the perspective of the players or coaches view point and not just the view of the game. Behind home plate and the offensive perspective, defensive perspective pretty much anywhere else. The immediacy of the hot corner (my former domain), the skill of digging out a bad throw at first or getting a good read on a fly ball in the outfield, especially when in the 100 level seats. The TV perspective in the upper outfield seats (minus all the close ups of batters). The impending fear you get when you realize you are dangerously close in those box seats. Things you don't normally think about until you are able to get those varying perspectives in a short time frame. Well written. Brought me back to my playing days at 3B for sure. The fear I had playing there even though I constantly was playing on the edge of the infield grass. Crazy. Wow Rick you were just a few rows in front of me down in 15. Those are great seats, but if there is a negative it is that they are not at all turned toward Home Plate and result in some major head-turning. Also because of this and the flat plane, they are very subject to obstructions from a tall fan down the row in front of you. Great write. I sat in a left field bleacher seat late last year, and while I like the location, it's far too easy to accidentally kick the person in front of you. They need another small bar running all the way across the back at foot level to stop that. Nice report Rick, I move around most of the game also! Is it hard to get into the moat? I know they have ushers there. I suppose around the 8th inning in a blow out game one could get down there pretty easy! Have they announced the makeup date for tuesdays game yet? Twink- I asked an usher if I could go down into DB during the blow-out rain game against Texas, to see if I could find my parents. The answer was a firm "no". I only scanned over the Rick's post so far, so didn't see how he made it down there. Interested in hearing that. Would like to see us sweep the Padres this 3 game series and really turn up the heat. Baby Jesus back along with Nishy should help. Starting pitching has been unbelievable the last 15 or so games! Love the beautiful day for a ballgame video! I think WCCO radio or TV used to play that song before the ball games back in the mid to late 60's! I crossed the moat with permission. You might be able to do it without, but the ushers at those staircases are pretty vigilant. I wouldn't recommend it. Posted on June 17, 2011 at 10:05 AM by Rick 10 Jctwins I used to use that line all the time for the Twins games at the old met. Buy the $1.50 wooden bleacher seats behind 3rd base line and then go past the ushers about the 3rd inning and I'm sitting behind home plate in the box seats! I'm too old to use the looking for my parents line now! LOL! Ha, it wasn't even a "line" I really was trying to find my parents, who were sitting in my seats down there! But point taken. The Home Run Porch ought to be converted to a general admission pricing structure. They are the worst seats in the house and also the worst value IMO. You have to deal with the sun, no view of the scoreboard, furthest from the action, etc. Awesome post Rick! I looked for the back of my head in your picture from 128. I was in my (my = 5 games a year that I buy from my friend who has season tix) front row seats yesterday. Love those seats. The added video board makes them even better! The only negative to them is that there must have been an extra person in our row or something, because it was a little tight yesterday. (OK, I'll stop being nice - the people next to us were "bigger boned.") That would be the negative with bleacher seating. I find it difficult to walk around the stadium too much because I'm afraid I'll either: I fall more in love with Target Field and the game every time I go. Yeah, I might be drinking ALOT of the Kool-Aid, but that's just me! Nice read Rick! Sounds to me like the usher in 132 is actually doing his/her job. I never mind when an usher wants to see my ticket, only takes a few seconds. Personally I would vote yes for fans being ejected for switching seats without usher approval. It's pretty much the same as stealing or shop lifting. It still amazes me the ovation for Mauer at his return tonight. I was not able to attend the game tonight, but if I were there, I would not have joined the masses to stand and applaud. Mauer is coming back from an injury to where progress was kept quiet and we were left guessing. If Joe was coming back from a ball to the jaw or a broken leg like Nishi, I could see an ovation, but it will take at least 5-10 games of strong showing for me to get back on the cheering wagon for Mauer. I wish him and the Twins success, but I would not have standing and celebrating his return. Hmm, reactions to Mauer's injury seem pretty diverse. Half the world thinks he's being a wimp, that the team is babying him, and that he should probably have been playing all this time. The other half fears that the real problem is much bigger than anybody is willing to say, and is holding their breath hoping he can return to form. And there are others. Sid thinks it's Lyme disease. I think it's a combination of off-season surgery and stress from the expectations of a new contract. Somebody out there probably thinks it's alien probes or voodoo. But regardless of which camp you're in, what do you do when you're at the ballpark, and you're happy to see someone that you haven't seen for a long time and have truly missed? Ovate. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 02:29 AM by Rick 17 Rick, I do understand and he is Minnesota's hometown boy and it was nice to see him in action. I would have definitely cheered, but not sure if I would have stood and applauded, as I prob would have also been wearing a Mauer jersey. This coming from someone who doesn't think he's being a wimp, but one who thinks the situation could have been handled differently, especially the contention that was faced on the path to return. Speaking of getting to know the ballpark the twins have a new interactive stadium map on their site. They say is new but its probably been there I just have not noticed it till now but click the link anyways if you have not seen it. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 03:33 AM by Leroy 19 Dave- Its not a matter of him doing his job or not. The problem is he is a dick to everyone even if you belong there, until you prove those are your seats. Not exactly someone who should be in guest relations. Save being a dick for the people who dont belong and dont move after being asked/told to. I'll second Duffman. The ushers at TF are so great that a couple of very unpleasant ones really stand out, even when they're just doing what they are there to do. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 09:36 AM by Rick 22 Just want to note here that the above post has been extensively rewritten and the images have all been spruced up. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 09:38 AM by Rick 23 Last night at the game it was nice to see 7 run on to the field to warm up the pitcher..I would say it was 90% cheers when he came up to bat..I'm as pissed as anybody for him basically missing 1/2 a season but I cheered,not like a madman but just happy to have him back.The player who declares he WANTS to be a MLB catcher is no wimp..Watch a game sometime and watch EVERY pitch and see what a beating a catcher takes. I'm starting to understand. From today's Reusse crapfest: "I was convinced -- listening to sports talk radio for the past couple weeks -- that there were going to be plenty of boos for Joe when he finally came back." Ah, yes. The World of Endlessly Pointless Mostly Braindead Yammering (i.e. talk radio) has declared that Mauer was fit to play all along and has been lounging around with the unicorns and rainbows of the Florida spring training facility instead of facing the grueling reality of a major league schedule. Shirker! The incontrovertible proof cited is the fact that the Twins chose not to give updates every 15 minutes on what Joe was doing and which portion of his bilateral legs were weak at the moment. Clearly that can only mean that Joe is a wimp and the Twins are f-ing morons who should have unloaded him (installing the so-much-higher-potential-and-less-cost-for-a-few-years Wilson Ramos at catcher) while he had some value. Bad ideas can be seductive. And listening to this kind of crap is a genuine risk to your intelligence. