The Twins' first groundskeeper in nearly three decades will be hired to oversee Target Field before the 2009 season begins, Twins Sports President Jerry Bell said, and a handful of the finalists tend other major league diamonds.

"We were quite surprised to see how many applicants we received from other teams," Bell said. "I don't want to jeopardize their jobs by revealing any names, but it was very encouraging to see how appealing the opportunity to open Target Field was around the league."

Bell figures Target Field, which will open 14 months from now, is alluring to professional horticulturists for a lot of reasons, and the widely feared April weather might be one of them.

"It's a challenge. It's a chance to use your skills," he said.

It won't hurt that the playing field will sit atop all the latest high-tech innovations, from a drainage system that basically can soak up a swimming pool's worth of water in minutes, to a heating system that will turn snowbanks into dew.

Target Field's groundskeeper also will be allowed to hire his own staff, develop grass-maintenance procedures and oversee the procurement of new equipment. "We don't even own a batting cage," Bell laughed.

They haven't employed a groundskeeper since Metropolitan Stadium closed, either. The Metrodome has a small staff that maintains the FieldTurf and converts the field to its football configuration, but none are Twins employees. Target Field is the team's responsibility, however.

Maintaining the dirt and grass will be the new hire's first priority, of course, and the raw materials already are germinating a time zone away. Target Field's turf, a Kentucky bluegrass hybrid, is being grown on a Colorado sod farm in subsoil identical to its downtown Minneapolis destination. In August, Bell said, the grass will be rolled up, stuffed in a refrigerated freighter, and trucked to Minnesota for planting on a surface that is crowded with cranes at the moment.

By late February 2010, the heating elements will be engaged, and the grass should be midsummer dark green by Opening Day, no matter the Minnesota weather. "It's going to look like a ballpark, a beautiful ballpark, from Day One," Bell said.