Boyd Sports is taking over management of the Elizabethton Twins (Rookie; Appalachian League), as the Elizabethton City Council approved an agreement with the firm on Thursday.
The city and Boyd Sports had been in discussions about a scenario that would lead to the firm assuming day-to-day management of the E-Twins, a change from the long-standing arrangement that has seen the club’s operations run by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The change was finalized on Thursday, when the Elizabethton City Council unanimously approved a contract with Boyd Sports.
There could be some upgrades to the fan amenities at Joe O’Brien Field in the future, but a few areas of the gameday experience will immediately change under new management. As part of the agreement, Boyd Sports will receive the right to conduct beer sales in select areas of the ballpark. While Thursday’s vote marked a new direction for the club’s operations, it also gave the city a chance to recognize the job that its Parks and Recreation Department did over its years of running the E-Twins. More from the Johnson City Press:
For some fans, the next best thing to a good baseball game is a good hot dog and a cold beer. The council helped with that fan amenity by approving beer sales in designated sections of the stadium. [Boyd Sports president Chris] Allen agreed on the importance of beer sales at the stadium.
“For some fans, a good hot dog and a cold beer are critical,” Allen said.
While the staff of Boyd Sports was being welcomed to Elizabethton, there were also sustained praise and applause for the job that Elizbethton Parks and Recreation Director Mike Mains and Maintenance Supervisor David McQueen have done with the Twins over the last several decades. McQueen also received thanks from council members over the recent completion of the visiting team clubhouse renovations.
“My men did a good job,” McQueen said.
Elizabethton made this decision after it agreed to enter into a partnership with the Minnesota Twins that will lead to renovations at Joe O’Brien Field, the home of the E-Twins since 1973. Highlighted by a new clubhouse, the $2.3-million renovation will be funded through $1.5 million in bonding from the city and $800,000 from the Twins.
Boyd Sports owns the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League). It also runs the day-to-day operations of two of the E-Twins’ counterparts in the Appalachian League, including the Johnson City Cardinals and the Greeneville Reds.
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