MLB Could Require Diamondbacks to Move over Stadium Issues, Says Attorney

An attorney representing the Arizona Diamondbacks argued in court Tuesday that Major League Baseball could force the franchise to move from Chase Field due to concerns about the venue.

According to Rebekah L. Sanders of the Arizona Republic, Leo Beus said the following regarding the need for the county government to fund repairs after recent piping issues:

"Major League Baseball ... they're very, very concerned. If Major League Baseball decides they want to create issues for us, there might not be baseball at all in Arizona. ... We'd like to keep the franchise in place, we'd like to make peace with Major League Baseball, not that we're at war. We don't know where that's going to come out. They're very concerned."

Maricopa County, Arizona, attorney Cameron Artigue countered that the Diamondbacks are trying to leverage the county for funding when the bursting of a sanitation pipe and failure of an air conditioning system in June are repairs the organization is responsible for:

"This (lawsuit) has nothing to do with the water leaks and the merits of Chase Field. The Diamondbacks are the facility manager. When a pipe breaks, that is a Diamondbacks problem. And that is, in fact, what happened. They got out the mops and they mopped it up, and life goes on. It's a big facility and sometimes pipes break. So what?"

The sides are awaiting a decision regarding whether they will go to court to settle the issue or have their case heard by an arbiter.

Should the case go to arbitration, Beus said the Diamondbacks want everything available to the public.

The D-backs have played at Chase Field in Phoenix since their inception in 1998, when it was then known as Bank One Ballpark.

Despite their stadium issues, the Diamondbacks are 60-46 this season, and they have a firm grasp on the No. 2 wild card in the National League.