A Target Field Experience and a Warning to Twins Fans (with pictures)

Last night, I stumbled upon a last minute opportunity to go to a Twins game. A friend of mine posted a message on facebook, informing everyone that he had an extra ticket and he would rather give it away rather than just let it go to waste. Of course, I jumped at the chance to see another game live, especially with Liriano on the mound last night.

I got a hold of my friend to let him know I would gladly take the seat if he still didn't have anyone else to go. And then came the big surprise. The location of the seats...

So it turns out, the extra ticket was on the first base side, in the 'Dugout Box' section.

Now I have sat pretty much all over Target Field this year. My parents and I split the cost on a Flex 40 season ticket plan, and when we redeemed our vouchers, we ended up with seats all over the place. Third base line, left field foul territory, left field bleachers, skyline view section, right field overlook, batter's eye section, top deck behind home plate, the wood back seats above right-center, and more. I thought I had seen the game from all the angles that I ever needed. I thought Target Field was intimate enough that those 'fancy' seats couldn't add much more value. I was wrong.

Time for the warning...

If you ever sit in the dugout box, legends club, or champions club seats, be prepared to never want to sit anywhere else ever again! There is a good chance that you will be spoiled by the experience!

We were in row 6 in the dugout box, almost right next to the Twins dugout, and I was closer to the action than I ever was even in the first row at the dome. Even in row 6, you are so close to the level of the field that it makes you feel like you really are 'part' of the game. Throughout the entire game, you could look into the dugout and see the players milling around or up on the rail watching the game. You could look out on the pitching mound and see the expression on the pitcher's face. When someone was thrown out at first, they rounded around the base and jogged no more than 15 or 20 feet in front of us, almost at eye level with you. And all it would have taken is one bad throw from Tolbert to Cuddyer and I would have a baseball in my lap.  My friend and I noted that we were close enough that when a runner was on first base, you could yell something at them, and they would actually hear it. It wouldn't just be lost in the crowd noise of 40,000 other screaming fans. (Side note: This works both ways. When Billy Butler got pegged by the ball hit by Denard Span, we actually heard it hit him. It sounded painful.)

These (cushioned) seats also come with access to a private dugout lounge area, complete with men's and women's bathrooms, a bar, a concession stand, and food that is not available in the main concourses. The lines for all of these were basically non-existent. So when we needed a beer, we could get there and back all in the time it took for maybe one or two at-bats. If you went in-between innings, there was a good chance that you could get back to your seat before the game even resumed.

While I still maintain that I haven't found a bad seat at Target Field, I must say that I was extremely impressed with these seats. It really did add an entirely new dimension to the game that I have never experienced before with any professional sporting event. And like all good things (or addictions), one small taste makes you want so much more. I will be back, dugout box! I will be back!

Finally, Show and Tell time! Here are some of the photos I snapped last night. For those uncomfortable with body contortion, I recommend skipping the ones of Pat Neshek.

Twins vs. Royals Slideshow

Note: I would have embedded the slideshow into the post, but for some reason it was screwing up the order of the photos.