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 10:32 AM by Rick 25 SRO for $16? Everytime I've bought SRO (at least 10 times), the ticket was $26. "The world of endlessly pointless mostly braindead yammering (i.e. talk radio" I've often thought someone should do a study, complete with MMPI's, of the people who call in to talk radio. "Thanks fer takin' my call. Longtime listener, first time caller. I got a question and a comment [followed by a five minute monologue of varying degrees of inanity] Right? I'll hang up and listen." Saltfarmer, I misread the price chart. That's the Bud Deck SRO price. Anybody know for certain what the regular SRO price is for "Select" games? Posted on June 18, 2011 at 11:15 AM by Rick 28 If it's $25 for a Pavilion seat and $26 for SRO, something is way out of whack. Of course, the market price is whatever somebody will pay. But if I'm the Twins, and I'm selling out my SRO at $26, then my actual seats are seriously under-priced. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 12:02 PM by Rick 29 Rick, what does that mean about the Overlook and even Field View and Skyline view... Personally, I think it is fine if those tickets are priced $26, etc. I do not think any section is under-priced,as those $26 generally do not sell unless there is a sell-out of close to. Just like when demand is low, those seats will likely not sell. As long as demand is high, some tickets may seem under-priced, as those are the same price for July games, as they are for late September...and who knows how popular those tickets will be. Hopefully they are highly popular and we are in a pennant race. I was at the pro shop the other day and there was a guy buying SRO seats and he asked why they were so expensive. Her response was because you can stand behind home plate if you choose to. It made a little more sense to me after she said it, though I do still think they are high. I've been hating on Mauer as much as anyone... call me a homer... but for some odd reason, I was the first person in my section to stand up for his first AB. I think it may have been due to how sick I've been of seeing Drew Butera. I guess I like seeing a catcher who hits .327, more than one who hits .127. Apparently the issue of preferred access to McCartney tix is resolved. Ben, has anyone listed the reason it fell through? My guess is the grass issue. TK, Every indication is that the Twins really wanted the concert to happen but couldn't make the schedule work. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 3:49 PM by Rick 36 C'mon Rick. The company line of "Sir Paul's schedule conflict" is code for he wanted more $$ than the Twins were willing to dish out... My point: It wasn't about the kind of green you mow. Posted on June 18, 2011 at 4:33 PM by Rick 38 On May 29 I had a tall glass off Kool-Aid and it was delicious. I went to my computer and said on here the Twins have a schedule I think that will benefit them with an okay road test and then some home cooking. I further stated that I could see the Twins go 15-5 in that 20 game stretch. I did not foresee the Twins to go 0-3 at Comerica, and especially didn't see the Twins sweeping a 4-game series from the Royals. Since May 29, the Twins are 13-5 and with a solid effort tomorrow have a chance to go 14-5 with one game being PPD with rain. I hope the Twins can continue their ways and continue to playing strong fundamental baseball, seeing the ball well, and solid pitching from start to finish. I have ripped on this team like no other, but I have never lost faith in this club. Looking forward to what else this season can bring, we are not close yet, but we have started by welcoming the Royals to the floor! After going 1 for 5 last year at TF, I am proud to say that this year I am 2 for 2 in the win column! Seriously though, this ballclub needs to learn how to score more than just one run. Luke, I could care less how many runs the Twins score, as long as it is 1 more than their opponent. Twins new they had a tough match-up with Stauffer going 15+scoreless innings and a bullpen that has been solid. Maybe my math is fuzzy, but a really sh!tty month of baseball followed by a really strong month of baseball = .500. I'd suggest holding off on that tall glass of "OH YEAH!!" until the Twins can put up more than 1 or 2 runs a game. That doesn't work over the long run, and they're still last in the American League. I will say this though: they're at least no longer dreadful to watch, at least right now. Another note: Morrneau on the DL might not be a bad thing. The lineup shuffling it creates can allow Revere to play even more. (Delmon to DH; Kubel to RF; Cuddy to first -- that is if Denard comes back soon.) Sadly, me thinks Morneau's career is coming to a fast halt. TTH The Twins have scored more than 2 runs in 12 of 16 games this month. 2 games they have scored only 1 run and it came in 1-0 wins. The other team is probably thinking the same thing in those instances. I could care less. I might have to hold on to those September tickets yet....regardless of what we all think of Mauer and his injury and contract, we all have to root for him because frankly, the future of our franchise pretty much rides on his ability to stay healthy and hit .340. This team is winning with the same AAA lineup if was losing with all those weeks. Give credit to Cuddy and Casilla, who have upped their games significantly. I was high on Blackburn before the season started, and he has not disappointed. But, I did not envision this out of Moonshot Scott. This rotation is starting to look like the Phillies. I think I've gotten my answer: Cuddy will be going to Phoenix in mid-July. "...the Twins 'new'"? Sorry, I just thought it was funny. Wow look at all the fair weather fans come back to the team after so confidently declaring their demise in the second week of the year. Like I said standings do not matter until after the 4th of July. Side note when did they put meters in on the street over by the Holiday? Luke, yes, I did mean knew, do not proof read as well when I use my cell phone. Duffman, I think many of those that have posted lately have been here all along. The tone has changed and the things many of have been gripping about have turned around. I cannot recall the last time we had an 8th inning meltdown. I have been a Butera hater ever since he started on his way down towards (.100). I think the thought of going back to AAA with the return of Mauer has really given him motivation and confidence lately. Butera had more hits today than our other catcher and DH combined. Since I spent the first couple of months bitching on this blog, I have to give credit where credit is due. The starting pitching has been awesome, Alexi Casilla looks like a different player, Alex Burnett has been clutch, Tolbert gets key hits. A very impressive turnaround indeed! I hope they boys can keep this up and stay in the race. It makes for a much more interesting summer! It's very good to see the team making a good account of itself - always fun to watch good baseball. Those that were bitching, however, were only calling a spade a spade. The Padres violated baseball's cardinal rule; you never pitch to Butera with the game on the line! Seriously though, could the game have ended in anything but a Twins win after that wonderful and emotional rendition of the national anthem by that autistic boy? Terry, couldn't agree more. Such courage and the ovation was wonderful. I have never seen a home plate umpire cheer so loud and long after the National Anthem. They did more than call a spade a spade, Ben. They chastized anyone who uttered anything positive about the Twins and accused them of drinking the Kool-Aid. They proclaimed the team to be losers and the entire season a bust after just a month. Now that the Twins have been the hottest team in baseball since June 2nd, one could certainly argue that what they perceived as a spade really waasn't a spade. Anyone out there still confident the Twins will lose 100 games? clicky for pics of the Aluminum Aquarium (aka Chase Field's younger brother) from Miami. Posted on June 19, 2011 at 9:20 PM by luke 56 Couldn't help but notice how quiet Ben, TTH, and Kevo have been lately. I imagine them rocking back and forth pissing an