In recent comments, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred backed the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ claim that Chase Field is in need of improvement.
The D-Backs have been locked into a dispute with Maricopa County over Chase Field, which the team says the county has failed to properly keep in major league condition. In January, the team used this as grounds to sue the county, only for the county to file to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this month, believing that the dispute could instead be considered in arbitration.
When weighing in on the matter during a press conference on Tuesday, Manfred said that based on the evidence he has seen, Chase Field is in need of maintenance. More from the AP (via the Mohave Valley Daily News):
“We take very seriously the obligation to have a major league-quality facility in each and every market,” the commissioner said.
“It’s absolutely clear from the material that’s been made available to me there are serious maintenance needs that need to be met with respect to the stadium.”
Chase Field is 19 years old and the Diamondbacks’ lease requires the team to play there until 2028.
“Chase Field is every bit the major league-quality facility fans have come to expect over the past 18 seasons,” Maricopa County spokesman Fields Moseley said in a statement Tuesday, noting that millions of dollars have been spent on concrete and steel repairs.
The contention over Chase Field’s condition has played out publicly since last spring, when it was learned that the team had identified $187 million in deferred maintenance. The agreement between the team and the county calls for the D-Backs to remain at Chase Field until 2028. It also prevents the team from engaging in discussions about a new ballpark with another entity until 2024.
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