¡VIVA RIVAS!

Just because I don't think owners should be given hundereds of millions of dollars in free money to build stadiums doesn't mean I can't get excited about our team releasing new details on the stadium. Here's an excerpt from details released Tuesday:

FIELD DIMENSIONS

For the baseball fan, here are the numbers, although tentative, that matter: 339 feet down the left field line, 377 feet in the left field gap, 404 feet to center field, 370 feet in the right field gap and 328 feet down the right field line. The outfield fence, in left field and center field, generally will be 8 feet high, rising to 14 feet in right field.

That compares to these dimensions at the Metrodome, where the Twins have played for 24 years: 343 feet left field, 385 feet left field gap, 408 feet center field, 367 feet right field gap, 327 feet right field.

It's interesting that the dimension haven't changed much. In fact, in almost every instance, it appears the fence will be a few feet closer. Current fence heights are: 7 ft. in center, 7 ft. in left, 23 ft. in right.

The good news is that we'll be able to leave those trusty Metrodome binoculars at home, because as the architect said, "This will be the most compact ballpark built in America." So small, in fact, that they shrunk seating down to 40,000 from an originally estimated 42K.

--"The concourses will be twice as wide." Not new news, but nonetheless worthy of a hearty HUZZAH!

Torii Re-upping???

--Jerry Bell on fence heights from MLB.com, "Most of the wall is about eight feet high, and the reason for that is we want to see Torii Hunter jump up and catch a home run over the wall," said Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports, Inc. "It can't be so low that it's easy, but it can't be so high that it's impossible."

Now Jerry was probably just going for a good quote, but I'm going to ask the tough questions because, well, someone has to. So Jerry, WHOA (Tom) KELLY! Did you just guarantee that Torii will be around when the new stadium opens in 2010? I think you just did. Oopsies. If so, this is a serious tactical error in negotiations, what with Juan Pierre, Garry Matthews Jr and Carlos Lee all signing deals like OF are going the way of veteran Twins starters (extinction). Rule #1: Don't tell the press that you're planning on signing a player no matter what. You'll see your leverage disappear quicker than a doughnut in Tony Batista's locker. (apologies all around for the cheap shot)