The on-again, off-again proposed upgrades to Joe O’Brien Field may be on again as officials from Elizabethton are scheduled to meet with Minnesota Twins officials next Tuesday.
The Twins had requested $2 million in upgrades to the home of the Elizabethton Twins (rookie; Appalachian League), but withdrew an offer to pay for the third of the cost, in part because the team was–and still is–on the search for a new general manager. Meanwhile, there has been some questions in Elizabethton about whether the city will follow through with the upgrades and if the cost will rise. From the Johnson City Press:
Mayor Curt Alexander confirmed he and General Manager Mike Mains will fly to Minneapolis on Tuesday and will meet with the Minnesota Twins’ top officials at Target Field at 3 p.m. Alexander said the talks are coming after some good discussions over the past several days.
“I think the meeting is a good sign,” Alexander said. He said this time of the year, the last weeks of the baseball season, are busy times for baseball management. “This must be important to them, to find time in their schedules, during this very busy time, to talk with us.”
“They have been in Elizabethton for the past 43 years, and we hope they will be here for another 43 years,” Alexander said.
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