In Target Field's inaugural season, there were 14 black spruce trees in center field that were part of the "batter's eye," or the background a hitter is faced with as he sees a ball come from the pitcher's mound to home plate. Apparently many of the hitters found them distracting, so this season they have been relocated to different places and will no longer be a distraction to hitters.

The trees will be going to many different places. A couple of them will be going to the Target Field parking lots. One of them is going to be awarded in a contest for season ticket holders, and another one will be auctioned off in order to benefit the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. The remaining ten will go to the Minnesota State Park system, who will transplant them all within 150 miles of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

(Thanks to the St. Paul Pioneer Press for this report.)