Star Tribune's Secret Fan: Big Dome, tiny screen

Secret Fan, Star Tribune

This is the sixth in a 10-part series about sporting venues in and near the metro area, which Star Tribune reporters attended as spectators.

Last update: June 28, 2009 - 9:32 PM

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Editor's note: We sent various Star Tribune staff members out to different summer sporting events and asked them to write about the experience from the perspective of a fan. This is what the "Secret Fan" found:

Indoor baseball always has sounded strange to me. It's not just that you can't see the pretty summer sky; it's the fact that baseball inside just doesn't feel right. The environment really shouldn't be controlled. Baseball was meant to be out in the open, not in a tent.

With that said, I did have some fun at my first Metrodome baseball game. I sat in the upper deck on the third base side. From there, you can see the game, but I didn't feel as close to the field as I have at some other ballparks.

I will say the Metrodome has a better baseball atmosphere than the dome stadium at Tropicana Field. It gets loud, and the people there are actually watching the game. I tried to get as much of an experience from the place as I could; I tried a delicious Dome Dog and walked through the arena.

Overall, my experience was good. Talking to the fans was great, even though I'm not close to being a Twins fan at all. I took along a friend who'd never been to a major league baseball game. She said she had a lot of fun, and I could tell. Even though it was a beautiful night outside, the Twins made the game exciting and interesting enough to a person who'd never seen a full baseball game.

I can tell this is a good baseball town, with 30,057 attending a Wednesday night game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a college student, I got a ticket for just $4, easily the best baseball-ticket deal I've ever found.

My section had many college fans, and it was nice to sit in a group of peers. The concession stand lines were long but were not slow. It felt like a pretty good baseball operation. The only bad thing about the experience is clearly the building. The "jumbo" screen was so small from my seat, it was hard to see a guy's batting average.

Here is what I took away from the night: The Metrodome is not a terrific stadium, but it's fun to go to a Twins game. As this summer wears on, I'm sure I will go to more.

Still I have to say this: I can see why Target Field is under construction.

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