Lavelle Neal

Robby Incmikoski: Lavelle E. Neal III, my man. Hey, yeah, I want to talk about Target Field. One of the reasons why I wanted to have you on here is because, to me, nobody knows baseball in Minnesota better than you—except for maybe a handful of people in the entire city. And Sue Han might be one of them, who we talked to. But let me ask you, first of all, you and I were both there April 12, 2010, when the Twins played their first game at Target Field. But I want to ask you about leading into it. What was the chatter when there were talks of the stadium being built, then the deal was agreed upon, then it was built, and then the first pitch was thrown? How would you describe what the vibe was like, as the city of Minneapolis headed toward outdoor baseball once again?

Lavelle Neal: We have to remember a couple things. This goes back to the beginning of Metropolitan Stadium and the belief that the Met was great for baseball but terrible for football. Finally, when the Metrodome was built, it reversed—that was great for football viewing, but awful for baseball: the backdrop, amenities, the concourse, everything. So Carl Pohlad wanted a new stadium. That era in Minnesota sports history is called the “Stadium Wars,” because he pretty much wanted a stadium going back to 1993, and it took, what, 10 years for a deal to be finalized? During that time, he offered a sizable contribution that ended up being a loan, which he’s going to be repaid for. There was a threat to move the team to North Carolina and sell it to Don Beaver, but that got scuttled because a referendum in North Carolina was voted down.

Then the contraction saga came in 2000–2001, when Carl actually agreed to take a about $150 million check and have the Twins disbanded in a dispersal draft. There was a lot of ill will toward Carl and the Pohlads at the time. But the fact of the matter is, the Metrodome was getting old, it was outliving its usefulness, and it wasn’t a modern ballpark with modern revenue streams. A bunch of new retro ballparks had been built across the country. At the same time, the Vikings were like, “This facility isn’t good enough for us,” and the University of Minnesota wanted its own campus stadium. So if you remember, legislation was passed at the 11th hour for all three stadiums. They spent, like, $2–3 billion in one day to get Target Field, what is now U.S. Bank Stadium, and what is now Huntington Bank Stadium built. They went from zero to 1,000 in a matter of a year of negotiating.

I don’t think people were ready for what the stadium would look like. There were renderings, it looked nice on the outside and modern. But all the things the Twins did to dress it up, I think, were really on point. They did a fantastic job of blending the past with the present. I remember when someone said the flagpole would be the original one from Metropolitan Stadium. I said, “Holy s***, they still have that thing?” They did. In right field, where the U.S. flag is hoisted every game, that flagpole is from the Met, but it was too tall and they had to shave about 10 or 20 feet off it. There’s a bar called the Town Ball Tavern, which celebrates all the “town ball” (Legion ball, or Summer League ball in other states) that’s huge here in Minnesota. For years, they put the champion town-ball team photos in that tavern.

The other thing that freaked me out: leading up to when the stadium would be built, some officials were touring the old Armory near downtown Minneapolis, kitty-corner from where the ballpark was going up, and they found, in crates and boxes, the original floor that the Minneapolis Lakers played on back in the day. Half of the Town Ball Tavern has that Lakers floor. So if you go to check out the plaques for all the champion town-ball teams in the tavern, in the back there’s a portion of floor that’s literally the old Lakers floor. It’s stuff like that that really makes Target Field special.

Remember, Metropolitan Stadium was the first stadium to use that cantilever type structure where the second deck juts out over the first deck. There’s a nod to that in right field with the overhang. There’s a nod to the past. They also made sure that right-field corridor connected well with First Avenue, that main entryway from bars—the Loon, where we spent a lot of company money over the years—and from Target Center. They have the old logo of Minnie and Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi as the main scoreboard logo. It’s just so many great things. Interior-wise, legendary umpire Tim Tschida from St. Paul was brought in and asked to help design the umpires’ room. Bill Smith told me they purposely put the dressing rooms across from the umpires’ room because they believe there’ll be a female umpire one day, and they wanted to be prepared for that. It hasn’t happened yet, but we have women coaches now in MLB; it’s only a matter of time before we have a female MLB umpire.

It’s just a lot of really neat things that make that ballpark special. So when people first got in there, they were floored, amazed by how fresh and new it looked. Once again, you have that overhanging right field, the Kasota stone (a Minnesota stone) is prominent. Below the Kasota stone is a wall made of marine-grade plywood—stuff like that. Before the 2024 season, they put in a “Captain’s Deck” that’s basically a pontoon-like structure in right field with chairs. They keep adding to it. The Twins keep popping in money. There’s a fund they contribute to so they can keep the stadium new and fresh. It still looks as new as Day One. They did a great job. It’s definitely a top-five ballpark in MLB.

Robby Incmikoski: There’s no question about it. We talked to Tim about designing the umpire room, which is a great tip from you. Very useful, thank you. I did a TV feature on the Town Ball Tavern, telling the story of the floor and all that. Those are great stories and I appreciate you recanting them, because they’re a big part of what Target Field is. Another question: You’re not from Minnesota, but you’ve been there since ’98, right?

Lavelle Neal: Yes, 1998 was my first season.

Robby Incmikoski: So that’s 26-some years now. Let me ask you this: what did that stadium do for the city of Minneapolis–St. Paul? Just the vibe among fans, as you talked to people and did stories—what did Target Field do for that town?

