Twins name new ballpark Target Field

Twins name new ballpark Target Field
September 15
MLB.com

"The Twins' new home has a name: Target Field.

The club announced on Monday morning that they have reached an agreement in principle on a 25-year deal that includes the naming rights for Target Field. The ballpark is scheduled to open in 2010.

Financial terms of the pact were not released.

"We took what we think is a non-traditional approach -- a lot of teams would have had an auction; that was never what it was about for the Twins," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. "When we considered corporate names, it was clear that one, it needed to be a Minnesota-based brand, and two, it had to be involved in the community and consistent with our brand, which is very family focused. There was a small list of companies that we felt fit those criteria. Target was at the top of that list."

The Twins and Target will also collaborate on the design of Target Plaza, a pedestrian bridge and public gathering space connecting Target Field to downtown Minneapolis.

"The plaza is really critical because it's the front door to the ballpark but it could also be a really dynamic public gathering place," St. Peter said.

Monday's press release indicated that Target will have "an extensive brand presence at the new ballpark."

"The Twins are a highly respected member of this community and we believe that the partnership gives us the opportunity to extend both our own brand and our community support in this market with the Twins product. There is a lot of overlap in Twins fans and Target customers," Target senior vice president of communications Susan Kahn said.

The new ballpark is across the street from one of the company's other corporate ventures, the Target Center, home to the NBA's Timberwolves. St. Peter said the Twins' 20-year corporate relationship with Target helped consummate the deal quickly. "


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