moaning about how well the Twins have been doing this month and how the Kool-Aid drinkers are winning. It really is a sad way to pass the season if you ask me. Pissed off when they are losing, pissed off when they are winning Well the streak is over or is it? My kid used the tickets yesterday and won. I'm still 0-6 for games I have gone to @ Target Field. My next game is June 29th vs Dodgers. Would be nice to see the boys take the next 2 series. Would settle with 3-3. Will be a tough little road trip with Giants and the Brew crew. The Giants are on a mini slump, I hope we are not the team to make them hot again. My guess is we will see some pretty close games this week. I think we can take 2 of 3. Really looking forward to the Duensing/Lincecum match-up. Just came across this site. It's very well written and very detailed. Since I too was at this game I thought I'd share some pictures I took. You can see them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benckphotos/sets/72157626866904107/with/5841110957/ I decided to do something different that game since it was a nice sunny day. So I stood out near the left field foul pole and took pictures with a very long lens to get those shots. Normally I sit down near the field next to 1st base. I've got photos posted there of 6 out of the last 9 home games. Anyway, I look forward to seeing the next article on this site! Posted on June 20, 2011 at 3:18 PM by Ben C. K. 60 Nice photos Ben! Is EXIF available on Flickr? Normally I can see it, but can't see it right now. Interested in what body and lens you are shooting with. BTW, the Casilla flip was nicely captured and the face of Nishi making the "ooooowwwhhh" face is excellent. Headed to California. I have a feeling that AT&T will become Target Field West the next 3 days. Should be fun. Remember rookies: No shorts at the ballpark or you'll freeze. The breeze off the bay is strong and you aren't far from Candlestick Park. Long pants and sweatshirts are the protocol in SFO during the summer months in San Francisco... Why do you need long pants and a sweatshirt at the San Francisco airport? No doubt this team is much more fun to watch right now and they are playing better. I still predict 90+ losses and a third place finish. I don't think the pitching will last, the team lacks toughness and chemistry, and not enough power/clutch hitting. Ah, yes... "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Usually good advice, but right now SF in in the middle of a good ol' fashioned Midwestern-style heat wave. Offshore winds making for sunny and 80/clear and 60s for Tues. Might be smart to dress in layers, Max. Too bad so many of our big LH sticks are out; sure would be nice to see us put a few HRs in the cove. Wed. brings back the usual onshore breezes and that familiar fog, highs either side of 60. We're in Healdsburg right now where it's 95 and almost too hot for wine tasting... Driving down the coast tomorrow for a few days in the city and really looking forward to our game on Thurs. aft. We could become a "cold Omaha" in a couple years: Posted on June 20, 2011 at 10:28 PM by luke 68 How would it become a "Cold Omaha"? When you consider we would still have the Twins and the Wild. Plus, while I do not follow basketball, I do tend to visit Vegas a bit, and my money would be on the Kings moving before the Wolves. George Maloof's finances are in shambles, and he just sold most of his interest in the Palms casino. Plus there are rumors the Kings are $75 million dollars in debt. I'll be at the games tomorrow and wednesday, and if the weather is anything like it was today pants and a sweatshirt would be overkill. That's not to say I won't have a sweater with me incase the fog rolls in, but it's been very warm late into the night all weekend. While enjoying a nice Jameson rocks and cigar after work tonight, I went back and looked at the predictions for the Twins record that were made before the opener, this is what I found: Tk 96-66 Did I miss anyone? Rick did you make an offical prediction? If I missed anyone, let me know the post date and number and I will add it. There is a case of domestic beer for closest. Looks like i need the twins to go 63-29 to win that case of beer! Didnt some one on here mention the Kings moving to Anaheim within the next couple of seasons. so according to a another objective "report" in a city desperate for anything remotely considered good news the wolves "apparently" would move to newark? newark...new jersey. maybe in 14 years, when the wolves lease is up. get back to me on that dude. the vikings aren't going anywhere either. i know you love the negativity but expect the vikes deal to happen. sorry it burdens you so. keep trolling the out-of-town news sites though. tim - well, let's give the NYPost the benefit of the doubt. I have NEVER, since Taylor took over, I have NEVER heard even a remote whisper of the Wolves wanting out of here. And, just an FYI, by August, LA will be having a rename-the-team contest. That's a guarantee (hey, its LA, they might actually name the team the Queens or ViQueens). There's no way a new stadium is being done here this year. Not gonna happen. Luke, we don't have to worry about the Timberwolves leaving. That headline specifically said that they were looking for an "NBA team"... /rimshot/ "Nice photos Ben! Is EXIF available on Flickr? Normally I can see it, but can't see it right now. Interested in what body and lens you are shooting with." I was using a Nikon D3s with the Nikon 300mm f/2.8 and a Nikon 2.0x TC-20E III teleconverter. Posted on June 21, 2011 at 08:52 AM by Ben C. K. 78 Very nice set up Ben, and thanks for sharing the photos and info. luke, The NY Post is a tabloid magazine - not a newspaper. But then again, you also think Charley Walters is a good source - another joke. lol F_T_K...good one. Kev, Walters is a research god. He's told me in the past that his day consists of about 50 phone calls getting the information for his column. And, I don't know one birdie that's spoken to him that's ever been wrong. BTW, the Winnpeg Jets become reality once again today. The NHL is expected to approve the Atlanta Thrashers move. You've never known the birdie to be wrong? Until the Viking drafted Ponder, he was certain the next vikings quarterback would be McNabb. What a joke. Also the Twins took away his bread and butter news bits, when they moved to a new stadium. You know the mid-April "If the twins make it to the AL Championship seires, and if Game 7 is at home it may have a conflict with the vikings on October 17th" I used to like him when he was a kid because I thought he knew something before everyone else, but then I realized he is full of shit. I don't read Walters unless his column comes up in one of my automated searches, but his baseball and stadium "birdies" are generally either parroting common knowledge, or the info is irrelevant, or it's incomplete, or it's flat out wrong. About 98% of the time it's completely worthless. And though I'm sorry to say it, the same is true of Sid these days. At least these guys are sometimes entertaining. Posted on June 21, 2011 at 12:59 PM by Rick 83 Great post Rick! I have one question. Sam Graves and I (Two Men On)are going to our first game in the Bud Roof Deck next Weds. Do you have any reviews or pictures of the accessibility of the roof deck? Thanks for the help! Posted on June 21, 2011 at 7:16 PM by michael 84 Charley Walters and his sources are good for a lot of laughs. I'm betting people feed them "tips" and wait to see the nonsense hit print. Then it's time for a hearty laugh. Wilson Ramos, some no name catcher for the Nationals, just had a very nice 3-R HR walk-off win. Wow! What a start for our guys in San Francisco! Four straight hits, two of them doubles, and two runs in the top of the first - and still no outs. Now, /fingers crossed/ I didn't just put the jinx on them.... And it keeps getting better. Seven straight hits now, still no outs. This is a beautiful thing. :-) If the Twins keep this up...or at least are in the hunt come September, I owe Bill Smith an apology for ripping his ass non-stop earlier in the season. Just like last year 2nd half, this is one of those hard to put your finger on it sort of streaks. The type where it's enjoyable, you don't really feel like the team is as good as the streak, and you know deep down that if they would sneak