Lavelle Neal: It added a lot. It connected with Target Center, creating a sort of “Target campus.” From Day One, I think the Gophers played an exhibition game there before the Twins did, and they were amazed by what they saw. It’s so aesthetically beautiful—a great balance between nature and modern architecture. Some ballparks go overboard. I’ve never been a big fan of what Kansas City did with their outfield concourse. Cincinnati forced a few things with their design. Pittsburgh has a great view, probably the best for the press box. But the total package in Minnesota, they did a top-notch job. The community has something to be proud of, and folks who wanted outdoor baseball again—there’s a group called “Save the Met,” which is still around, though it’s getting older. They had been upset about the Metrodome. Now they can see how fantastic outdoor baseball is.

It’s not just that, either. You can go to a local establishment and walk to the game. Some guy named Tim Mahoney from the Loon might have 210 steps to Gate 29 or something. He can just slip away for a few innings. A bunch of fans come from out of town, see how easy it is. The city is proud of the ballpark. People might fuss about payroll or certain managerial decisions, but that goes on everywhere. Everybody admits the Twins did a hell of a job with the stadium. It was time to get out of the Dome.

Robby Incmikoski: First of all, no doubt about that. Let me ask you about the two major faces of the franchise in 2010, the M&M Boys. Joe Mauer—a native Minnesotan who’s going to the Hall of Fame—and Justin Morneau. They were obviously superstars. How big was it for the Twins to have both of them as the faces of the franchise in that brand-new ballpark?

Lavelle Neal: It was huge. One knew where this was headed when they drafted Mauer first overall. He was a tremendous prospect. It was controversial because they passed on Mark Prior, who everyone thought was a once-in-a-generation pitcher out of Stanford. The Twins took some heat for going with the cheaper high school catcher, which is the riskiest thing you can do, but it clicked. We also didn’t know the Twins had another catcher, Justin Morneau, in the system. Actually, he was a bad catcher, so they moved him to first base. His bat was something special.

Anyway, once those guys reached the majors and established themselves, we called them the M&M Boys. I recall a meeting about a season preview. I said, “I’m not trying to get out over my skis, but these are the Twins’ version of the M&M Boys.” People were hesitant because Mickey and Maris, obviously, but it just had a ring to it. We ran with it. They were super approachable guys—both MVPs, both easy to talk to, never caused controversy. The city embraced them. They were in the community. Morneau had that big charity event every year. Mauer had about a hundred friends and family at every single game—Grandpa Jake, everybody. Morneau’s dad, George, was at every game, a fun guy. So they were part of the fabric of the town. Mauer eventually retired here, Morneau retired here. He has a farm in Medina with about 37 Scottish Highland cattle, a pond that freezes over so they can have hockey games. Mauer sometimes comes over, they got a Zamboni, it’s a blast. People love that. Minnesota embraces guys who come off as authentic, which both of them did.

Robby Incmikoski: That’s awesome. Another question: you were the guy who broke the retirements of Hunter, Mauer, and Morneau. That’s a credit to you and the relationships you built. Could you give fans a little insight as to how you develop such trust over the years that players come to you to break their stories?

Lavelle Neal: It starts with building relationships. There’s a way to get information without being a hard-ass. You can be polite and respectful. Over time, guys figure out you’re a decent dude. Sometimes I’d see players out on the road letting off steam. They realized I wasn’t going to publish that. So we built trust. Tori Hunter called me one day and said, “I’m retiring,” but that was the same day Flip Saunders died, so we held it a day so it wouldn’t overshadow Flip’s passing.

Mauer’s wasn’t really a “scoop.” I had a sit-down with him, and it became a national story. But the actual retirement got leaked because an ad was placed in the Star Tribune, and that’s how the story got out early. I felt bad because it messed up the Twins’ timeline, but that’s how it goes.

Either way, it’s about building trust, letting them be who they are, and not sensationalizing personal stuff. I think they appreciated that.

Robby Incmikoski: Right on. One last question: if fans have never been to Target Field but want to see all 30 ballparks, how would you describe the experience at Target Field?

Lavelle Neal: I’d say you’re going to one of the best in the league, just from comfort, viewing lines, the aesthetic. Also, the Twins made sure you can see the field from anywhere on the concourse—none of that blocking. There’s a separate service level, so you don’t see staff pushing trash bins around you like in some ballparks.

You can come in through right field, see Kramarczuk’s Sausage stand, keep walking for more local foods. There’s a bar in left field called Gray Duck Deck, co-owned by Chad Greenway. If you keep going, you’ll find the Town Ball Tavern with that Lakers floor, or Hrbek’s Bar behind home plate with a burger garnish on its Bloody Mary. Then you’ll get to your seat, see Minnie and Paul shaking hands on the scoreboard, that original Met Stadium flagpole in right field, the downtown skyline behind left field—though there’s that one ugly brown building we all wish we could just remove. But it’s a really beautiful city view.

They also have a kids’ playground area behind right field now, so your kids can burn some energy if they’re not locked in on baseball. Overall, it’s a top-five experience in MLB. And if you stay downtown, you can just walk through a corridor or walkway to the stadium. You’ll pass statues of Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, plus a giant glove for photo ops, the big Minnie and Paul logo, everything. It’s a fun place—lots of great baseball history meets modern touches.

Robby Incmikoski: Excellent. That’s all I got, Lavelle. Thank you so much, man.