BY GEOFF HOBSON and LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A concerned Hamilton County has yet to receive documentation from Reds CEO Marge Schott naming Reds Managing Executive John Allen as the team's authorized stadium negotiator.
Hamilton County Administrator David J. Krings reiterated Thursday the county won't sign a deal with the Reds unless Mr. Allen and Mrs. Schott both sign.
Despite an Oct. 21, 1996, letter from National League President Leonard S. Coleman assuring the county Mr. Allen is the club's stadium point man, the county's Chicago-based lawyers asked for a similar letter from Mrs. Schott in a Sept. 10, 1997, letter to Mr. Allen.
County Commissioner John S. Dowlin said concerns resurfaced after further negotiations with the Reds. He said Mrs. Schott seems to sometimes influence negotiations after the county thinks Mr. Allen has agreed to something.
"We have more important things to do, in my opinion, than to negotiate with a team or person and think that you're making progress and find out that person doesn't have the authority," Mr. Dowlin said.
Mr. Allen is running the Reds during Mrs. Schott's suspension from Major League Baseball.
Mr. Coleman backed Mr. Allen again at an Aug. 7, 1997, meeting between the Reds and county attended by Mrs. Schott.
"We don't want to get caught in a situation where we negotiate with the National League and have to start over with Mrs. Schott," said Mr. Krings.
"If she's being represented by someone or herself, shouldn't it be easy for her to write the letter?" Mr. Krings asked. "Just tell us who speaks for you."
County Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. said no event prompted the letter.
"It's a . . . common-sense assurance to receive that you are, in fact, negotiating with an individual authorized to bind a company," he said.
The Sept. 10 letter, from lawyer Peter C.B. Bynoe and obtained by The Enquirer through an Ohio public records request, was not sent to Mrs. Schott.
". . . Although the League and the County view you as the authorized representative of the Reds for purposes of finalizing an agreement, team ownership may not recognize your authority to do so," Mr. Bynoe wrote Mr. Allen.
Mr. Allen and Mrs. Schott declined comment.
Mr. Allen has said Mrs. Schott agrees with him on most stadium issues. But they have a fragile relationship. She didn't invite Mr. Allen to last month's Reds Rally, an annual charity event at her Indian Hill home.
REDS PAGE
Previous stadium stories
REDS UP STADIUM DEMANDS October 2, 1997
CITY COUNCIL ENDORSES BROADWAY September 25, 1997
RENOVATED CINERGY OPTION AGAIN September 13, 1997
NL PRESIDENT BACKS RIVERFRONT SITE September 10, 1997
ANALYSIS: NO NEED TO RUSH REDS BALLPARK August 31, 1997
DOWLIN ASKS FOR NL'S HELP ON STADIUM August 29, 1997
ALLEN VISITS ATLANTA SEEKING STADIUM IDEAS August 23, 1997
BIG STADIUM ROADBLOCK REMOVED July 25, 1997
STADIUM SIDES DEFINED July 11, 1997
STADIUM STANCES July 11, 1997
STADIUM MEETING TONE UPBEAT July 11, 1997
REDS PLAY DOWN SEAT LICENSES July 9, 1997
REDS CALL FOR SEAT LICENSES, RIVERFRONT SITE July 8, 1997
HIGHLIGHTS OF REDS' PROPOSAL July 8, 1997
REDS WANT GUARANTEE ON 2002 July 5, 1997
REDS SAY THEY NEED GOOD STADIUM DEAL TO COMPETE July 4, 1997
CITY, COUNTY FEUD OVER CONSULTANT July 4, 1997
REDS ASKED FOR $235M STADIUM July 3, 1997
'WEDGE' FOES DEMAND STADIUM STUDY July 2, 1997
'WEDGE' TO BE PUT TO THE TEST July 1, 1997
REDS UNMOVED BY PRICE GAP June 20, 1997
DOWLIN SAYS BROADWAY CAN SAVE $62 MILLION June 19, 1997
BALLPARK ESTIMATE: $230 MILLION June 11, 1997
RIVERFRONT SITE BETTER BET June 6, 1997
BROADWAY, 'WEDGE' ONLY OPTIONS LEFT? June 4, 1997
REDS RELENT ON WEST SITE June 3, 1997
NOTHING WILL DISLODGE REDS FROM RIVERFRONT Tim Sullivan column, June 3, 1997
REDS TO KENTUCKY? WHISPERS PERSIST May 31, 1997
NO DEAL WITH REDS SEEN BY JUNE 1 May 23, 1997
REDS EASE STANCE ON 'WEDGE' May 16, 1997
REDS MIGHT HAVE TO WAITMay 5, 1997
COSTS GOING UPMay 5, 1997
SCHOTT SAYS 'NO WAY' TO WEDGE April 12, 1997
SULLIVAN COLUMN April 12, 1997
CITY COULD PAY TO DELAY STADIUM April 10, 1997
BENGALS LEERY OF 'WEDGE' April 9, 1997
THE GREAT STADIUM DEBATE
BALLPARK DEBATE LINGERS ON April 6, 1997
NEIGHBORHOOD A BIG PART OF BALLPARK April 6, 1997
BALLPARK, FANS' HONEYMOON SHORT April 6, 1997
REDS HAVE HURDLES, HELP IN SITE HUNT April 6, 1997
KENTUCKY DESERVES REDS, TOOApril 6, 1997
BORGMAN CARTOON
April 6, 1997
REDS PLAN SEAT LICENSING March 14, 1997
REDS TOLD BENGALS NOT PICKING SITE March 12, 1997
MAYOR SUPPORTS BROADWAY March 5, 1997
DESPITE FLOOD, REDS DON'T WAVER FROM RIVER March 5, 1997
BASEBALL ON MAIN PROPOSED Feb. 26, 1997
WEDGE SITE GETS BOOST FROM COUNTY Feb. 22, 1997
REDS, COUNTY RESUME STADIUM TALKS Feb. 19, 1997
ONLY CRIME IS NOT CONSIDERING BROADWAY Feb. 18, 1997
RIVER SITE OR LAWSUIT Feb. 15, 1997
REDS ARE READY TO PLAY HARDBALL Feb. 15, 1997
SCHOTT THREATENS TO MOVE IF REDS AREN'T ON RIVER Feb. 14, 1997