into the playoffs, they'd get blown away by the Yanks or Red Sox. I'd kill for another LDS sweep at the hands of the AL East given my irritability in April/May. If the Twins pull this season out, it will be Gardy and company picking up Smith and company, plain and simple. But, hey, that's how baseball works. Posted on June 21, 2011 at 11:17 PM by Rick 90 8 straight hits to start the game and then Pavano strikes out?... Darn NL park rules! michael, The majority of the Bud Deck is accessible. The seating area, with high top tables, really is not, except for maybe the first row (though it's pretty tight). Your bigger challenge will be that most people like to hang out at the corner closest to the field. If you get to the front of the pack, you'll get the best view available up there (which is OK, not great). But if you have to hang out behind that crowd, you'll be looking at the monitors over the bar if you want to keep track of the game. (Of course, if the temperature is cool, you may want to hang out by the fire pit, which has no view of the game, but is still a fun spot.) I gotta believe people will part the sea and let you guys get to the front. Don't be shy! Posted on June 22, 2011 at 12:05 AM by Rick 92 I think we found our Magic 8 Ball...8 in a row! I cannot remember who wrote it a couple weeks ago, but it went something to the effect if the Twins were only 8 or so back at the break, we would be in good shape. Who would have thought 6.5 back would even be possible 3 weeks prior to the break. Twins need to keep battling to .500 and we will see what we can do. I still am not ready to give Billy and slack, these boys have been playing with heart and winning close ball games, with the exception of tonight. Billy now needs to go get us some more pieces in our relief corps as we approach the deadline. Just do not give up a Wilson Ramos type to get it done. I just reread the title of your post Rick, 9 for 9, is that a call ;) I wonder if the Twins will be trying to sell those 4th of July weekend suites during those games? For about the last two weeks, the Twins have been pushing these great opportunities to watch a game from a Twins suite. If they keep promoting it, it clearly isn't working, and we all get it, it's not selling... Suites and suite sales are 95% corportate. The July 4th weekend is all about family. With no corporate entertaining going on - individuals have a rare opportunity to contract for one of the event suites. I am surprised that family groups from cheeseland haven't grabbed them all by this time. Anyone making the trip down I-94 this weekend to Miller Park? I am in the minority, but I actually enjoy the Twins-Brewers home and home Interleague series each year. There always seems to be a good atmosphere at Miller Park with all of the Twins fans and vice-versa with Brewers fans in Minneapolis. Milwaukee is the one city where tailgating is part of the baseball experience. One could also argue Kansas City as well. Oakland is another tailgating ballpark. In fact if you do drive there you'll be stuck in the parking lot for about an hour and a half after the game so you better have something fun to do while you wait for the crowd to thin out. Miller Park (aka The Can) has the same problem that Chase Field (aka Kev's Gymnasium) has, that thankfully, TF does NOT have. Clicky to find out what exactly that might be. Posted on June 22, 2011 at 2:17 PM by luke 101 Looks like the Twins are going to be sending out bills even earlier for STH this year. First year Nov; October last year; September this year. How about we worry about the hope of paying for postseason tickets first... "Is it just me, or is Dan Plesac a jackass?" no... it's just you who's a jackass. (sorry Jim, I couldn't resist!) Lots of smiles on the faces of those sporting TC garb down here. Spontaneous cheers and stopping to chat wherever you happen to meet. Enjoying dim sum at a hole in the wall spot and in walks a family decked out in Pavano gear. Still unseasonably warm... maybe it could contribute to a few more HR balls tonight, but I'll be happy with the "single, double, repeat" of last night. Sportswriters in Monday's SF Chronicle pleaded for the Giants to take this series and make the Twins sellers again at the trade deadline. Apparently, Cuddyer is their main target. luke, 'aka' is reaching Holiday station hotdog status on the Annoyance Meter. Boy, after last night, the creeps at ESPN are all talking about the Twins. It's a nice change of pace from the usual nonstop Yanks/Sox/Phils chatter. It seems they've discovered there's baseball being played west of the Hudson River. As far as I'm concerned getting renewals in sooner means they can determine what tehy need to sell next year. It speeds up the process. "there will be 8000 people at the games in September, and you won't be able to give away tickets" where did these prophets go? gotta have faith, mj. have faith. those "prophets" as you so eloquently call them will turn out to be right soon enough. it'll be another Central Division title for the Twins - nothing more. But Luke, the playoffs start in October. If the Twins are in the thick of the race toward the end of the season, the chances are that the Twins will be a very hot ticket. The big letdown always happens in early October. I'm inclined to agree with MJ. since I'm trying to use logic, I'm thinking MJ was rederring to those who at one point proclaiming that there would only 8,000 at TF... Question: Why bring Jim Thome back to the team when they're playing in National League parks? Why not wait until the 28th when the team is playing back at home? Don't get me wrong, I love Thome, but bringing him back for the Brewers series is just silly. He might get one at-bat per game, and all that happens is Gardy has one less bench player to use on defense... FTK, good question, but they're wasting a defensive bench with an extra catcher and no bat, so why not get the bat instead. It make sense to bring Thome back for the NL games. He will used like he was supposed to be used last year, as a pinch hitter. No offense to Matty T, but would have loved to see Thome pinch-hit last night instead. I think Thome did better last year as a DH, rather than as a pinch-hitter. Either way, it will be good to see him resume the path towards #600 and beyond! La Velle E. Neal III from the Strib thinks Target Field is better than AT&T Park. Here is his take from the Strib. "I had a chance to walk around AT&T Park yesterday and it is a great stadium. The views of the bay are terrific, but not everyone can see it. The television and radio announcers can see the bay, but the writers are one floor below, too low to see the water. Fans love hanging out in right field so much that there are lines painted on the ground to mark where fans can't stand so foot traffic can flow. I guess the garlic fries are a big thing here, and you can smell them throughout the concourse. I had no idea there was a slide inside the giant Coca-Cola bottle in left field. I kept wondering where all the kids were headed, then saw the slide. I have one big beef with this park. If you are in the main concourse it's very hard to keep up with the game. There are TV's but they are not placed in the right spots. And the concourse doesn't open up toward the field, like at Target Field. I still have Safeco Field in Seattle and Target Field as my top two parks, but I haven't been in PETCO Park in San Diego or PNC Park in Pittsburgh yet, and I hear those two are pretty cool." He did, but when he was orginally signed he was supposed to be a power bat of the bench, not an every day DH, that was supposed to be Kubel. All I am saying is it is better to have Thome pinch hit than one of the Rene's. Lincecum pitching for SF and the 6, 7, 8 & 9 batters are Hughes, Rivera, Tolbert and the pitcher. Nothing is for certain in baseball, but I wouldn't bet on the lads scoring any runs today. Mauer needs to get his swings elsewhere. I am just sick of him trying and failing. Yes, he will turn it around at some point, but not at the cost of the Twins. I wished and still wish Mauer would have gone to Rochester. I wish Butera would get the start tomorrow, if he is not sent down....Rivera isn't doing anything to keep the spot. 3 runs in the next 26 innings after the 8 run explosion in game 1. Looks like they blew their wad early in this series. "I have one