There are bitter sweet feelings at People’s Natural Gas Field in Altoona as the Altoona Curve General Manager Rob Egan has been called up to the AAA Charlotte Knights.
Egan spent a total of 14 seasons with the Curve but now it’s full steam ahead to Charlotte. Leaving Altoona, however, won’t be easy. He said, “I can honestly say that I’ve loved working here and enjoyed living here. This is the only place my kids know, all of them were born here and have grown up here. From that perspective, it’ll be very challenging.”
He started as a play-by-play announcer before rejoining the team as general manager. The Curve wasn’t just a job for Egan, it was a family affair. He explained, “The kids have been here a lot over the years. My son, Drew, is 16 now and has been bat boy here for the last couple of years. Before that he’d tinker with the grounds grew. My other kids come to the games routinely and they are all younger than him. It’s been a special place for us for a number of reasons.”
For the fans, Egan is appreciative for what they’ve contributed. He said, “For a franchise that some people wondered, around baseball, would it work in Altoona? Because it’s such a small town, one of the smallest in minor league baseball, forget just AA. It HAS worked and it’s because of the fans.”
Egan stressed that it took a very impressive offer from the Charlotte Knights to leave his Altoona Curve family. He’ll begin in Charlotte at the beginning of October.