maricopa.gov

Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.

Maricopa County needs legal help to fight the Arizona Diamondbacks’ lawsuit to leave Chase Field, and it might pay for the courtroom battle using money from the baseball team.

The Diamondbacks pay Maricopa County millions every year for the right to call Chase Field home. The county funnels money from the club into specific funds used to pay for stadium costs like construction.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors also serve as the Board of Directors for the Stadium District. In that capacity, they’ll soon consider whether to spend $500,000 on outside counsel to help defend the county against the Diamondbacks' lawsuit.

If approved, the money would come from the Ballpark Operations Fund, which is financed by revenue from non-baseball events, stadium parking and the Diamondbacks.