Metropolitan Stadium

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Lore & Background

Beginning in 1953, inspired by the Boston Braves' move to Milwaukee, Gerald Moore led the drive to lure a major league team to Minnesota by constructing a modern stadium. After the rejection of numerous sites, a plot of farmland in Bloomington was approved. The stadium would replace Nicollet Park as the home of the Minneapolis Millers. Groundbreaking was scheduled for June 20, 1955, but was almost delayed when property owners protested; the dispute was settled in time. On February 7, 1956, a portable heater used to cure concrete exploded in the stadium's basement, causing $50,000 of repairs and a three-week delay. The stadium opened on April 24, 1956, with a minor league game between the Millers and the Wichita Braves. It was not named until a July announcement declaring it "Metropolitan Stadium." In October 1960, Calvin Griffith announced his Washington Senators would move to the Met as the Minnesota Twins. The Twins played their first home game on April 21, 1961. The Met was known as a hitter's park with short foul lines; the 330 marker in right was actually closer to right-center, leading to speculation that right field was even closer. The diamond was aligned southeast.

In Their Own Story

The stadium hosted a disjointed yet historic convergence of sports. While the Twins thrived in their first decade by outdrawing every other American League team on average, the facility struggled with football logistics. The gridiron ran north-south from third base to right field, leaving barely enough room for end zones. Wooden bleachers were brought onto the field until 1965, when the Vikings paid for a double-decked grandstand in left field to replace them, creating a unique configuration of left-field stands and third-base bleachers. This venue became a playoff fortress; cold Minnesota temperatures provided an overwhelming home advantage, with the Vikings winning seven of their ten playoff games there. The pinnacle of baseball history occurred in 1965 when both the All-Star Game and World Series were played at the Met. Game 7 drew 50,596 fans, setting a record attendance that stood as the only time a baseball crowd exceeded 50,000 at the stadium.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was built using cantilever construction for overhanging decks, eliminating posts that blocked fans' view. For baseball, there were very few bad seats. For football, the gridiron ran from around third base to right field (north-south), with barely enough room. Wooden bleachers were brought onto the field during football season. For 1965, a large double-decked grandstand was installed in left field, paid for by the Vikings in return for reduced rent. The left-field grandstand was originally planned to be capable of sliding, but that part of the project was never realized.

Did You Know?

• The Met hosted exhibition games featuring Major League teams before the Twins arrived, including a 1957 game between the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds.
• The Chicago Cardinals moved two of their 1959 regular season home games to the Met.
• The Vikings' home opener saw them shock the Chicago Bears 37-13, with rookie quarterback Fran Tarkenton throwing four touchdown passes off the bench.
• The Met had a disjointed feel, with no concourse connecting the bleachers to the grandstand; fans in the bleachers had to leave the stadium to get to the grandstand.