The labor disputes are over and the Minnesota Twins home opener is now scheduled for April 8th. Following a very disappointing showing in 2021, the Twins have been overhauling the team to be more competitive. This season is the perfect time to take your favorite senior to a game. Imagine helping them to enjoy the same game they watched or played in their youth.
Target Field
Target field is a great venue for anyone to watch a Twins Game. The Twins have rightly been lauded for making one of the most disability-friendly stadiums in the country. They have nearly 800 seats that can accommodate people in wheelchairs or those who have trouble using stairs.
The Twins offer ADA seating throughout the ballpark and at various price points. The exception is the 300-level, which is accessible only by stairs. To ensure price equity for fans with disabilities, wheelchair spaces on the 200-level are sold at a reduced price to match the price of tickets on the level above. The Suite Level and all individual suites at Target Field are fully wheelchair-accessible. The Suite Level can be accessed by first entering through either Ramp A or Gate 29, and then taking elevators 9-12 to the Suite Level. A guest drop-off area is located outside of Gate 29 and Gate 14 for guests with mobility issues. All gates at Target Field are ADA accessible. If a guest that utilizes a wheelchair will be attending a game in a private suite, Target Field staff will remove an exterior chair to allow that guest access to view the game from the balcony of the suite. A 24-hour notice is appreciated to best prepare the suite for that guest.
Guests with mobility issues may use either of the Drop Off Zones along 7th Street, near both the Majestic Clubhouse Store and Gate 14. No accessible parking permit is required to use this Drop Off Zone, but this is strictly a drop-off zone, with no parking permitted in this zone.
Public Transportation
Normally served by the light rail, more than 20 bus routes, and Northstar Commuter Rail line, Target Field is more accessible by public transit than any other ballpark in America. The Northstar commuter line is not currently planning for exclusive service to the Twins games and will only be following its regular schedule. This may change as more people take the commuter line into the city for work purposes and pandemic restrictions ebb. Metro transit has stated when the Twins are playing at Target Field they will service the games. Make sure you check their schedules prior to heading to the stadium. When exiting the game, crossing guards give priority to handicapped individuals so they can get access more easily to public transportation.
Visit MetroTransit to plan your public transportation via Bus, Light Rail, or NorthStar Commuter Rail. Want personal help planning your transit trip? Call Metro Transit at 612-373-3333.
Food
Just like every year, there is no shortage of food at Target Field. As you enter the stadium via Target plaza you are immediately hit with all of the sights and sounds of the game. When you of start here you walk past Truly On Deck and experience the different scents in the air, grass, hotdogs, beer, and more can bring back strong memories for you and your senior loved ones!
Named for Bloomington native and first-baseman extraordinaire Kent Hrbek, the pub packs a wallop of fun, with an atmosphere as free and easy as Hrbek himself. Hrbek's features some of #14's favorite signature basket foods, the Triple Sausage Sampler Bloody Mary, a full bar, and an outdoor patio located in section 114 of the main concourse.
Budweiser Roof Deck
Designed to be the ultimate Minnesota Twins outdoor experience, the Budweiser Roof Deck is located in the left-field corner of Target Field and offers sweeping skyline views of downtown Minneapolis. The Budweiser Roof Deck features a partial roof canopy, bar, and concessions areas along with convenient private restrooms for your guests. A signature feature of the area is a large fire pit that will warm guests on cool spring and fall evenings. Sounds good for an April home opener!
New this year is Summit Brewing Pub as the Twins’ Hometown Craft Beer sponsor. Located down the left-field line of the club level, this space will provide fans with the taste of one of Minnesota’s most beloved craft breweries. Summit will serve 16oz cans of Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Sága IPA, Summit Slugfest Juicy IPA, and soon-to-be-available Summit Cabin Crusher Kölsch-Style Ale with Lime.
Seating
You can find out a lot of information by checking out this Twins access guide for fans with disabilities. The Twins have had an accessible ticketing guide in the past and it may pop up again as the season approaches. For now, you may want to call 1-800-33-TWINS and just discuss your needs with the ticketing representative. Gameday tickets are also available and they will help with access at the stadium.
Fun Things at Target Field
Statues: Take a stroll outside the concourses at Target Field and you can’t miss them. There are large statues coated in bronze honoring some of the greatest players, team officials, and fan favorites in Minnesota Twins history. The current statutes include Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Carl and Eloise Pohlad, Tony Oliva, Kirby Puckett, and Kent Hrbek. Last year I asked who should be next. Instead of adding they removed Calvin Griffith. I didn’t expect that.
How good will the Twins be this year?
Last year's Twins were one of the biggest busts in both baseball and sports history for Minnesota. Very few teams have disappointed like the Twins of 2021 so there should be no surprises they brought in new faces for the upcoming season. Last year I really felt the Twins would be competitive and have a powerhouse lineup. Of course, I and many other people were really wrong about that! This year looking at the projected lineup and pitching staff I feel like it’s really going to be a test for Rocko Baldelli and his coaching staff. I hope I am wrong about this too! Management is saying they will be competitive and it’s not a rebuilding year–but that seems unlikely.
From La Bomba to the return of La Piranha
The Twin's top 3 hitters, Buxton, Arraez, and Polanco are very respectable at the plate and play their positions extremely well. With the major signing of Carlos Correa, the Twins front office pulled off a major coup amongst the other teams in major league baseball. Correa is an all-star, has pop in his bat for 30+ home runs, and is a gold glove shortstop. This settles the infield positions more to Arraez at 3rd, Correa at SS, and Polanco at 2B. Many are hoping Royce Lewis can join this group and provide some additional hitting at the top of the lineup. The former number one pick of the Twins has missed two seasons, one from COVID and the other from an ACL tear that required surgery. Royce feels like he’s ready to make a contribution in the bigs this season but with Correa now on the team, he will likely spend much of the season getting ready for his major league career rather than trying to contribute at the major league level. After these four very talented players things are less clear. Sano clearly strikes out way too often and had a miserable year at the plate in 2021. The Twins acquired catcher Gary Sánchez and infielder Gio Urshela from the Yankees in exchange for third baseman Josh Donaldson, catcher Ben Rortvedt and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. While Sanchez seems like a solid catcher Urshela doesn’t have the power you typically want in a 3rd baseman. No doubt both will likely play more healthy innings than Donaldson did in 2021. To round it out, Kepler, Cave, and Kirilloff are solid players and if the bats come around in 2022 from the top of the order they could be valuable pieces to the puzzle. The glaring problem with this team is a real weakness in power hitting. Could it be a return to 2006 style baseball when In reference to the scrappy, fleet-footed hitters that make up almost half of their lineup, many of the Twins' players were referred to by the Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén as "little piranhas". Those teams made several playoff appearances–let’s hope so!
Pitching looks like an even bigger challenge than hitting in 2022. Newcomer Sonny Gray joined the Twins with a trade with the Reds. With a nickname like Pickles, it doesn’t cause fear like Roger the Rocket Clemens did in his heyday. Gray had a 7-9 record last year and it’s hard to see him as the stopper the team will need with a host of other pitchers with very little experience. Kenta Maeda at times looked good in 2021 however Rocco often gave people the hook very early in games and the beleaguered bullpen often fell short of the goal. It’s really too early to tell about starters and the bullpen, however with the cast of characters assembled it seems using the bullpen to prevent hitters from getting a 3rd look at the youthful pitching will be continued in 2022 by Rocco and pitching coach Wes Johnson.
The boys of summer are back and hopefully, we can all take in a game at Target Field this year as it should be--outdoor baseball!