Local team seen at risk

SCRANTON – The man who played a key role in bringing minor league baseball to the region in the 1980s asked the Multi-Purpose Stadium Authority of Lackawanna County on Wednesday to aggressively pursue getting a purchase option for the Triple-A franchise off the table.

John McGee, a lawyer who founded Northeastern Baseball for the purpose of returning minor league baseball to the area, said the only way to guarantee keeping the local club is to keep the franchise.

“You have to terminate that agreement with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees,” McGee said. “Once the franchise is sold to the private sector, the likelihood is that we will lose our team.”

Luzerne and Lackawanna counties each paid $1 million in 1986 to buy the franchise, which currently is occupied by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Past estimates of the franchise value have ranged from $13 million to $20 million.

McGee appeared earlier in the day before the Lackawanna County commissioners where, he said, he did not get a commitment from any of them to fight to keep the franchise.

McGee said all three had pledged they would never support selling the franchise when they were running for election as late as 2007, but now they wouldn’t commit to keeping those promises.

McGee said he has heard “from good sources” that the stadium authority could receive millions of dollars in state funding to repair the stadium. He said the authority would have to match the state allocation, but the county commissioners have gone on record saying they would not support spending more taxpayers’ money on the stadium.

McGee said he is aware of a plan to sell the franchise to raise the necessary matching funds – something he adamantly opposes.

Tony Zaleski, chairman of the stadium authority, said he is not aware of any application made by the county for state funding to repair the stadium. He did say the county has hired a lobbyist to seek possible funding sources.

Attendance at Yankees’ games has been down recently, Zaleski said, but the sale of the franchise has never been discussed.

“My understanding is that it is the intention of the county commissioners to maintain minor league baseball in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Zaleski said after the meeting. “As far as Mr. McGee’s proposal, we will review the documents he provided and decide if we should meet again in two weeks like he requested.”

McGee said the option agreement was entered into between then-Lackawanna County commissioner chairman Robert Cordaro, the SWB Yankees and Mandalay Baseball Properties in September 2006.

He said any challenge to the agreement must be filed within four years. He said Sept. 15 would be the deadline to file.

McGee suggested the authority hire Philadelphia-based attorney Eric Cramer, of Berger & Montague P.C., who specializes in contract litigation and anti-trust law. McGee said he has submitted a payment schedule for Cramer and he also agreed to chair a fundraising campaign to defray legal costs.

Kristen Rose, president of the SWB Yankees, attended the meeting, but she would not comment on the issue.

Former Lackawanna County commissioners Ray Alberigi and Joe Corcoran also attended the meeting and asked the authority to fight to keep the franchise.

“I wouldn’t want to see you spend millions of dollars to repair a stadium and then have no team to play there,” Corcoran said of the 21-year-old structure. “We want you to remember the hard work that went into bringing baseball here.”

James Keeler, who had been the first chairman of the stadium authority board, said he’s bothered by the current situation.

“The problem as I see it is that the authority is lacking in authority,” Keeler said. “You surrendered that authority to a former county commissioner who negotiated a deal behind closed doors. This franchise will be gone unless you get your authority back.”

Stadium authority member Bill Jenkins noted the current board makeup is different than the board that made that decision. In addition to Zaleski and Jenkins, Joe DeAntona and Jim Timlin sit on the board.

At the county commissioners meeting earlier, Commissioner Corey O’Brien said he supports keeping minor league baseball in the area. O’Brien admitted Mandalay has not been a good manager and said he “doesn’t care” if the Yankees are here, long-term or not.

O’Brien said the stadium is in disrepair and needs about $13 million to fix everything. He said he was unsure that state or federal funds would be available and called the chances of this “speculative” at best.

GL News

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