Metropolitan Stadium - Bloomington

[Teflon Skies]

I admit it. This one was pure indulgence on my part. Metropolitan Stadium was never thought of in the same vein as other old ballparks but, to me, it was a magical place just the same. This is where I saw my first big league baseball game and where I returned time and again to the third base bleachers seats to spend pleasant summer evenings watching the Twins of the 1970s. Who remembers Vic Albury? Steve Braun? Bob Randall? Bombo Rivera? They are still as vivid to me as Rod Carew and Bert Blyleven and Roy Smalley. The Twins didn't always field a winner, but they were an entertaining team to watch. The opponents of that era also occupy a special place in my baseball memories. I'll never forget seeing Mark Fidrych pitch in 1976 or Reggie Jackson and the Yankees come to town in 1977. I remember the awesome Angels pitching duo of Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana and how lumbering part-time Twins DH Craig Kusick owned Tanana. I remember a favorite vendor named Masseo who had to be 80 years old and would sit down next to me to pour my beer and visit for a moment or two before getting back up. I remember the smell of cigars and cigarettes at the park and, even though I didn't smoke, how it somehow seemed appropriate. Baseball during the years I was going to the Met had a real romance for me. I can't help but think back to the time there as some of the most pleasant moments I've spent. Enjoy this park!

-TS

Capacity: 45,181

Left Field Line: 330
Left Field: 350
Left Center 410
Center Field: 410
Right Center: 410
Right Field: 370
Right Field Line: 330

Fences: 8 feet (wire mesh)

Bitmap: Metropolitan Stadium

[Cuss16]

you the man!

[kq76]

As usual, the park is beautiful, but this time your write-up on it was the real treat of your post. Thanks.

[Daballman22]

Nice! You truly are the man!

[CommishJoe]

Nice. All you need now is the Mall of America in the background. Just kidding

Looks great!!

[LivnLegend]

Very very nice!

[enuttage]

Originally posted by kq76
As usual, the park is beautiful, but this time your write-up on it was the real treat of your post. Thanks.

Agreed. Very well-written, and pretty much describing the essence of the baseball experience as a fan. It reminded me of many of the things that really made me fall in love with baseball. The entire Astrodome crowd screaming "Joooosseeeee Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz!" every time he came up. Mike Scott's no-hitter to clinch the division title, where there weren't even enough seats to accomodate the crowd, but no one cared, they were never sitting down anyway. Everyone waiting on the latest Nolan Ryan radar gun reading, and then waiting the next half-inning to hear what Doc Gooden's reading was.

Sorry for the aside. You got the nostalgia flowing though...

-E

[bsbll_n_mn]

i never got the change (tooooooooo young) to visit the stadium, but i've been "there" many times in my dreams (and when i visit MOA)

your write-up is exactly what we all think of in our "home" park (mine being the metrodome)

no longer is there a Masseo but there now is Wally

no longer is there smoking, but there is the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO SMOOKKKKING! If you wanna smoke, go back to <--Insert Visiting Team Here-->"

the parks have changed, the teams have changed, but they are still my favorite team

[Sweed]

Originally posted by Teflon Skies
I admit it. This one was pure indulgence on my part. Metropolitan Stadium was never thought of in the same vein as other old ballparks but, to me, it was a magical place just the same. This is where I saw my first big league baseball game and where I returned time and again to the third base bleachers seats to spend pleasant summer evenings watching the Twins of the 1970s. Who remembers Vic Albury? Steve Braun? Bob Randall? Bombo Rivera? They are still as vivid to me as Rod Carew and Bert Blyleven and Roy Smalley. The Twins didn't always field a winner, but they were an entertaining team to watch. The opponents of that era also occupy a special place in my baseball memories. I'll never forget seeing Mark Fidrych pitch in 1976 or Reggie Jackson and the Yankees come to town in 1977. I remember the awesome Angels pitching duo of Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana and how lumbering part-time Twins DH Craig Kusick owned Tanana. I remember a favorite vendor named Masseo who had to be 80 years old and would sit down next to me to pour my beer and visit for a moment or two before getting back up. I remember the smell of cigars and cigarettes at the park and, even though I didn't smoke, how it somehow seemed appropriate. Baseball during the years I was going to the Met had a real romance for me. I can't help but think back to the time there as some of the most pleasant moments I've spent. Enjoy this park!

