"Scary" Spruce Trees at Target Field

• Two will be transplanted near the entrance to the Target Field parking lot on Twins Way.
• One will be auctioned off online to benefit the Minnesota Twins Community Fund.
• One will be given away in a contest for season-ticket holders.

The trees were removed from Target Field last week and transported to Bergen’s Greenhouse in Forest Lake, where arborists are caring for them. In their place will be a honeycombed aluminum panel that’s punctuated with small holes. (I’m sure that will be lovely. I’m also certain the appropriate reflection studies have been conducted for this beautiful panel during these beautiful sunny winter days.)

For Twins hitters, moving the Minnesota-grown trees was more about safety than performance at the plate. Outfielder Michael Cuddyer said they “cast three different shades on the background — in the view of the hitter. Especially those 3 o’clock games on Saturday, it’s scary. It’s literally scary. It’s not that I’m worried I’m not going to be able to see the ball, hit the ball. I’m literally scared I’m not going to see the ball, period.” OK, Michael, we get the point, black spruce trees are scary!

Before being uprooted, each tree was authenticated by a Major League Baseball official as being the actual trees in Target Field. The official marked the trees with the official MLB hologram attached to a thick cable-tie near the top. (I hope they’ve been marked as ‘scary’ because now I think I should be warned if I should enter a state park and run into one of these nefarious trees!)

“All of the trees were professionally uprooted, properly bundled and successfully shipped to the greenhouse,” said Larry DiVito, the Twins’ head groundskeeper. “They will be cared for indoors until the weather is right to replant them.” Courtland Nelson, director of the state Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Parks and Trails, said, “The 10 ‘celebrity trees’ coming from Target Field will be well cared for by our staff and will provide a special attraction for our visitors.” Nelson said his department has identified several state parks where the trees will be replanted this spring, among them: Father Hennepin and Mille Lacs Kathio, both near Lake Mille Lacs; Interstate, in Taylors Falls; Tettegouche, north of Two Harbors; and Banning, near Sandstone. The trees will be planted near visitors centers or park entrances and will have “a plaque or some sort of notice” of their origin, Nelson said.