The company that owns the Chicago Cubs and The Hartford Courant is battling a former newspaper carrier to get back the last of $301,000 it accidentally gave to him instead of a baseball player with the same name.
The Tribune Co. money that was meant for Mark Guthrie, the relief pitcher, was sent to the bank account of Mark Guthrie, the Courant deliveryman, in three payments, the final one made last October. Five weeks, later the Cubs realized the error, and the team took back $275,000 before Guthrie froze his account.
The Cubs sued in February but last month filed legal documents offering to drop the suit if he handed over the final $26,000.
“We have no desire to embarrass Mr. Guthrie or bring undue attention to his actions — we just want the money back,” said attorney Paul Guggina, who is representing the Cubs.
Guthrie, 43, said the matter is more complicated than that.
“I need them to open the books to me and show me I don’t have any tax liabilities,” he said. “It’s mind-boggling. They never should have made the mistake to begin with.”
The carrier said he had waited for the team to call him as his bank account ballooned.
Guthrie the pitcher, 38, is now a free agent.
