Minnesota Twins Unveil New Target Field Celebration Sign + Revolving Baseball Medallion
When you go to a game at Target Field this upcoming season, you'll notice some cool and innovative changes!
The Minnesota Twins announced Friday that their partnership with Dimensional Innovations is bringing the newest, technologically-enhanced additions to the Target Field experience.
Fans will be treated to an updated Minnie & Paul celebration sign with the words “Win! Twins!” rising above the ballpark in centerfield, and the club’s “TC” mark encased in a revolving, illuminated baseball medallion sitting atop the rightfield tower.
The Twins say both new elements, each featuring design and technology elements unique to the Twins and Target Field, will be put into place over the next two months and make their official debut during Minnesota’s 2023 Home Opener on Thursday, April 6.
“We are incredibly excited to further enhance the fan experience at our ballpark through these creative, interactive and signature elements,” said Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter. “The Minnie & Paul celebration sign has been enhanced with an updated design and exciting new features, while the baseball medallion serves as a beacon for Target Field, the city of Minneapolis and Twins fans everywhere. Our sincere thanks to our partners at Dimensional Innovations, whose expertise brought our vision to life in a truly breathtaking fashion.”
According to the Twins, the celebration sign and baseball medallion will engage Twins fans and bring them together during important moments of the game and following home wins.
The Twins provided a breakdown of both enhancements, as well as a sneak peek at what fans will see.
The Minnie & Paul Celebration Sign has been a hallmark of Target Field since the ballpark opened in 2010. The new sign will continue to have a nostalgic feel along with the following enhancements:
- Design: In a continued nod to club heritage, the celebration sign takes elements from the Twins’ primary logos from the 1961-86 seasons. The historical “Minnie & Paul” characters of Ray Barton’s original sketch are again depicted shaking hands across the Mississippi River, while “Win! Twins!” – in front of the 1976-86 logo – replaces the “Twins” script. The entire scene is framed within the Minnesota state outline.
- Dimensions: The sign is the same size as before at 46 feet tall and 39 feet wide; the new version weighs 17,280 pounds, of which 11,700 pounds is the steel frame.
- Handshake: Rather than the shifting light display of the prior iteration, Minnie & Paul’s handshake is now mechanical; the movement of the arms brings this iconic feature to life in a new and invigorated way.
- LED Lighting: 1,203 linear feet of controllable, RGBW LEDs are incorporated into the celebration sign, with 155 total LEDs interspersed throughout the structure’s design elements (state outline, Minnie & Paul characters, the river, baseball, and “Win! Twins!”). The “Win! Twins!” is controlled independently and can illuminate at crucial game moments, while the color scheme of the entire sign can be customized as desired.
Another cool new addition is the Revolving Baseball Medallion and “TC” Logo. This luminous baseball medallion measures approximately 12 feet in diameter, and sits atop the ballpark’s rightfield tower, rotating around a nine-foot-tall, illuminated “TC” logo encased inside.
- Design: The baseball medallion is technically a three-frequency geodesic sphere made up of icosahedron triangles – the higher the frequency, the more triangles there are. The more triangles it has, the stronger and more spherical it becomes; the baseball rotates around an internal “TC” logo.
- Dimensions: The baseball medallion is approximately 12 feet in diameter; the internal “TC” stands nine feet tall. Together, the structure – and its steel support – weigh 2,500 pounds.
- LED Lighting: The baseball medallion incorporates 60 programmable RBGW LED nodes, spaced equally at the hub connections. There are also 70 pairs of illuminated stitches woven throughout the design. The “TC” is internally illuminated on both sides.
Both additions are sure to be a focal point for Target Field, downtown Minneapolis, and all Twins fans.
The Twin also shared their big news on Twitter, along with a video showing what fans can expect to see when the new Minnie & Paul Celebration Sign and the Revolving Baseball Medallion are in action.
Target Field was already a great place to be every summer and it's great to see the Minnesota Twins continue to evolve the ballpark and create even more fun things for fans to experience.