Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, usually simply called The Metrodome, and often nicknamed the Homerdome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington, and Memorial Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

	Capacity		48,000 (Baseball), 63,000 (Football)
	Opened		April 3rd 1982
	Owner		Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission
	Cost		$68 million
	Architect		Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The Metrodome is home to the following sports teams:

* Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
* Minnesota Twins (MLB)
* Minnesota Golden Gophers football (Big Ten)
* Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball, first half of season (second half at Siebert Field) (Big Ten)

It was the home at one time for:

* Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) (1989-1990)
* Minnesota Strikers (NASL soccer) (1984)

Construction on the Metrodome began on December 20, 1979 and was funded by the state of Minnesota. The dome is air-inflated and requires 250,000 ft³/min (120 m³/s) of air to keep it inflated. Three times in the stadium’s history, heavy snows have caused a small puncture in the roof and caused it to deflate. Varying air pressure due to a severe storm once contributed to a dramatic deflation during a game. The stadium construction is notable in that the $68 million price tag was on budget, and the facility was completed on time, a rare feat in the world of stadium construction.

During its early years of operation, the field at the Metrodome was surfaced with SuperTurf, which was disliked by both football and baseball players as being too hard. This surface was upgraded to Astroturf in 1987, and in 2004, the sports commission had a newer artificial surface, called FieldTurf, installed. FieldTurf is thought to be a closer approximation to natural grass than Astroturf in its softness, appearance, and feel.

The 1985 MLB All-Star Game, WrestleRock ’86, games of the 1987 and the 1991 World Series, Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, were all held at the Metrodome.

The NCAA Final Four was held at the Metrodome in 1992 and 2001. Curiously, Duke University was the winner on both occasions. The Metrodome has also served as one of the four regional venues for the in 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2003 and most recently, 2006.

The stadium was named in memoriam to former mayor of Minneapolis, U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey, who had died in 1978.

The Metrodome is both beloved and reviled by Minnesota fans. The Twins have won both of their World Series championships in its friendly confines (and winning both Series by winning all four games held at the Dome), and the white roof, quick turf, and the right-field wall (or “Baggie”) can provide a substantial home-field advantage for the Twins. Because it was designed for football, the Metrodome has severe disadvantages as a baseball venue. The way many seats are situated forces some fans to crane their necks to see home plate. Neither the main nor the upper concourse has visibility to the field, meaning fans risk missing play whenever they leave for the concession stands. The Dome’s sight lines tend to be below average, with nearly 1,400 seats having obscured or partial visibility to the playing field. The Metrodome is widely known as a hitter’s park, with a low left-field fence that favors right-handed power hitters, and the higher but closer right-field baggie that favors left-handed power hitters.

The Metrodome’s right-field wall is composed of the seven-foot-high (2.1 m) fence around the whole outfield and a 16-foot-high (4.9 m) plastic wall extension in right field, known as the “Baggie” or the “Hefty Bag.” The seats above and behind the Baggie are home run territory; the Baggie itself is part of the outfield wall. Fenway Park’s “Green Monster”, a comparable but taller feature, is 17 feet (5.2 m) closer to home plate than the Baggie is, so batters who hit short, high fly balls are not typically helped by it. However, it is an attractive target for left-handed power hitters, and it is not uncommon for upper-deck home runs to be hit to right field. When in a rectangular configuration for football and other small-field events, the Baggie is taken down and the seats behind it extend to form complete lower-deck seating.

The Metrodome’s roof is made of two layers of Teflon fabric, and is supported by positive air pressure. To maintain the differential air pressure, spectators usually enter and leave the seating and concourse areas through revolving doors, since the use of regular doors is accompanied by a strong breeze. The double-walled construction allows warmed air to circulate beneath the top of the dome, melting accumulated snow. However, on November 19, 1981, a rapid accumulation of over a foot of snow caused the roof to collapse, requiring it to be reinflated.

Because it’s unusually low to the playing field (172 feet/52.4 m), the air-inflated dome is occasionally touched by the ball, altering play. Any ball which strikes the Dome roof remains in play; if it lands in foul territory it becomes a foul ball, if it lands in fair territory it becomes a fair ball. Any ball which becomes caught in the roof over fair ground (which has only happened once in its history – Dave Kingman for the Oakland Athletics in 1984) – is a ground rule double. More common is for a ball to strike an overhead speaker, which are even closer to the playing surface; such balls are also alive and in-play (although starting with the 2005 MLB season, the ground rules for balls hitting the speakers have been changed). The low roof has never been a concern for events other than baseball.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

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Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome wikipedia entry
Minnesota Vikings website
Minnesota Twins website
battleyourtailoff.com

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