Breaking Down the Twins Spring Ballpark Pass

I was as excited as anybody for Target Field to open, but I only got to one game that first season, and sat literally in the last row of the upper deck. Ticket prices have been on the decline in recent years, but the Twins are breaking new ground (in the Target Field era, at least) with their newest ticket package: the Twins Spring Ballpark Pass.

What you get

A ticket to 30 games from the start of the season to the end of May. That covers five weekend series, so half of those tickets are for games either on Friday night or over the weekend. Memorial Day Monday (May 29) is also included. Probably the highest-profile series is when Boston comes to town over the weekend of May 5-7.

There are seven weekday day games in the package, not ideal for those of us who work 9-to-5, but sometimes it's fun take a day off to spend at the ballpark. Along with the games, you're entitled to all the promotional items over that span as long as you show up early enough. That include a trapper hat, baseball cap, bobblehead (of a comic book movie character ... don't get me started), batting practice pullover and Brian Dozier T-Shirt (which will be really awkward if he gets traded by then).

What you don't get

Well, you don't technically get a ticket, in the traditional sense. You have to download the MLB Ballpark App and pull up your eTicket on your smartphone or tablet when you enter the stadium. I'm kinda old school, so I prefer a physical ticket, but I have used the Ballpark app at Target Field in the past, it's very slick and easy.

Typically the one thing a ticket to a sporting event entitles you to a seat in the stadium. This deal does not, it's a "standing room only" deal. There are plenty of great places to stand and watch a game, or plenty of bars inside the stadium where you can sit, but coming off a 103-loss season means there should also be plenty of empty seats you can occupy. The ushers, especially in the top deck, are very lenient when the stadium is half empty.

Another huge exclusion from this package is the home opener, which is Monday, April 3 against the Royals.

So, is it a good deal?

Yes, I think so, but the commenters (trolls) over at Michael Rand's article for the Star Tribune would disagree. Each ticket is going to cost you on average $3.30 per game. Sure, it's possible on some of those weekday games in particular you could score a ticket at that price on the secondary market, but I doubt that will be the case on the weekends.

To look at it another way, here's the cheapest face value ticket you can get for these three higher-profile games:

Sun., April 16 (first Sunday home game): $11

Sat. May 6 (hosting the Red Sox): $19

Mon. May 29 (Memorial Day): $15

So just those three games already gets you up to $45, nearly half of what you're paying for 30 games. Again, you'll likely be able to score tickets for those games cheaper than face value on Stub Hub, but I doubt they'll plummet to under $4. To put things further into perspective, here's a list of the cheapest packages on some of the Twins' other ticket offers:

Pick 10 Plan: $220

Flex 20 Plan: $440

Saturday Plan: $383 (13 games)

Sunday Plan: $306 (13 games)

Those packages do also get you the season ticket holder perks (the 10% discount on concessions is really nice) and get you into better seats, but it's not like they're right behind home plate or anything. Yes, the Spring Ballpark Pass is a great deal, even if you aren't able to go to each and every game.

If it's such a great deal, why would the team offer it?

Well ... there's the whole 103-losses thing ... and April and May aren't always the best weather months in Minnesota. I'm not sure if this actually went in to the thought process behind the package, but there's also the fact that Minnesota sports fans may be too wrapped up in the Wild's playoff run this spring to be bothered about baseball.

It's worth noting, however, that both the White Sox and Pirates are offering similar deals. The White Sox have their deal only for April, $39 for 11 games. While the Pirates deal also covers both April and May, it's more expensive ($159) and covers fewer games (26).

So, what do you think of this package? Great deal, or silly marketing ploy?