New Gopher baseball stadium thread

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You know what? I kind of like the idea of moving it to the lot across 5th street from Mariucci (lot 37). More people would remember we had a baseball team if they could see the ballpark. The location of Siebert is not a good one for advertising the presence of a University ballclub.

The only negative would be that this lot is very popular one for people attending hockey and basketball games (and of course eventually football), and losing it would be unfortunate for the parking situation.
 

That is a really good place to put the Gopher Baseball Stadium but with TCF and the need for parking they will never do it. Not that the parking isn't needed but, American's have gotten the idea that they all should be able to park at the front door then walk 5 feet to there seat and be game side with food delievered to their seat. I'm sorry not everyone will be able to park next to the front door but you may have to walk a little ways and as a bonus you will become healthlier. It is one of the things that really makes me mad about American sense of entitlement.
 

TCF Bank STadium will help raise the profile of all on campus sports, regardless where they end up putting the baseball stadium. Getting 50,000 fans on campus will open a lot of eyes.
 

Wisconsin getting baseball back would hurt the Gophers as we do really well recruiting the western part of the state.
 

Latest update from Sid

Bill Smith was standing on the Metrodome infield Sunday while the Gophers baseball team was preparing to play Ohio State. "If the Metrodome is knocked down, the program that will be hurt the most will be the Gopher baseball program that has been helped a lot because of the chance to play and practice inside," he said. Fundraising has started for the new Gophers baseball stadium, which could be up within 2 1/2 years. But it won't be inside. ...
 


The Dome is a nice luxery to have but keep in mind that the Gophers won there three national titles and all five of there trips to the College World Series we're made before the dome ever existed, we haven't been back to Omaha since the Dome opened. Now I know college baseball has changed since then and the NCAA tournament format has changed which hurts northern teams but it's not like the Dome has led us to some great advantage. The biggest thing that would hurt is the DQ classic, as I just can't see top teams coming up here to play outside.
 

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_13000624?nclick_check=1

Now that the University of Minnesota has completed its requirement of privately raising $86 million for its TCF Bank Stadium, it's looking for an elite gift to begin a $15 million private fundraising drive to replace the Gophers' Siebert Field for baseball.

A best-case scenario would be to break ground next June. Plans are for construction in two phases. The first would be the playing surface, which would be lowered from its current site. The second phase would include indoor batting cages and a training room.
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Cool to see movement, but I'm a little bothered that the phases listed here don't mention something about bleachers. Any idea what phase that would come in? The first, I'm hoping.
 

Total and Complete Waste of Money!!!

Building a "New Gopher baseball Stadium" would be a TOTAL waste of money. Why not build a new Wrestling Arena or a new Water Polo venue. The only people who care about Gopher baseball are the Gopher baseball players and their family and friends. It would make as much sense as building a new "Rowing" facility...oh wait they did that. A total waste. If a sport can cover it's costs then build them an arena or a stadium ... if it can't they should make do with what they have.
 

thanks for sharing, I guess all of us who post on here about baseball, and quite often during the season, are just wasting our time, thanks for helping us see the light.
 



Hey..it's just my opinion Johnny Gopher..it doesn't mean I'm right. Maybe you can convince me why we need to spend millions of dollars on a sport that is not able to pay it's way.

I love womens vollyeball. I attend most every match. I can somehow justify it's expense by the argument that the women need the same "opportunities" as the men do and should have them even oif the income does not cover the cost. I can't use that argument in baseball.

I did come on a little strong when I said it is a TOTAL WASTE. But I do not know how to justify the cost. Why should a young man get a partial scholaship to attend the U simply because he can play baseball well. Basketball or football I can understand because it is revenue generating and pays it's own way. Baseball is not so why should the baseball player get a scholarship when the water polo player does not. That's really the argument that I cannot refute to my non sports loving friends.

Maybe the Football and the Basketball cover the cost of these other non revenue sports so there is no out of pocket cost to the general public but if they didn't have tpo carry that burden the costs to the interested public would potentially be more reasonable than the $30.00 per game for basketball (a number that I understabnd will be going up significantly next year).

So if it's not a TOTAL WASTE then it's at least hard to justify. Again JMO
 

sec 105 it is not a waste of money

Most of the money is from private money. I can say from your posts that you are a waste of my time.

Go Gophers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

When I go to Ohio State to see Gophers Hoops I walk past Bill Davis Stadium (basketball parking lot is across the street from it), that stadium is beautiful and I'm hoping the Gophers are trying to get something done like that...because Coach Anderson certainly deserves nothing but the best facility they can possibly build.
 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/56799772.html?page=2&c=y

Gophers baseball coach John Anderson said arrangements have been made with Metrodome management to play the team's entire 2010 schedule in the Dome. No games will be played at Siebert Field, and the hope is that ground will be broken there soon for a new college baseball stadium.
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I don't love the idea of playing the whole season in the dome, but if that's what it takes to get the Gophers into a new baseball stadium, so be it.
 



GopherInWI said:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/56799772.html?page=2&c=y



I don't love the idea of playing the whole season in the dome, but if that's what it takes to get the Gophers into a new baseball stadium, so be it.
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agreed. not crazy about watching college baseball or any baseball for that matter in a dome, but if that is what it takes to get it done sooner rather than later then so be it. man, what opening target field will do to a guy! ;)

also, i know that sid is quoting john anderson directly in his article, but considering it is a quote from good ole' sidney i will still take it with a "grain of salt." hope is quote his correct, but we have seen these types of things before from sid.

example: a few months back sid blowing his load early and claiming the minnesota vs. texas home-and-home football series was all but a done deal even though it wasn't.....although i am still holding out hope for that series to come to fruition.
 

