Flyers owe Schaumburg, park district, employees
More than a month after its season ended, the Schaumburg Flyers still owe the village and the park district for the 2007 season.
And several people who worked for the team this past summer - including ushers, grounds crew members and a batboy - say they're still awaiting final paychecks.
Village Manager Ken Fritz said the Flyers owe the village and Schaumburg Park District $109,000 from the 2007 season. He and Richard Ehrenreich, the Flyers' managing partner, confirmed the team had already made plans to pay that off by next week.
Fritz said the team has "always been somewhat slow to pay," but has always eventually come through with everything owed. He and Ehrenreich both also noted that, with the economy worsening, the Flyers are still waiting to get paid themselves from some team sponsors.
The village and the park district jointly own Alexian Field. They share 10 percent of team's gross revenues, out of which they pay back the money borrowed to build the ballfield and fund its upkeep.
But for one Schaumburg trustee, George Dunham, the village's foray into baseball has, 10 years on, been a disappointment.
"My concern is that we provided what I think anybody would agree is a world-class venue to play baseball," Dunham said, "... and the quality of the baseball doesn't seem to be getting any better."
"In a venue like this, in a market like this, they ought to be doing better."
The Flyers have already paid the $125,000 they owed in rent for the 2008 season.
"They're paying. It's just slow. It's not all that strange given the current economy," Fritz said, although he added, "I don't forgive them for not paying payroll money if they owe people. We don't condone that."
Among those who hadn't received final paychecks for the season is 13-year-old Billy Shea. He spent the summer as a batboy and planned to use the $15 he earned each game to buy a video game system.
His 17-year-old brother, Tommy, and Tommy's friend, Eric Lancaster, of Hanover Park, both Schaumburg High School seniors, worked on the Flyers' grounds crew and were also still awaiting checks.
Payday was to be Sept. 12. Most game-day staffers earned $37.50 a game.
Ehrenreich and Flyers' General Manager Ben Burke called the situation regretful, blaming it on problems with an out-of-state company that handles their payroll.
"None of it should have happened and we feel terrible that it did and we're glad we fixed it this week," Ehrenreich said. "I share the frustration."
They said the Flyers finally issued the checks themselves this week after the payroll company failed to do so.
That was little consolation to those who, as of Thursday, had not received their money.
"I feel like I'm being taken advantage of," Tommy Shea said. "They left me hanging out to dry."
Nick Grasso, a Palatine retiree who worked as a ballpark usher, said his frustration turned to disappointment as he repeatedly requested payment that didn't come. He said he would have been more understanding if the team had given him any explanation for the delay. He finally picked up his check from the ballpark later Thursday.
Cathy Mueller of Schaumburg, who sold souvenirs at the ballpark, said she's filed a complaint about the pay issue with the Illinois Department of Labor.
Ehrenreich said the company "feels badly" about people getting paid late. Burke said the team has goes "above and beyond every single day to open these doors and do right by the community."
And despite a dismal season from a win-loss point of view - the team ended in last place in the independent Northern League with a 30-66 record and let Field Manager Steve Maddock go - there were other successes.
The Flyers broke an attendance record in July, their new fireworks nights were wildly popular and they passed the $1 million mark in charitable donations.