On the same day that Twins great Torii Hunter announced his retirement from baseball, the Minnesota Twins unveiled plans for some renovations of Target Field. The ballpark is just five years old, but the Twins have plans for a two-part center field redesign which will include new multi-level fan gathering spaces.

(photo provided by Minnesota Twins)
(Centerfield redesign- photo provided by Minnesota Twins)
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Currently the space right under the Minnie and Paul handshaking sign is made up of bleachers with a row of pine trees as a backdrop. The new design will have two new levels of seating. The lower level will be called “CATCH” named after Kirby Puckett’s big catch in the 1991 World Series. According to the Twins website, CATCH will have great views of the field, access to the latest technology and all-inclusive beverages and a variety of tapas-style foods. Seating capacity for this section will be 120 and it will be made available to season-ticket holders.

(Target Field renovation- photo from Minnesota Twins)
(Target Field renovation- photo from Minnesota Twins)
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The upper section of the renovation will be a pub-style space called “Minnie & Paul’s”. This section will be open to all fans and will feature drink rails, different seating options and food from at least two local vendors (to be determined).

Twins officials say the reason for the renovation is because the current space above center field is underutilized. The renovations are expected to be completed before the start of the 2016 season. More information about the Target Field center field enhancements can be found on the Minnesota Twins website.

As for Hunter, on Monday the 40-year-old announced his retirement after 19 seasons in the big leagues. He broke into MLB with the Twins in 1997 and stayed with the club for 11 years before signing with the Angels in 2008 and then the Tigers in 2013. Last year Hunter returned to the Twins for one last hurrah. While the team came up just short of making the playoffs this season, Hunter was credited for being a great influence in the clubhouse and a mentor to some of the Twins young players.  Hunter says he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family, including watching his two sons play college football.

One of the things Torii brought to the clubhouse this year was his infamous ‘dance parties’ after each Twins win. He kept the locker room loose with fun stuff like this:

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