Minnesota Supreme Court refuses to hear Twins' appeal

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota's Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal of an injunction that forces the Twins to fulfill their Metrodome lease, all but killing baseball's contraction plan for this season.

The high court's action Monday means an injunction issued by a Hennepin County judge in November will stand -- barring intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is unlikely.

Unless there is a strike or a lockout, the Twins will take the field for their 42nd season in Minnesota. Their season opener is April 1 at Kansas City and their home opener is April 12 against Detroit.

"We've anticipated for the last month or so that we would be playing," Twins president Jerry Bell said. "We have a good team, we had a good year last year, and we expect to have a good year this year."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig did not return a telephone call seeking comment and Selig's spokesman, Rich Levin, said baseball was reviewing the decision. Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, said before the sport makes a decision on how to preceed "it's going to have to be discussed by the lawyers."

30 teams should stay

Union head Donald Fehr, who filed a grievance to block contraction, thought Monday's decision will keep the major leagues at 30 teams this year.

"Obviously, we are very pleased that the matter in Minnesota appears to have been resolved for 2002, which is good news for the fans," he said. "We can now look forward to spring training and the continuation of the collective bargaining process."

Meanwhile Monday, baseball owners moved forward with plans to meet Feb. 12 in the Chicago area -- two days before the start of spring training -- to approve the contemplated sales of the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on baseball's antitrust exemption the following day.