big beef with this park. If you are in the main concourse it's very hard to keep up with the game. That is lame reason to dislike a ballpark. For one, if your trying to keep up with the game why did you leave your seats? Second, even if it was open like TF, you can't keep up with the game anyway. Only the 3-4 row deep people standing up by the field can see anything at TF. And if those rows of people weren't there, you still couldn't see much if you were actually in-line back at the concession stands. The openness at TF is overrated. All it does is cater to $20 ticket holders looking for a $60+ view. Which ends up generating a bunch of extra unwanted congestion that the $60+ ticket holders have to deal with. What TF needs is a netted off section on the main concourse that encloses the Home Plate Box section. Only allowing people holding Dugout and Home Plate Box tickets to enter. Then you may have a fighting chance to keep up with the game while on the concourse. All the openness is a great idea. But in reality too many people abuse it. It's not abuse when it's something you are allowed, even encouraged, to do. The congestion sucks for those who paid for the view but their beef would be with the Twins alone. And I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that if you want to keep track of the game why not watch it? I'm pretty sure the Twins don't encourage ticket holders to wonder around during the game. I think they expect ticket holders to remain in or near their ticketed seats. In fact, the Guest Code of Conduct section of the Ballpark Guide states the following: guests will show their ticket when requested and sit only in their ticketed seat and The Minnesota Twins reserve the right to deny or immediately revoke admission to any guest that does not comply with these guidelines, or otherwise detracts from other guests' enjoyment of the game. Dave - two things: a) in all the games I've attended at Target Field, I have never been asked to show my ticket to an usher. At The Other Place, I had to take it out every damn time I walked through the tunnel (or portal, as they're called in Atlanta). b) The bigger concern the Twins need to address is the first item on the A-Z Guide, and I quote: Aisle Policy "As a courtesy to others, we request that guests refrain from walking in aisles while players are at bat. The Minnesota Twins also ask that guests do not sit on the stairs." Trust me, people do not adhere to this policy. And, what's worse, even the vendors seem to come up the stairs and STOP quite frequently. luke - They have always asked me when I first arrive. But never do after that. I think more to help me rather than police me since I arrive via wheels and park in an ADA section. And as you know from Rick's post above and previous responses, if ushers do ask people think they are unfriendly. I'll take the always asking of the "Other Place" over the complete lack of crowd control in TF. I'm fine with fans checking out the stadium before the game or after. But would prefer a tighter run ship during the game, even if that means the ushers may seem unfriendly. Dave, That is not my position at all. The ushers at Target Field are just about the best I've experienced anywhere. There are two ushers, and one in particular out in the Powerball Pavilion, who are routinely and actively unfriendly, and it does not matter what they are doing. There is a respectful way to interact with fans even when you have to check a ticket stub or stop someone from entering an aisle during an at bat. These two particular individuals do not use that approach. Everyone else does. I do not and would not object to an usher asking (respectfully) to see my ticket, but it's never happened to me at TF once inside the gate. And I'll second Luke's comment that it happened pretty much all the time back at the Dome -- and it was annoying every single time it happened. I can't count the number of times I would return to my seat in the upper deck loaded down with hot dogs and beverages and have to fish my stub out of my pocket. But I have to disagree with Luke's other point. The ushers in the lower deck are especially vigilant about making sure fans don't go down into an aisle during an at bat. (Vendors do not have to abide by that rule for obvious reasons.) In the upper deck, where it is arguably not as much of a disruption, the ushers are more hit-and-miss. I would certainly support enforcing that policy everywhere in the park. Concerning the code of fan conduct, these are clearly things that have to be in writing so they can be enforced if necessary. Practically, the Twins have taken a hands-off approach to where people go. That means moving around is tacitly blessed by the team. This approach has its downsides, but as a whole it is a major improvement over the much more draconian enforcement back at the Dome. Personally, when I'm walking from left to right in the main concourse, I do curse people for not sitting in their assigned seats a little more. But I wouldn't opt for enforcing that in exchange for the freedom of movement we now enjoy. Plus, how would you do it? It would be a public relations nightmare. Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:32 PM by Rick 131 One more thing: Standing in the entry area to sections in the upper deck is almost impossibly tempting. I've caught myself doing it more than once. The ushers don't seem to care that much, and I'm fine with that as long as people don't walk up to the railing and stand there (which I've never done during a game). That blocks the view of people in the first few rows of the adjacent section, and they are often too polite to say anything. They shouldn't have to. This is something the ushers should be on the lookout for and correct when it happens. Posted on June 23, 2011 at 11:36 PM by Rick 132 Thanks for catching that Rick - I failed to mention in my comment that I predominantly see that problem in the 300 level. The ushers down in the 100's really stay on top of the policy keeping people at bay during at bats. I was there for last Saturday's game up in 314. The number of people coming through that portal while the game was going on was just a little too much. Matter of fact, I went to a game in April with the same seats, and on two occasions, people had to yell "There's a game going on" to people that were seeming to flood the stairway during play. Last Sunday we met a family from Mississippi on the LRT who were going to TF for the first time. Grandparents in the process of going to every MLB ballpark and taking a different set of grandchildren on each trip. I can't remember which park they said was their current favorite, but the reason was the friendliness of the ushers and staff. I would have liked to have met up with them after the game and gotten their impressions of TF and its staff. I have never sat in the Powerball section so I have not run into the guy Rick has talked about. All the ushers I have run into have been very friendly. Aisle congestion/traffic is one the worst parts about my seats in section 125. The vendors are terrible in those sections and you are sitting at just the right angle where traffic in the aisle can easily block your views of the pitching mound/home plate. People also need to realize if you have seats in the lower numbered rows, that it takes time to walk down to the seats. So when the usher says you can go after the batter is done, you are still blocking views of those people in the lower-numbered rows by the time you get to your seats. I have always just waited for the third out or pitching change to go since I am in row 12. Also, people need to learn how to STAY TO THE RIGHT when walking up/down the aisles between sections. It's just like a road, stay to the right so traffic can keep flowing. Obviously its different before and after games when traffic is essentially moving one way up and down the aisles. Mike, Since we talk subtleties here, I'd disagree slightly on one point. I think it makes sense to flood both sides of the aisle at the bottom and top early in the break between half innings. This gets most people moving one direction quickly. Then at the half-way point do the zipper system and work toward the right side. If everyone did this effectively it would work like two construction zones at the halfway point. It's not perfect for those coming and going at the higher