-TS

Capacity: 45,181

Left Field Line: 330
Left Field: 350
Left Center 410
Center Field: 410
Right Center: 410
Right Field: 370
Right Field Line: 330

Fences: 8 feet (wire mesh)

Bitmap: Metropolitan Stadium

Just beautiful. From the money tree on top of the scoreboard to the paths from the dugouts to homeplate, sure brings back memories. Leo Cardenas, George Mitterwald, Rich Reese, Cesar Tovar, Jim and Craig Nettles, Tom Hall, and Frank Quilici to name a few. Saw Tanana pitch but missed Ryan by one day, it was a three hour drive for us to get there so we only saw about 5 games a year. Oh to be a kid again.....

[KennyW]

wow, this is great man! thanks

[Killebrew]

This caused me to shed a tear - that is beautiful TS.

[drprestwood]

the mall of america wouldn't be in the background. it would be on top of the stadium.

<----- from bloomington, MN

nice work!

[mrskippy]

That's pretty cool ... no Jumbotron/Diamondvision. And in Minnesota fashion ... lots of empty seats.

[Kronos]

Nice!

[athletics72_73_74]

thanks for the great work! God I miss outdoor baseball!

[Teflon Skies]

Again - I appreciate the kind words. It's kind of ironic that what inspired me was a framed print of Met Stadium that I bought at Field of Dreams IN Mall of America.

I know there's now plans to develop the empty piece of land just north of the mall but I always thought it would be a logical place for the Twins to build a new ballpark. There's already ample freeway access because of Mall of America, it's close to the airport, it would receive good walk-up sales from the Mall and the Mall's bars and restaurants would get great traffic on game days. Seemed like a win-win scenario. There's some unwritten rule now, however, that every new stadium has to be built downtown. Bloomington isn't exactly rural. In addition to the country's largest shopping center, there's something like 500,000 hotels and restaurant chains on the 494 strip now.

I keep going back to the Kansas City stadium situation as my ideal. Whoever was responsible for the Harry Truman Sports complex should be given a medal for being smarter than everybody else building stadiums in the 70s. Think of how long the original parks in baseball were used (most at least 50 years) and then look at the life of places like 3 Rivers and Cinergy. Considering what they cost to build and what their replacements also cost (between $250 and $300 million each) it is staggering and amazingly short-sighted. KC built both a beautiful football stadium and a beautiful baseball park that will serve for many more years for $70 million. (I realize this was in 1970 era dollars but that still translates nowhere near current stadium costs. Also KC should really have been built for more like $45 million but workers strikes caused excessive delays) Anyway, if the Twins ever do end up building a new ballpark, I'm sure it will be near downtown Minneapolis - which except for U of M students in the warehouse district bars - is abandoned by 5 pm. I've also wondered the need for the football stadium to be downtown since the games are played on Sundays when everything downtown is closed. Hmmm. (Also the Vikings became a bunch of overrated punk wussies once they quit playing in the cold and snow of Met Stadium. They are an NBA team now - not a football team. But I digress...)

[enuttage]

Originally posted by Teflon Skies
I keep going back to the Kansas City stadium situation as my ideal. Whoever was responsible for the Harry Truman Sports complex should be given a medal for being smarter than everybody else building stadiums in the 70s. Think of how long the original parks in baseball were used (most at least 50 years) and then look at the life of places like 3 Rivers and Cinergy. Considering what they cost to build and what their replacements also cost (between $250 and $300 million each) it is staggering and amazingly short-sighted. KC built both a beautiful football stadium and a beautiful baseball park that will serve for many more years for $70 million.

Great work and good points to think on. Downtown parks don't work for everyone, and KC IS a great example of how things could be done.

I lived in Lawrence, KS for awhile and caught a few Royals games while living there. Kauffman is indeed beautiful. It took me aback when I heard it wasn't built more recently than it was. It still stands with Wrigley and Fenway as one of my top three parks. I haven't been to all of them, but I've been to a lot, and Kauffman stands up, IMNSHO.

-E