Sitting In The New Ballpark

As most Twins fans know, the new ballpark is slowly but surely rising in downtown Minneapolis. Most descriptions and comments on the new stadium have focused on its design, location, and amenities. What hasn't been talked about as much is what it will be like to sit and watch a game in the new stadium. We all know it's an outdoor ballpark, that alone will make it a much different experience than the Metrodome.

Today on MinnPost.com, David Brauer takes a look at what sitting and watching a game in the new ballpark will be like for the fans. A self -described "ballpark geek", Brauer has some good facts and figures on why watching a game in the new ballpark should be much more enjoyable than watching a game in the old Metrodome.

Let's face it. At the dome, the seats are small, close together, and on the third base side are angled not for a view of the baseball diamond, but instead set up for the needs of Vikings fans, who watch a whole eight games a season there. For over twenty years the Twins and their fans have been wedged into a stadium built for football. The Metrodome will always have sentimental value for Twins fans, but that's because of winning two World Series there, not because it was ever a great place to watch a baseball game.

That will change in the new stadium built and designed for one thing: Baseball. That alone will be a big improvement, and from the numbers Brauer offers in his article, the new stadium will be a place where baseball fans can enjoy their favorite sport and be comfortable at the same time.