Converting the Metrodome in 12 hours

​ While most Minnesotans were continuing their celebrations after the big Vikings win at the Metrodome last night against the Packers, workers at the Metrodome were anxious for everyone to get off the field and out of the building so they could start their work converting the field back into a baseball diamond. While going from baseball to football only takes up to five hours, the conversion from football to baseball usually takes about 16.

Not last night. Workers had to speed up the process to 12 hours last night to guarantee a field ready for batting practice this afternoon. The field should be ready right about now for the Twins to prep for their one-game playoff tonight against the Detroit Tigers.

The New York Times wrote a piece about the process, which includes scrubbing off the lines of latex paint from the artificial turf. And KARE11 has some video of the process.

More from the NY Times:

Bill Lester, the executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which operates the Dome, said workers would pull an all-nighter getting it ready for baseball.

"We've done this hundreds and hundreds of times," Lester said. "We told the Twins we'll start working on it after the game at midnight, or as soon as the Vikings get off the field."

While such conversions are standard procedure at the Dome, which opened in 1982, rarely has the Dome featured three games of such importance in two sports in such a short span of time. It could also be the last, because the Twins will move to a new outdoor stadium next season.

Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire also was concerned about the pitching mound's condition for the game because it is lifted off the field by forklift and kept under the stands. The football stands can also put some dents in the right field where the retractable seats come out.

And here is some video of the conversion as of this morning: