12/22/24
June 06, 2004
Home field advantage?: Detroit Tigers manager Alan Trammell suggests that the Minnesota Twins tampered with the ventilation system of the Metrodome; blowing air through outfield vents in the 9th inning of a game they led 6-5 to prevent the possibility of a Detroit home run.
posted by Stan Fields to baseball at 08:13 PM - 3 comments
I remember reading an article last year about an ex-Metrodome employee who basically admitted that he would fiddle with the air to help the Twins. Of course, whether or not this actually had an effect on the outcome of any game still remains an open question.
posted by Jugwine at 06:26 AM on June 07, 2004
Even better is the marketing department for the Twins that came up with the slogan "Every Fan Counts". A commercial had a Twins fan holding one of those handheld fans, trying to keep a deep ball from going over the fence. Yes, the Metrodome sucks. But the people of Minnesota refuse to pay for a new stadium. We've been trying for five years now, and it still hasn't worked out. Basically because we have two cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, fighting for it, with neither having a plan to pay for it.
posted by emoeby at 09:44 AM on June 07, 2004
Like the article says... this is not the first time such an accusation has been raised. They've been barking about the possibility of this for years now. However, the real issue is simply this: The Metrodome SUCKS. I mean, for baseball, it's truly the worst. You should see the "bullpen" where pitchers warm up, which is basically a strip of dirt on the far right side of the field... and the left side of the field is so cluttered with empty Gatorade cups by the middle of the game that the leftfielder often has to wade through them to get to the ball. It's ridiculous. It's one of the worst ballparks I've ever been in. Gives the game a bad name, not to mention the Twins a horrible venue for showcasing their skills.