When Target Field opened to acclaim in 2010, the area behind the wall in center field was populated by a common sight across Minnesota, pine trees.
Planted to provide a “hitter’s eye” or backdrop so players can pick up the baseball easily out of a pitcher’s hand, the trees were intended to replace the basic green wall you see in other ballparks. Turned out, those trees were not such a good idea.
The 14 trees swayed in the wind, dropped odd shadows and caused problems for Twins hitters all season long.
In 2011 at TwinsFest, All-Star Catcher Joe Mauer said, “"First year in the stadium, it was pretty bad. It was one of the worst backdrops that we've seen and it's nice to see them address it."
On Jan 28, 2011, it was announced that the trees were coming out, and in went a traditional backdrop. According to many fans who might double as conspiracy theorists, this was the beginning of a curse.
In 2010, the first year in Target Field and the only year with the trees, the Twins went 94-68 and into the playoffs against the Yankees. No trees in 2011, and the team stumbled to a 17-37 start and eventually a 63-99 season — 31 victories fewer than they had in winning the AL Central during that first, tree-filled season at Target Field. They’ve played exactly one playoff game since then, a one-game wild card loss to the Yankees (again) in 2017.
Now, to right that apparent wrong, the Twins are installing the first-ever living wall in MLB.
“The Minnesota Twins are excited about plans to install one of the world’s largest living walls at Target Field,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Since the removal of the original trees, which were part of Target Field’s batter’s eye in 2010, the Twins have been searching for the right solution which balances playability and aesthetics. We believe the living wall concept delivers on both fronts, while further enhancing the ballpark’s sustainability platform.”
The Target Field living wall system, which at 2,280 square feet will be among the largest in the continental United States, will incorporate approximately 5,700 sea green juniper plants, individually installed and secured in a tiered, multiple-tray system attached to the existing batter’s eye wall structure.
According to the Twins, together, the junipers will create a consistent, stationary background of lush greenery, without variations in color or texture, to provide both beauty and a world-class hitter’s backdrop.
And it just might break the supposed curse of the 2011 decision to remove the trees. Over the next 162 games, we’ll see! The living wall system debuts Thursday afternoon at 3:10pm against the Cleveland Indians.