Very true, BNG, but I think that's where the 'hope' part comes into play. They're set to play in the dome all year, but how strong hope is...is that wishing, or is it just debating on how soon the construction gets underway.
 

Latest update from Sid. Looks like the Pohlad family might come through.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/80866397.html?page=2&c=y

Help for U baseball

Quite some time ago, there was a story in our newspaper about how Siebert Field was falling apart, how it was dangerous for people to sit in the stands and how badly the Gophers needed a new baseball stadium.

Carl Pohlad was having dinner at the Metrodome, and he asked me if it's true the stadium was in that bad of shape.

I asked him if he would consider contributing to the building of a new stadium. He didn't say yes or no. But he did say, "Why don't you have those people talk to me."

I don't know if the university ever approached the late Mr. Pohlad. However, the university recently did approach his son Jim Pohlad, who now runs the Twins after his father's death last year.

Now the word is that the Pohlads will make it possible to build that Gophers baseball stadium by being a major contributor of between $3 million and $4 million. The Pohlad name will not be on the stadium, and I'm sure they will try to keep it quiet, like they do when they contribute to a lot of charities.

There always have been some smaller contributions to a Gophers stadium, but now that the Pohlads have come through, look for the stadium to finally be on its way.

This year, the Gophers will play all of their games in the Metrodome because of the bad conditions of Siebert Field. And they will probably continue to play in the Dome until it is torn down for a new Vikings stadium and then play in Target Field until the new Siebert Field is built.
 

I just check the Gophers baseball schedule and they are schedule to play march 27 vs Louisiana Tech at Target Field.

is that correct.
 

Does anyone know where the new ballpark will be located? Is it going to be in roughly the same area as the current one-because that is a terrible location. Its tucked back in there nobody knows where it is, bad parking, not alot of extra space to do something "creative" or signature.

Could it be build across from Mariucci on the north side of 5th street by the Lion Research Building. I know there is a parking lot there and the parking is most likely needed for football but people can walk. You could open up the fielding looking at Mariucci and into TCF. It would be great.
 

mnboiler said:
Does anyone know where the new ballpark will be located? Is it going to be in roughly the same area as the current one-because that is a terrible location. Its tucked back in there nobody knows where it is, bad parking, not alot of extra space to do something "creative" or signature.

Could it be build across from Mariucci on the north side of 5th street by the Lion Research Building. I know there is a parking lot there and the parking is most likely needed for football but people can walk. You could open up the fielding looking at Mariucci and into TCF. It would be great.
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I think at one point they were looking north of Mariucci, but it's now set up to be the same spot...I'd love to see a bridge over the railroad track between parking and the stadium to 1) Give parking for Gopher baseball (and softball and track) as well as open another area for game day stuff for football.
 

From Maturi...

I heard Maturi on CCO with Mike Max last night and they discussed the stadium. They have predesign completed and are actively raising funds. Goal is to break ground next spring with phase I (field, stands, press box). I imagine that would be a 1 year construction schedule. Phase II would be team facilities (indoor hitting facility, clubhouse, etc). Sounds like thing will finally happen.
 

First of all the 2 Phase idea is great. Get the basics built. Thats really important. Then worry about the extra previously list and other cool stuff. Now if they just put it in a decent location.
 

Glad to see progress with this. If anyone deserved a new field it was John Anderson and the Gopher baseball program (aka the most winning program at the U) glad to see this is going to get done. Any images or sketches of the new field yet?
 


sec105 said:
Building a "New Gopher baseball Stadium" would be a TOTAL waste of money. Why not build a new Wrestling Arena or a new Water Polo venue. The only people who care about Gopher baseball are the Gopher baseball players and their family and friends. It would make as much sense as building a new "Rowing" facility...oh wait they did that. A total waste. If a sport can cover it's costs then build them an arena or a stadium ... if it can't they should make do with what they have.
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for the record, i'm a huge baseball fan in general and love the gophers program. perhaps there aren't a lot of us, but if the team played in a nicer venue and produced a few more big leaguers, their profile would likely rise significantly.
 


Does anyone know how the fundraising is going for the new baseball field? How close are they to the $7.5 million they need. Because I would think that the Paul Molitar Batting Cages has a nice ring to it, along with the Dave Winfield Club House, also with the Terry Steinbach Weight Room, hell even the Glen Perkins Bullpen.
 

I know people mean no harm, but professional athletes have a very small number of years to earn a lifetime of money that will have to finance an income stream over many decades. In short, fans think these guys are richer than what they are. It takes a lot of after tax income to produce a stream of $100,000 a year incomes. My point is that not too many of these guys have millions to throw around.
 

Agree

I think people don't realize how little money some professional athletes have. They live high on the hog and when they are finished, there is no money left.
 

gold04 said:
I think people don't realize how little money some professional athletes have. They live high on the hog and when they are finished, there is no money left.
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How come I have a hard time seeing Paul Molitar, Dave Winfileld, or Terry Steinbach living "high on the hog" while they were playing. Both of you are right athletes have to find a way to make there money last for the rest of there lives, or find new income streams, but I don't see any of those three spending $50,000 at a strip club on Saturday night, ala Pacman Jones.

With all that said I'm not expecting those three to donate a couple million a piece but if you can get half a million between those three it would certainly go along way, along with have some great names on important parts of the ballpark.
 

I just saw that Paul Molitar was named the Chairmen of the campaign to raise money to restore Siebert Field. If nothing else he is going to be able to go be able to bring credibility and publicity to the campaign, which is needed for a lower profile sport like baseball.
 

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