In Fallout Over Ownership Situation, Sockers Lose Wright to Cleveland

Paul Wright must be feeling a bit like a tennis ball today--the Sockers apparently volleyed him back to the Cleveland Crunch earlier this week.

In one of his final acts, outgoing Sockers’ owner Ron Fowler on Tuesday released Wright, the only Socker player signed for the upcoming season.

Fowler did not want to take a chance that the team or Major Soccer League would fold, thereby making him financially responsible for Wright’s $60,000 contract.

All players cut in the MSL immediately go on 72-hour waivers. Thus far, Cleveland has been the only team willing to pick up Wright’s salary, but several other teams have requested his contract from the league office and have until 3 p.m. (PDT) today to file a claim.

When he began his career with the Sockers in 1988-89, Wright was known as a one-dimensional player. He had speed, but his skills were still developing.

Wright started the 1989-90 season in Cleveland after being picked up in the expansion draft, but midway through the season the Sockers reacquired him, trading Zoran Karic to the Crunch.

Bothered by numerous injuries this past season, Wright nonetheless emerged as an offensive threat. He scored 38 goals (second most on the Sockers) and assisted on 23 others in 51 games.

“My owner wants to go forward,” said Al Miller, president of the Crunch. “Our goal is to win a championship, and we’re trying to put together a championship team. When I saw Paul Wright’s name come across, it took me about three seconds to make a decision.”

It was a decision that did not sit well with Socker Coach Ron Newman, who has spent the past month trying to find an owner to take over for Fowler.

When he found out Cleveland claimed Wright, Newman referred to his old friend, Miller, as a “vulture.”

“I resented that remark,” Miller said. “Ron Newman is saying how detrimental it is for San Diego. But how detrimental is this whole thing to the league? Do you think it helped my club when the championship team announced it’s going to fold (soon after) the season? Do you think it helped season-ticket sales? Do you think it helped the rest of the league? Look what happened in Tacoma.”

Tacoma, which previously announced it would be back next season, reversed course after the Sockers’ troubles became public and said it would fold unless 4,000 season tickets are sold.

Ron Cady, Sockers’ president, said he informed all potential Socker owners that if they did not act by Tuesday, he would have to cut Wright.

“It’s a personal services contract that isn’t negated if there is no league,” Cady said. “I told everyone that they have until June 24, but if nothing happens by then we would have to cut Paul.”

June 24 was the last date to cut Wright and allow for the league-required three-working-days waiver period under Fowler’s June 30 deadline.

“Everyone knew this,” Cady said, “but no one moved along quick enough.”

Cady had another route he did not take, however. Wright said he would have been willing to waive Fowler’s liability for next season if it meant a chance to stay in San Diego. But Cady never approached him with that idea.

“I would have done it,” Wright said. “That would have been the best thing to do. I would have done anything to stay here in San Diego. This is where I make my home.”

Wright, who said he will play in either Cleveland or San Diego but will not consider another city should another team file a claim, has not given up and hopes the new ownership will file a complaint with the league office.

“If the commissioner has any conscience at all, he should give the new owners at least a chance to bid on me,” he said.

Newman said he spoke to Commissioner Earl Foreman on the matter, but Foreman told him there was nothing he can do.