Drama in Elizabethton: Twins might be moving out after this season

[Rosterman]

You also have to look at the logistics of a short-season team. Besides your Arizona or Gulf Coast League playing areas, it is the first time many players actually are away from home, working, and having to survive on little or nothing, in a small-town friendly atmosphere. It is a learning experience, and a level of play pretty consistent across THAT league. And the trips are by bus and to teams that kinda draw a fan base...a step above high school sport followers. And it also gives a sense of community and facilities for the community to use for their own town ball and prep sports, if done right. It ahs to be promoted, but that's up to the town to get butts in the seats and concessions in the hands of folks. The Twins take care of the personnel on the field.

 

And both Ray Smith and Jeff Reed have been a part of the community, as well as the area, for decades.

 

Short season ball is as close as the majors get to indy ball, in many ways...players on the cusp who have one-year to prove they can get another year of baseball.

 

 

 

[Kernels Fan]

Some of the players I've met had interesting experiences there.  The housing situation was the most disappointing, according to them.  They crunched players into ramshackle housing and charged them high rents relative to their salaries.  When the program needed more housing, they would squeeze more players into nonconforming living situations and not drop the rent for the others.

It was just part of the overall economic situations there.  The hosts needed tenants as a source of income and the players felt squeezed.  

Much different than the Kernels and their host family program.

[etwinsfan]

I know there have been some interesting living situations here for some of the guys. But I also know it is a struggle for them to find places for the guys to live and that is why sometimes they do cram so many in one place. There are not a lot of people willing to open their homes or have in the past and had bad experiences with the players. Another thing is some of the players do not have vehicles so they try to place them close so they can walk if needed or get them with one that does so they will have a ride. When my family hosted however, we got some great guys and it was just like they were part of our family and there are some other host families like that. So not all were bad but there is a lot of behind the scenes things people are just unaware of.