Consider it a shot to right-center field for a double.
The City of Elizabethton was able to get on base after the Minnesota Twins announced their intentions of keeping the Elizabethton Twins minor league affiliate baseball team at Joe O’Brien Field for the 2017 season last week. While a positive step in the right direction, the next 60 days will determine if the city’s minor league baseball team will come home for the years to follow or be left stranded on the diamond. Talks are expected to heat up to see if both parties can come to an agreement to fund stadium improvements.
MONEY TALKS
After months being at a standstill, the wheels for funding started to move during the fall.
The Elizabethton City Council convened in November and unanimously voted to support the $3.2 million proposal created by the Elizabethton Twins Task Force to renovate Joe O’Brien Field, pending a one-third contribution from Minnesota (approximately $1 million) and the hopes of acquiring private donors to help cover the cost.
November’s proposal was a far cry from the previous amount discussed between the city and Minnesota. During talks in May, both entities were working toward a $1.9 million goal for renovations with Minnesota electing to pitch in roughly one-third – around $600,000.
Urgency to keep the Twins reached a fever pitch in August during City Council when Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter presented the city with a letter stating they were going to pull their one-third contribution for the time being, citing “uncertainty of the status of the renovation project at Joe O’Brien Field, and the recent changes in leadership of the Twins baseball operations department”.
Following the reading of the letter in August, city officials met with Minnesota in a “positive meeting”, reiterating the organization’s intentions of wanting to stay, according to Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander. Support also began to filter in regularly by citizens at City Council meetings. Petitions were created, which featured over 1,700 signatures of local and visiting fans pledging their support of wanting the Twins to stay in the city.
After seeing the support, the city moved forward to create a task force that would gather the information needed to present to Minnesota for possible renovations.
The proposal provided to council by the task force added the improvements would be broken into two phases. The first phase of renovations would cost $2,368,000 while phase two was expected to cost $832,000. The items discussed in renovations included:
• construction of a new Elizabethton Twins clubhouse facility, renovations to the other clubhouses
• stadium seating
• Riverside Park improvements
• replacement of stadium knee wall along safety netting
• new press box
• building of a new picnic area.
The renovations would also benefit Elizabethton High School due to the baseball team using the park, according to the proposal.
“By funding a new clubhouse facility for the Elizabethton Twins and improvements made to the Elizabethton High School and visiting clubhouse facility will secure player development needs for professional baseball in Elizabethton for the years to come as no other player development issues can be seen in the near future,” the proposal read.
With everything trending upward, Elizabethton Twins General Manager and Parks & Recreation Director Mike Mains added the goal now is to closely work with Minnesota to go through the proposal to OK an agreement to keep the Twins in Elizabethton past this season.
2017 AT THE JOE
“Only a temporary solution … “
Four words mentioned in an email from Brad Steil, Minnesota’s director of minor league operations, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, to Alexander signaled the olive branch that’s lasted over 40 years has once again been extended. But works needs to be done.
The Twins’ one-year contract extension to play in Elizabethton will be under the same terms and conditions under the management agreement signed in 2014.
With negotiations set to begin, excitement has already grown for the upcoming year, Mains said.
“Minnesota currently has the No. 1 pick in baseball,” he added. “There’s a chance that pick could be here this coming season. Just having that opportunity alone makes this year exciting already.”
Another goal for this season is to increase the fan base. Mains added the department is looking to expand their presence by inviting neighboring communities in North Carolina to visit the Twins.
“We want to open the doors to provide people a chance to see the Twins,” Mains said, adding Roan Mountain as another possibility to bring in attendees. “We really feel like these potential improvements will make a big impact on our fan base. Our county has been talking about tourism, and it would be great to showcase minor league baseball. Not only does it help the department, but it helps our local economy. Having the chance to highlight these resources would be fantastic.”