Tim Bennett and the Biloxi Shuckers (Class AA; Southern League), Biloxi Baseball LLC, and managing member Ken Young have settled a lawsuit over Bennett’s role as an owner of the team.
Bennett’s lawsuit alleged he was shut out of team operations and access to MGM Park, as well as eliminating his share of the concessions revenue from events he booked. Bennett has had some success booking other events into MGM Park — the Conference USA tournament is returning, based on prior success — and he’s been successful working with other teams on moves, helping to bring the Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League) to a new Jackson-area ballpark. Bennett alleged that he’s been shut out of MGM Park and the Shuckers, losing his ballpark office and any role with the team and the facility. Hence the lawsuit filed by Gulfport attorneys Tim Holleman and Wynn Clark.
In the settlement, Bennett will regain his access to the ballpark office and have his role as an owner of the team affirmed. From the Biloxi Sun-Herald:
“The lawsuit was settled six to eight weeks ago, but I didn’t release anything about it because I didn’t want it to be disruptive to the Shuckers’ season,” Bennett said. “As long as that stadium is there, I want to make it successful — I’m not proud of this lawsuit and I hope there’s not another one.”…
Bennett is part-owner of the team and worked for 10 years to get a stadium built, as well as to bring the C-USA tournament to Biloxi. He would not disclose the particulars of the settlement, but said he has been reinstated as the vice president of the Shuckers.
“I am still one of the owners of the team and I have been named vice president,” Bennett said Wednesday.
But he said he’ll have no day-to-day responsibilities with the Shuckers.
With the settlement of a lawsuit from the city over of revenue from operations at MGM Park, all legal clouds over the team and the players involved — Overtime Sports, Ken Young, Biloxi Baseball LLC, the Beau Rivage casino — would appear to be lifted. Which could lead to a new chapter in the team and ballpark history.
RELATED STORIES: Bennett Sues Biloxi Shuckers Over Ballpark Access, Revenue; Biloxi Moves Closer to Ending Dispute with Shuckers; City Sues Biloxi Shuckers over Ballpark Payments