Minn. court refuses to immediately hear contraction case

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Supreme Court refused Friday to immediately hear an appeal by the Twins and major league baseball in a lease dispute tied to the sport's plans to eliminate two teams.

The court did order the Court of Appeals to speed its hearing of the case.

The Twins and baseball want to overturn a district court judge's injunction forcing the team to play its 2002 home games in the Metrodome. They asked the high court to take the case, arguing that the standard appeals timetable would carry well into next season.

If the injunction stands, baseball might not have time to go ahead with its intention to drop two teams before the start of spring training in February.

Hennepin County District Judge Harry Seymour Crump issued the injunction Nov. 16, 10 days after owners voted to fold two franchises. Although baseball hasn't announced which those teams are, the Twins and the Montreal Expos are the likely targets.

In refusing to take the case now, the high court said baseball lawyers "have not demonstrated that this case requires the extraordinary procedure of immediate determination in the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, to preserve the opportunity for further review by this court if warranted, review in the Court of Appeals should be expedited on a schedule to be adopted by that court in its discretion."

Attorneys for the Twins, baseball, and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission were not available immediately. The MSFC, which obtained the injunction, is the team's landlord.