rows, but at the bottom I think it's a necessity to get people out during the half-inning breaks or by the time the inning starts again they haven't even made it out of the section. No problems with people traffic up in 326. I'm to the far left and nobody blocks me view during the game going up or down. Section also turns to home plate there. No bathroom lines no concession lines up there! Easy in easy out! Nice gesture by the Twins to spread the word that people of Minot, ND could use our help. This certainly helps put things in perspective for me. Posted on June 24, 2011 at 12:41 PM by N.D. (aka N.D. "Rube") 138 "I'm pretty sure the Twins don't encourage ticket holders to wonder around during the game. I think they expect ticket holders to remain in or near their ticketed seats." Keen observation. I was wondering why they shut down all the specialty food concessions, souvenir stands, cap stores, etc. during the game. According to the Strib, Morneau to have neck surgery and is out until August. The dude is snakebit! Look what I stumbled across...click name View Seat Map Posted on June 24, 2011 at 6:22 PM by tk 142 Any chance the Twins look to JC Romero? Posted on June 24, 2011 at 6:44 PM by tk 143 Ben- There's plenty of time before or after a game to do your souvenir shopping. Why in the world would you do it during a game? I'm also fairly confident that concession stands and bathrooms are near your seating area. I will give you the specialty food concession excuse though. Which honestly is a bad design in and of itself. I sent an email to Patrick Forsland last season concerning main concourse congestion. Here is his response. "We have been somewhat surprised by how crowded the concourses have been, given that they are so wide. We think the issue right now is that the park is so new, many guests are spending a lot of time walking around and trying to see as much of the facility as they can. We expect that this problem will dramatically decrease once the newness factor dies down, and guests will tend to head to their seats more quickly and generally stay a bit closer to those seats during the game. So yes, they expect you to stay closer to your seats during the game. Why do the Twins continually bring in Jose Mijares in crucial, late-inning situations? He gets behind hitters, and is forced to throw meatballs right down the middle of the plate to avoid walks. It's been happening for years. I just don't understand this. Am I off base on this? "We expect that this problem will dramatically decrease..." That's very different from "we expect people to stay near their seats." In fact, not only is there nothing in that quote which means anything close to that expectation, it's just the opposite. He goes out of his way to avoid implying that people are doing anything wrong. Criticizing your customers is rarely the path to retention. So this must be admitted: The Twins don't give a crap where anybody goes (outside of the exclusive areas) just as long as they pay to get in the park. Dave, you are welcome to have a problem with that, but the Twins clearly don't. It was a philosophical decision they made when designing the new ballpark, and they will be hard-pressed to go back on it, and have shown no indication that it's even under consideration. Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:24 PM by Rick 146 And another thing. Should Joe Mauer be back in the majors right now or AAA? I don't think he's ready. He can't get the ball out of the infield. In the Twins bullpen, Mijares is the modern JC Romero (inexplicable successes followed by fully-explicable sucking). Posted on June 24, 2011 at 9:29 PM by Rick 148 Mijares vs Fielder in a late inning crucial situation. What a mismatch. And to make it worse, only Baker's runners score, so Mijares doesn't take the ERA hit he deserved. Three game losing streak now. I might need more of that powder-based beverage soon. I would much rather have Butera playing right now, Mauer is going through the motions and is not giving a crap. Right now, I think Joe should take a couple days off and film a couple more commercials. I heard Mauer Chev needs a spokesperson... I'm pumped. Much like Rick's Bay Area excursion, I've pieced together my "Rust Belt" trip to see 2 parks I've never been to. Catching 2 games at Progressive Field and then heading 2 hours east to catch 2 games at PNC. One of my favorite areas of Target Field is the area just outside the Met Club that has the pictures of all the ballparks. I've been staring at PNC for 2 years wanting to get there, and who knows, I could be seeing 2 playoff teams in the Bucs and Indians. These 2, along with Fenway, are on my shortlist of parks to see. And,whoever asked me what happened to 2027...I am getting too lazy to keep changing it, but I don't think this squad is going to see the World Series anytime soon. But, our 17-37 start made me appreciate just how special it is to get an ass-whooping in the LDS. Puts things in perspective. Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:28 PM by twinswschamps2011 152 I can partially quote as well Rick "guests will tend to head to their seats more quickly and generally stay a bit closer to those seats during the game" That is what the twins are expecting to happen to decrease the problem. And it's also obviously clear from Pat's quote that the Twins do indeed acknowledge that congestion is a problem, not just me. I do agree it's a problem inherit to the design of the ballpark and would be something hard to fix. That however does not mean the problem does not exist. People who like to seat swap and move around during the game of course will love it. Others, like me, that are always sitting literally right next to the madness the entire game do not. Cuddy's respectable season (which looks better than it really is compared to the rest of the team) and his likely All-Star nod makes me nervous that Billy is going to ink him to a 6-year $80 million deal soon... Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:44 PM by twinswschamps2011 154 Yes, they acknowledge the problem, they think it will go away (by itself) with time, and they plan to do nothing about it themselves. It couldn't be more clear. So, if you're hoping to get the Twins to help you, forget it. Won't happen. Posted on June 24, 2011 at 10:57 PM by Rick 155 Dave --- What the Twins get and what they would like are two different things. As Rick points out, clearly "The Twins don't give a crap where anybody goes (outside of the exclusive areas) just as long as they pay to get in the park." I don't think I need to go out on a limb here to suggest that if Rick would have added another thought there it would have had something to do with the Twins' view of their customers spending as much money as possible as often as possible regardless what else is going on at any given moment. Sounds like these two guys could each use a week off: jordanschelling: Mijares on all FB to Fielder: "I don't know what was going on with Mauer." "He never put down a sign for breaking ball. Never. It was fastball, fastball, fastball, fastball." jordanschelling: "Called for a fastball there, I didn't call for it down the middle." -- Mauer Only 02 Days, 19 Hours, 37 Minutes, 15 Seconds until I can forget my worries again... I concur Rick. I just wanted to get the point across that the problem exist and that the only solution proposed is to stay near your seating area. I believe the Twins want you to but agree they are not forcing you to. Well, except for those couple ushers you don't like. Solution proposed by whom? My point is that the Twins are pleased shitless to see people wandering about because in so doing they are much more likely to spend more than they would sitting in a seat for three hours. I would welcome the Twins signing Cuddyer to an $80 million 6 year deal, he has been the most dependant Twin, plus their emotional leader since Hunter. This page was last modified on June 20, 2011. |
"You talk about the magic, the aura, but what really makes a stadium is the fans. Concrete doesn't talk back to you. Chairs don't talk back to you. It's the people who are there, day in, day out, that makes the place magic."– Bernie WilliamsExplore the SiteHere are 50 images chosen randomly from the 3046 found on this site. Click the image to be taken to the original post. A new list is created every 10 minutes.
