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Wild Things owner says team’s league broke own bylaws

2 min read
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The owner of the Washington Wild Things accused the team’s league in federal court of failing to enforce league bylaws.

Washington Frontier League Baseball LLC made the allegation in a lawsuit filed Oct. 11 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh against Sauget, Ill.-based Frontier Professional Baseball League, a 10-member independent minor league.

The club’s complaint centers on a series of events in 2014 that later resulted in the league commissioner levying a $100,000 fine against an Illinois-based member in response to a complaint the Washington club filed with the league.

Wild Things ownership alleges the league failed to uphold its bylaws by not investigating an arrangement in which W. Chris Hanners, who the owned the Rockford Aviators, transferred ownership.

The new owner, Michael Zimmerman, had a team in a competing baseball league, and the Washington club alleged the Illinois member didn’t conduct the transfer in compliance with league bylaws.

It also accused the league of failing to enforce its bylaws when Hanners, Zimmerman and another owner were working together to field a team in Kokomo, Ind., while the Frontier League also was trying to start a franchise there.

The Kokomo team now plays in a competing league, according to court papers, costing the Frontier League tens of thousands of dollars.

The Wild Things ownership in late 2014 also filed a federal lawsuit agianst MKE Sports and Entertainment, the firm owned by Zimmerman that had the management contract for the Rockford team. That lawsuit is still pending.

The Washington club claims the league owes it reimbursement for the legal costs of pursuing its complaint with the commissioner, which resulted in the $100,000 fine paid to the league, while the Washington team incurred the expenses and attorney fees.

“The league has been unjustly enriched and has received a substantial benefit at the Washington club’s expense,” the suit states.

The club asks for a judgment against the league in excess of $75,000.

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