The notion had a certain charm. After years of trying and failing to sell the notion of a big new publicly funded ballpark, the Twins unveiled an entirely original concept last August: a more intimate venue (25,000 bleacher-type seats), outdoors, with real grass--that they'd pay for themselves. What a curveball! There were, of course, a few catches. This ballpark, to be located near the site of the old Metropolitan Stadium, would be temporary--only meant to house the Twins for a three-game September series against the Texas Rangers. The Twins were set to plunk down a cool million bucks for the venture, hoping to tempt folks into bankrolling a costlier, more permanent home. In the blink of an eye, though, the plan was dead--nixed by the staid suits at Major League Baseball, who deemed the timetable too seat-of-the-pants and the venue potentially unsafe. Jeez, go ahead and quibble about the details, but why kill the dream?