Twins' camp draws more than 80 kids

By Wes Holtsclaw
STAR STAFF
wholtsclaw@starhq.com

Early Monday, the Elizabethton Twins held a free baseball camp for the youth in the area. With a turnout of over 80 kids, the camp proved to be a success in the eyes of the community.
"We've been successful with promotions this year, but to have 80 or more kids was a surprise to me," said Twins General Manager Mike Mains. "The children enjoyed it tremendously working with the players. It wasn't an autograph session, the players were teaching fundamentals for free."
"We try to do something like this for the community every day."
The kids worked on fundamentals and learned many phases of the game from the local pros. They were treated to a free lunch and many returned for the game against Bristol last night.
"It was great to see all the kids and it was well-received," said Twins manager Ray Smith. "It's not long ago all of us were kids sitting like them with enthusiasm. The players did a good job with the instruction."
The event shows how big of an impact Minor League Baseball can have on a child. The local games are great for youngsters who are learning many phases of the game.
"If you've got a child in little league or tee ball, there's no better place than here to learn the game," Mains added. "The parents can enjoy it as well. We're going to do the camp again."
"We have a good group of young men on this team who cares about the community and worked hard today," he said. "It was like Kyle Phillips said, 'Kids, make sure to go home and tell your parents thank you for bring you.' It shows a lot of class."
Added Smith: "Baseball's great for a lot of reasons. We tried to make that point to these kids to stay in school and fulfill their dreams."
The Twins have had solid crowds throughout the season and their promotional events are about to heat up when August rolls around.
"We're packed with things," Mains said. "We have the Blues Brothers, the Mayberry Deputy, Monkey Boy, and a dog beauty pageant with 25-cent hot dogs (among other things). Even if it rains, with the tarp, we still may play."