SABR Digital Library: Metropolitan Stadium: Memorable Games at Minnesota’s Diamond on the Prairie
Add a new baseball book to your collection from the SABR Digital Library:
Metropolitan Stadium: Memorable Games at Minnesota’s Diamond on the Prairie
Edited by Stew Thornley
Associate editors Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, and Carl Riechers
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-970159-67-7, $9.99
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-970159-68-4, $34.95
8.5″ x 11″, 287 pages
Metropolitan Stadium was right on time. It wasn’t built too early, using a cantilever construction that eliminated the need for posts between decks. It wasn’t built too late, staying ahead of the much-maligned “cookie cutter” multi-purpose stadiums of the 1960s.
The Met followed the trend of other post-war stadiums, sprouting in open areas that were well-served by highways and surrounded by plenty of parking. It became apparent to Minneapolis business and civic leaders that a new stadium would be needed to join the other cities luring major-league baseball to their areas. By the time the Met opened in 1956, the first wave of shifting teams had passed, and Minnesota was snubbed by the New York Giants. The parent team of the minor-league Minneapolis Millers — the stadium’s first tenant — the Giants bypassed Minnesota by switching coasts completely. Eventually, expansion came to the majors and with it the relocation of the Washington Senators, rechristened the Twins.
Ultimately, Met Stadium served the Millers for five years and the Minnesota Twins for 21. In this book, 45 different authors chronicle the significant, memorable, and unusual games that took place in a ballpark that grew out of a cornfield in a southern suburb of Minneapolis. Outdoor baseball in Minnesota often meant postponements and delays because of rain, snow, and even a tornado. (A list of postponements of games for the Millers and Twins is one of the features in this book.) But delays were caused by other reasons, including a bomb threat and a drunk fan climbing the foul pole, and those games are also covered in these pages, as well as memorable performances on the field from players such as Jim Kaat, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Bert Blyleven, as well as Cesar Tovar, Camilo Pascual, Tony Oliva, Bob Allison and many more.
Contributors include: Rich Arpi, Nathan Bierma, Thomas J. Brown Jr., Frederick “Rick” Bush, Ralph Caola, Alan Cohen, Richard Cuicchi, Greg Erion, T.S. Flynn, Brian Frank, Gordon J. Gattie, Steve Ginader, Gene Gomes, Bruce Harris, Tom Hawthorn, Paul Hofmann, Mike Huber, Sarah Johnson, Norm King, Dave Lande, Len Levin, Dan Levitt, Mike Lynch, Jim McKernon, Tom Merrick, Dave Mona, Chad Moody, Bill Nowlin, Joe O’Connell, Tim Otto, J.G. Preston, Carl Riechers, Joel Rippel, Bill Schneider, Peter Seidel, Andrew Sharp, Doug Skipper, Steve Smith, Mark S. Sternman, Bob Tholkes, Stew Thornley, Bob Webster, Steve West, Gregory H. Wolf, Bob Wood, Brian Wright, and Dana Yost.
SABR members, get this e-book for FREE!
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Metropolitan Stadium for FREE from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB/Kindle formats.
- Paperback: Get a 50% discount on the Metropolitan Stadium paperback edition from the SABR Store ($17.95 includes shipping/tax; delivery via Kindle Direct Publishing can take up to 4-6 weeks.)
Buy the book
- E-book: Click here to download the e-book version of Metropolitan Stadium for $9.99 from the SABR Store. Available in PDF, MOBI, and EPUB/Kindle formats.
- Paperback: Get the paperback edition of Metropolitan Stadium from the SABR Store ($34.95 includes shipping/tax; delivery via Kindle Direct Publishing can take up to 4-6 weeks.)
About the SABR Digital Library
For more than 40 years, SABR and its members have led the way in publishing the best baseball historical and statistical research. Our publications program is shifting to take advantage of new methods of publishing. Not only will we continue to publish new books like Can He Play? A Look At Baseball Scouts and Their Profession (2011); Inventing Baseball: The 100 Greatest Games of the 19th Century (2013); Scandal on the South Side: The 1919 Chicago White Sox (2015); Au jeu/Play Ball: The 50 Greatest Games in the History of the Montreal Expos (2016); The Pride of Smoketown: The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords (2020); and Jackie Robinson: Perspectives on 42 (2021), which showcase the best efforts of SABR’s members, chapters and committees, but new technology makes it possible for us to bring out-of-print titles like The Fenway Project (2013); Go-Go to Glory: The 1959 Chicago White Sox (2019); and Green Cathedrals (2020) back again.
Visit SABR.org/ebooks to find all past titles and download your favorites. Books will be available in digital formats as well as paperbacks produced by “print on demand” (POD).
SABR members can download all Digital Library e-book editions for free and save 50% on purchase of the paperback editions. If you’re not a member, click here to join SABR.
Stay tuned throughout the year for new (and old!) titles that we’ll be adding to the SABR Digital Library. To learn more about SABR Publications, contact Publications Editor Cecilia Tan at ctan@sabr.org.
- Having trouble downloading our e-books? Click here for step-by-step instructions or a short tutorial video on how to download SABR digital publications.
- Note for Kindle users: Amazon no longer allows Kindle users to send new MOBI files to their Kindle library. (Any MOBI files already in your Kindle library will not be affected by this change.) Compatible formats for Kindle e-readers now include EPUB (.epub), which you can download and send to your library using your Send to Kindle email address. Amazon will also be adding EPUB support to the free Kindle app for iOS and Android devices and the Send to Kindle desktop app for PC and Mac.
Originally published: March 27, 2022. Last Updated: December 13, 2024.