By Sharon Turco
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig chastised former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott for filing a lawsuit that asks a judge to get her better seats in Great American Ball Park.

The commissioner's comments come in a letter to Schott dated Feb. 5, which urges her to reconsider.

SELIG'S LETTER

• Text of letter to Marge Schott

"Based on everything I know, and the background of your agreement of April 1999, I have to admit that I am very disappointed in your conduct and I urge you to promptly dismiss the litigation," he wrote in the letter obtained by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Schott filed a lawsuit Monday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against Great American Insurance Co. in which she says the company did not honor an agreement for seats and use of a private box in the new Reds stadium.

Schott sold her majority share of the Reds in 1999 to Great American, whose chairman is Carl H. Lindner.

In a statement released by the Schott family Thursday night, Schott said she would not dismiss her lawsuit.

"We will see this through to the end, and we'll let the court make the decision, not Major League Baseball, or Mr. Lindner, or Mr. Lindner's counsel," Schott said.

She characterized Selig's letter as "just the old-boy network at work trying to protect Mr. Lindner."

She says she was promised a private box and 21 premium seats next to the field.

In the fall she learned her seats in the new stadium are not adjacent to the field, nor was she given a private box. Her seats are in Section 128, Rows 34 to 36, and she must share use of the owner's box, said her attorney, Mark Wasserman.

In the letter, Selig says his interpretation of the deal is that Schott was to retain 21 free premium seats, get eight additional free seats and use of the owner's suite in proportion to her shares.

As for the eight additional free seats, Scott's statement said they "were only what any other owner with a share gets."

Selig's letter continued, "This seems to me to be an eminently reasonable solution and I am shocked you would think otherwise."

The lawsuit taints the ballpark's opening, according to Selig.

"Marge, after all you went through to get the new ballpark going, please do not have a disruptive impact in the fans' excitement and the good will surrounding the opening of Great American Ball Park," Selig wrote.

The lawsuit has been assigned to Judge Thomas C. Nurre, but no hearing date has been set.

Wasserman could not be reached for comment Thursday.

E-mail sturco@enquirer.com