Oct 18, 2005 3:49 pm US/Central
Selig Enters Baseball Game At Capitol
by Pat Kessler
(WCCO)
Major League Baseball is getting into the stadium game at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Hours after Gov. Tim Pawlenty said "no" to a special session to build a new ballpark, he heard from baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, twice.
If every year is an inning of baseball, the Minnesota Twins are in the 10th, waiting for its turn to bat at the Capitol.
"The status quo will not be an option," said Dave St. Peter, with the Minnesota Twins.
The team does not have a lease at the Metrodome because it is expired. With no stadium bill coming from the Capitol, the team is forced to again face the question of moving.
"And I guess, the plea I would make to legislators and the governor is, 'let's figure out a way to keep the Twins, instead of figuring out how to attract a new Major League Baseball team someday,'" said St. Peter.
For the Twins, the stadium game cannot go on forever. The team believes the Metrodome is a football stadium where the baseball team plays.
Now batting for the Twins is Selig. He has talked to Pawlenty twice in the last couple of days, but Pawlenty's staffers said no one is mentioning moving -- yet.
"The governor has said that at some point in time, it would not be unlikely to hear from Major League Baseball that it is looking at other possibilities, and among those possibilities is that Major League Baseball would consider moving the team or looking at other markets," said Brian McClung, the governor's spokesperson.
Modern baseball is a game of balls and strikes and apparently votes at the Capitol.
The Twins aren't using the word "moving", as they have tried that once before. It was apparently an empty threat.
The Twins organization adds its deal with Hennepin County to build a ballpark there expires on Dec. 31.
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