All three seating mounds Note that, even though the scoreboard appears strategically placed, it's the outfield stands which block any potential view of the field from this roof. This is the plaza as viewed from the A ramp. They can put a camera just about anywhere. (Photo by Jeff Ewer) Looking toward the Farmer's Market site from the balcony of the 573 Club at TF Midway Stadium (seen from our tailgating spot across the parking lot) Here's a curious little room at the end of the circulation ramp. What could they be selling there? Concept drawing of Coomer gate (click to enlarge) Click to see the full-size image. A mysterious smile from within a very deep planter! The seating bowl of Citizens Bank Park overlaid on the Target Field site This is an angle I have not used very much, from the top of the Fifth Street ramp. Because the wall is so tall (forget about watching a game from here for free -- OK, maybe with a step stool) I have to hold the camera up over my head and just snap, hoping I get something good. Here I did. This view then looks to the southwest. Walkway overview TC caps everywhere! (Is that you?) Hooked up Not my actual kids! Peering through Gate 34 Opening day, 2010 The lights went on, and it was a Good Thing The limestone now wraps around onto the HERC side. The Ron Coomer corner features a bar. "Original" or "Dinger" Dog The plaza has been finished off just beautifully. The Metrodome is converted to its football configuration after the Twins game on August 29, 2002 Gate 29 Carew We took refuge for a time in the Twins Pub where you can drink a beer (or just hang out) and listen to some ballpark tunes. The organ is decorated with a TC (of course) and what looked like drawings which Sue has received from kids. This area will supposedly show the Twins chronology. Will it stretch back to 1901? The HERC promenade side. Welcome Visitors From Two Men On (Accessiblity) Glossary BPM - Ballpark Magic BRT - Bus Rapid Transit DSP - Dave St. Peter FSE - Full Season Equivalent FYS - Fake Yankee Stadium (see also: NYS) HERC - Hennepin Energy Resource Company (aka the Garbage Burner) HPB - Home Plate Box HRP - Home Run Porch LC - Legends Club LRT - Light Rail Transit MBA - Minnesota Ballpark Authority (will own Target Field) MOA - Mall of America MSFC - Minnesota Sports Facilities Commission (owns the Metrodome) NYS - New Yankee Stadium SRO - Standing Room Only STH - Season Ticket Holder TCFBS - TCF Bank Stadium TF - Target Field Selected Bibliography - Analysis Selected Bibliography - Surveys
Selected Bibliography - Nostalgia |


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subset: commoncrawl


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8th Grade Formal Attire
We the 8th grade Student Body of Lovinggood Middle, petition the school to allow a different attire for the 8th Grade Formal, which is to take place on May 11th, 2007. Many parents have already purchased the attire to fit accustomed to the theme. Also, the boys would look very unformal with wearing tuxedo tops, khaki jeans & bow ties. To add to the subject of this particular petition, many students and parents have asked to allow limousines because of the price and demand of gas. Many parents end there day at about 9 o'clock and it would be very disturbing to have to wake up at 10 o'clock to take their daughter and/or son to the formal, so we ask of you to consider a transportation arrangement change.
Recent signatures
Gigi, United States
8 years ago -
Kristy, United States
8 years ago -
Stacey Binford, United States
8 years ago Comments: We should be able to to have a different attire for our Lovinggood Middle school 8th grade dance because most of the dresses that we were hoping for, we can't wear because of the rules. Also, we know what kinds of clothing for school is appropriate for school. Like the petition said, many parents are usually tired after a long day at work and knowing that it's Friday they should be able to go home a rest. We shoud also be able to have limousines because of gas.
Petition highlights
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by Roberta Duyff, MS RDN FAND
Does your family eat fast food at least once a week? About a third of all consumers do. That's okay sometimes, but many fast foods deliver a lot of calories and fat, yet they often come up short on vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The next time you head for the "fast-food lane," try one of these seven easy ways to eat smarter:
Involve your child in the cutting, mixing and preparation of all meals. Even a snack can be healthy.
Sit down together as a family to enjoy a wonderful meal and the opportunity to share the day's experiences with one another.
To encourage a healthy lifestyle, get your children involved in selecting the food that will appear at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table.
Keep all your favorite Kids Eat Right recipes in one place.


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Your Ultimate Vacation Getaway Awaits Here! This beautifully decorated 2 bedroom/2 bath condo has all the comforts of home and a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Mexico. Sit on your 26ft balcony and watch our spectacular sunsets! Perfectly located between Siesta Key public beach with the world's finest, and whitest sand, and the Siesta Key Village where you can enjoy shops, restaurants, and night life. This unit is complete with ALL NEW furniture and flat screen TVs in the living room and both bedrooms!! This unit sleeps 6 with a King in the master and 2 double beds in the guest bedroom.
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St. Armands Circle is another "hot spot" to dine and shop.
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Latest news
NMOA Members: Pay Dues Online with a Credit Card! Mar 11, 2014
Good Morning NM Orthopaedic Surgeons, We are happy to announce that you can now pay your NMOA membership dues (see attached statement) on line with a credit card. We apologize if you have not bee… Continue »
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Please see the Newsletter link on the left for copies of the 2014 legislative report, from John Anderson, Legislative Counsel, as well as a press release regarding Dr. Joshua Carothers, NMOA's preside… Continue »
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- Belonging to NMOA is a good way to meet and become acquainted with other orthopaedic surgeons in the state. NMOA typically has meetings concurrent with the University of New Mexico's Annual Carrie Ti…


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Monthly Archives: November 2010
'Dodgy Power Supply? – Replace it Before it Damages Anything Else
Normally if you catch and replace a PSU before it fails there is a lot less chance of it damaging other components. Continue reading
Color Cop (Free Software) – Multi-Purpose Colour Picker for Windows
This little multi-purpose colour-picker app for Windows has colour code support for HTML Hex, Delphi Hex, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic Hex, and Visual C++ Hex. Continue reading
How To Create a .html File
What HTML is, what an HTML file is, and how to create one using just a text (.txt) file. Continue reading
How To Fit a Socket AM2+ Processor
Tweet For this article I semi-plagiarised part of an earlier piece that I wrote with regard to fitting an AMD socket AM2 processor; the reason being that the procedure is almost exactly the same, save to say that you're installing an AMD … Continue reading
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A holiday that is celebrated with fried food? What Mississippian wouldn't like that? Tonight (really Dec. 23, but I pressed the "Publish" button too soon) will be the eighth night of Hanukkah. MissPres is marking the occasion with photos of the Congregation Beth Israel… Read More ›
Modern Meridian Tour 12.13.14
If you were not able to make it to the Modern Meridian Tour last Saturday, you really missed out on a special opportunity to see some places not generally open to the public. The morning started in the Crestwood Elementary… Read More ›
Are You In the Mood for MOD?
