The former Salt Lake Trappers baseball club has filed a lawsuit alleging Salt Lake City breached a contract by not allowing the team to play through the 1993 season.
The suit, filed Friday, stems from a long battle that began when the city wooed the class AAA Portland Beavers to Utah.The Beavers, since renamed the Buzz, are to open their 1994 season April 11 at the new Franklin Quest Field in Salt Lake City.
Building the new stadium where the old Derks Field used to be is part of what created the conflict with the class A Trappers.
The Trappers had planned to make the 1993 season their "grand finale," and had been given permission to finish the year at Derks, the suit alleges.
However, city officials reneged on that promise when they agreed to demolish Derks to make room for the new stadium, the complaint contends.
The Trappers also allege the city violated a professional baseball agreement when it began negotiating with the Portland team, because the city failed to tell the Trappers about the talks.
The Trappers, who have since moved to Ogden and plan to play next season in the Pioneer League, seek damages and other relief to be determined at trial.