On the eve of their lawsuit against MLB, Vincent Piazza and
Vincent Tirendi, two men who removed from the unsuccessful bid to
move the Giants to St. Petersburg, reached a settlement with
baseball officials. Both sides would only offer a short
statement saying that they had reached an "amicable resolution,"
but sources revealed some specifics. MLB will agree to pay them
more than $6M and declare that the owners were wrong in rejecting
the two as possible owners. Piazza: "We got everything we
wanted. We got money, and we got the apology." The settlement
also stipluates that the two may apply again for ownership
(Michael Bamberger, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/29).
TAMPA/ST. PETE GROUP IS WATCHING: Vincent Naimoli, who led
the Giants bid and now retains local rights to any expansion
effort, said he was pleased the suit was resolved. But Noam
Neusner of the TAMPA TRIBUNE notes that videotaped depositions
taken for the case "might come in handy" if Naimoli and St.
Petersburg officials decide to "reactivate their now-dormant
lawsuit" against MLB. Naimoli's attorney, John Higgins, said if
Piazza and Tirendi "struck a deal guaranteeing them ownership of
an expansion team elsewhere, and thus eliminating St. Petersburg
from contention," then the city and Naimoli "could resurrect
their court action" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9/29).