Are you in the mood for fun, quirky and quite fantastic architecture? So are we! At times misunderstood when constructed, modernist buildings are now considered the "new historic," with a whole new audience of enthusiastic building-huggers awakening to the creative… Read More ›
Mid-Century Medical: Jackson's University Plaza
A while back, Thomas Rosell introduced us to University Plaza, a group of Modernist medical clinics in Jackson just south of Memorial Stadium. Specifically, Thomas' post focused on the clinic of Drs. Johnson and Wiener, designed by J.T. Liddle and… Read More ›
Morris Lapidus in Mississippi?
Recently I acquired Morris Lapidus: The Architecture of Joy, with no inkling of a Mississippi, but found out that we may have some of this nationally famous architect's work here in the Magnolia State.
Chris Risher's Colorful Temple
A while back, MissPreser W. White alerted me to a vintage publication called "Creative Ideas in Glass" for sale online. Published quarterly as "an architectural review" by specialty glass manufacturer American Saint Gobain, the brief, color booklet doesn't have a… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 10-6-2014
Things are heating up in the Mississippi preservation world now that the weather is cooling a bit. In Jackson's Fondren neighborhood, we pick up the story of the proposed Hampton Inn on the remaining green space next to Duling School…. Read More ›
More Mid-Century Medical
The previous Mid-Century Medical post was about the little building that Is. It is not a big bold building with a prominent location. It is not a building that will likely ever have a plaque in front that reads "On… Read More ›
Mid-Century Medical
In Jackson just south of the Veterans Memorial Stadium is a group of buildings dubbed University Plaza that were developed c.1954 when University of Mississippi opened its medical school on the other side of North State Street. While some of… Read More ›
Roadside Mississippi: B&B Kitchen, Yazoo City
I'm not sure if B&Bs Kitchen has ever been a burger and shake kind of place, but it looks like it could have been, and I couldn't resist its zigzag roof and cheerful red and white stripes.
Burger and Shake Please!
After a brief hiatus, Jackson's classic soda fountain Brent's Drugs is back and better than ever. We certainly are lucky to have preservationists like Brad Reeves and his partners Johnathan Shull and Amanda and Nathan Wells to carry the torch…. Read More ›
Modern Architecture Is Like An Oyster
In honor of the closing of another oyster season I'd like to share an architecture & oyster book quote, along with some images from the 2009 National Register Nomination form of the Wiener House located in Jackson.
Round Buildings from the Air
If you haven't already, please read today's important post regarding the recent MDAH Board of Trustees meeting. With several posts on the topic it may not be a surprise that I am a fan of satellite and aerial photography. I've… Read More ›
New Deal and 101 Places in One: Church Street School
Remember the "101 places in Mississippi to see before you die" list? It's been a while since we have stopped by to see one on Suzassippi's Mississippi, what with hunting down all the New Deal Administration buildings in the state. … Read More ›
Documenting the New Deal in Clarksdale: Civic Auditorium
After taking a few weeks off from my might-never-end quest to document all the New Deal Administration properties in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, I was back on the hunt again this week. I was intrigued by this building–the Clarksdale Civic… Read More ›
Vacation Postcards: LaFont Inn, Pascagoula
MissPres is on vacation this week, but we're sending postcards back from Mississippi's past.
How Paul Rudolph gave Vicksburg a Brutal piggyback
The other day I was surfing the Society of Architectural Historians Digital Resources webpage scoping out all the neat links. When checking out the pages I always keep my eagle eye out for Mississippi connections. So I was very excited… Read More ›
Village Apartments: Mid-century surviving on Ole Miss campus
Whether you call it a masonry screen or a concrete block screen, I sort of fell in love with them first when Malvaney (not the original) wrote In Praise of Masonry Screens. Then, Thomas Rosell whetted my appetite with a little Screen… Read More ›
A new header for MissPres.com's 4th year
Two weeks ago we quietly celebrated the fourth birthday of MissPres.com with a great article about the early conversations regarding the first restoration the Old Capitol. Discussing the old capital has become an anniversary tradition. Another anniversary tradition has been the introduction of a… Read More ›
Architectural Siblings? Jackson, MS and St. Louis, MO J.C. Penney Department Stores
If you've ever read the MissPres post The Beauty of Modernist Storefronts, you've seen some HABS images of Jackson's long gone, international style, J.C. Penney department store. This unique building was taken away before it had the opportunity to be appreciated. J.C. Penney Department… Read More ›
Happy 12-12-12 Day
In honor of the one and only 12-12-12 day any of us will ever see (unless we can get that Youth Serum working so we all live to be incredibly old and wise yet fit and trim, making all the… Read More ›
Mississippi Architect, October 1964: I.T.T. Kellogg Plant, Corinth
The October 1964 edition of the Mississippi Architect features an industrial building in Corinth, designed by John L. Turner.
Architects' Homes: Carl E. Matthes Jr., Hattiesburg
In the last feature of "Architects' Homes" we saw Carl Matthes Sr. remodeled home in Biloxi; with today's featured residence we get to see the house that his son lived in and quite possibly designed. Carl E. Matthes Jr.'s (1927-1964)… Read More ›
MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Terrazzo
This week's word is brought to you by the letter T as defined by William J. Hornung's Architectural Drafting:
Mississippi Architect, September 1964: Moss Point Municipal Building
The new Moss Point Municipal Building, designed by H.F. Fountain of Biloxi was the subject of the September 1964 issue of Mississippi Architect magazine. Unfortunately, this building's life was cut short by Hurricane Katrina, as I believe it flooded like… Read More ›
Modernist Storefronts of Pascagoula
Pascagoula, better known for its colonial-period Old Spanish Fort (aka De le Pointe-Krebs House), actually has some really interesting mid-20th-century buildings for the architectural explorer to examine. The commercial strip on Delmas Avenue in particular, although partially covered as a downtown "mall" as part of an urban renewal scheme in the 1970s, still has a few nicely done Modernist storefronts.
Homogeneously Eclectic Yazoo City Storefronts
Yazoo City's downtown may qualify as the most homogenous in the state, by which I mean of the same period and of a piece. As most of you probably know, a great fire took out a couple dozen blocks of… Read More ›


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Mission and Vision
Directly improve communities across the globe
Work in close partnership with local African organizations to fund the completion of schools, health clinics, children's centers, clean water systems and food security projects that improve the health and economic standing of the entire community.
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