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MOOSIC — Officials from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties announced Thursday they will once again “play ball” after they finalized a $4 million settlement in a lawsuit Luzerne County filed against Lackawanna County over proceeds from the sale of a Triple A baseball franchise to the New York Yankees.

The settlement follows approval by Luzerne County Council earlier this week.

The lawsuit was filed in 2010 and was followed by a countersuit from Lackawanna.

The counties disagreed which should keep $7.3 million, or half of the $14.6 million the New York Yankees and Mandalay Baseball Properties paid the counties’ joint limited liability company, SWB Yankees LLC, for the franchise in the 2012 sale.

A 1986 agreement, in which the two counties purchased the franchise for $1 million each, directed that both counties would share in any proceeds of a future sale.

Lackawanna County countered that it had spent millions on repairs and additional construction at the stadium, unmatched by Luzerne County.

Still, officials from both counties seemed eager to put these details behind them and move forward.

During a press conference at PNC Field, complete with bobbleheads, baseball caps and RailRiders mascot Champ, Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick O’Malley said that although both counties had consistently worked together during the course of the lawsuit, a shadow had been lifted from the relationship with the signing of the agreement.

“It’s been a long seven years,” he said. “And this is a great day.”

Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri credited officials from both counties with making the settlement a reality.

“When we look at future success,” he said, “we see it in the context of the region, with counties working together.”

Pedri called Luzerne County Council Chairwoman Linda McClosky Houck to the podium, citing her spirit of compassion and commitment to county residents.

“We can talk abut what we disagree on, we can read pages and pages,” said McClosky Houck. “But what is more important is the things that we do agree on.”

Christopher Munley, of the Lackawanna County Stadium Authority, likened the litigation to a “family dispute, rather than a fight.”

Josh Olerud, president of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, told attendees he was blessed to be in a partnership with both counties.

“We are looking forward to the future,” said Olerud, “including the Triple A Minor League Championship game to be held here in September.”

Lackawanna County Commissioner Patrick M. O’Malley signs off on the finalization of the lawsuit settlement.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL063017baseball2-1.jpg.optimal.jpgLackawanna County Commissioner Patrick M. O’Malley signs off on the finalization of the lawsuit settlement. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri speaks during a press conference Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic on a lawsuit settlement between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties over the 2012 sale of the counties’ Triple A baseball franchise.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL063017baseball1-1.jpg.optimal.jpgLuzerne County Manager C. David Pedri speaks during a press conference Thursday at PNC Field in Moosic on a lawsuit settlement between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties over the 2012 sale of the counties’ Triple A baseball franchise. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

By Geri Gibbons

For Times Leader

Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.