For years the Twins and their fans lobbied for a new stadium with a retractable roof but the record-breaking response this season to open air Target Field has muted the desire to watch baseball in a covered facility.
“We proved that outdoor baseball in Minnesota works,” said Patrick Klinger, vice president of marketing. “I don’t know if I ever received a question more often than why not a roof, but since April 12 I don’t think I have heard that question asked.”
The Twins have sold out 74 consecutive games with all but one game not being a sell out this season. They have had one game that had to be continued the next day, otherwise avoiding major problems with the weather.
The club has four remaining home games but has set a franchise record attendance of 3,063,327 million. Part of the lure has been a winning team and outdoor baseball, but the stadium is special.
The ballpark is gorgeous and Klinger agrees that it couldn’t be such a looker if part of the facility included a place to house the retractable roof. “No doubt it would be much more boxy,” he said.
Klinger said cooler weather isn’t likely to deter ticket sales for the playoffs. “I think we will be fine,” he said. “This is a state where we’re used to turning over a bucket (to sit on) and going (ice) fishing.”
He said 90 percent of season ticket holders exercised their priority to buy playoff tickets. Other fans had an opportunity to enter a drawing to determine ticket buyers for American League division and championship series games, and the same system will be used for World Series tickets. https://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=min&tcid=mm_min_sitelist
Klinger said there are no plans to add seats at Target Field for the playoffs. If the Twins reach the World Series there maybe fewer seats for the public because demand for press accommodations might result in outdoor seating for some media.
Nor are there plans to expand capacity (about 41,000) for next season, Klinger said. The club is looking at other enhancements for 2011, although he said it’s too soon to reveal them.
“The Pohlad family is committed to making Target Field remain the best (venue) in the country,” Klinger said.