04 March 2041; Tempe, Arizona – The Tempe Stadium Authority has begun their final inspection and certification of the most recent enlargement of Gisolo-Duppa Field in time for the start of the 2041 campaign despite a series of mysterious setbacks which were reported to have occurred throughout the construction process. Construction delays owing to faulty equipment, a group of silent obstructionists and an uncooperative teamster’s union were all said to have played a part in the circa two-month delay to this most recent renovation of the stadium, with some whispering of nefarious outside influence contributing to the issues.

This marks the third time construction at GD Field has been pockmarked with controversy as the Tempe Apollos ballclub continues to expand upon the stadium they constructed during their triumphant return to the PEBA in 2032. While it was rumored that officials from the Yuma Arroyos baseball team may have contributed to prior issues at the stadium site, those investigations never surfaced any hard evidence clearly linking Yuma personnel to the reported problems. Nonetheless, some Tempe faithful continue to insist Taffy Slummings was indeed the culprit behind the 2036 snafu and his presence at the stadium site was never positively refuted. 

More sinister this offseason were indications that a ragtag band of “freedom fighters” loosely referring to themselves as the South Bakersfield Resistance Movement (SBRM) may have been involved in the construction problems at GD Field. A mysterious explosion of a gas canister late in the evening of 28 December 2040 woke residents with a start and marked the beginning of a series of unexplained issues at the site. The local 237th electrician’s union, in response to the detonation, embarked on a series of coordinated protests against continued work at the site due to what they claimed were repeated safety violations. 

Investigative authorities with the Tempe police department and online fraud investigations unit have identified a payment made from one Benny Lanovez to the teamster’s union on 26 December in the amount of $250,000 which they believe may have played a role in causing the events of 28 December. Online investigations have linked Mr. Lanovez to the SBRM, an unofficial group of southern California locals who are reported to be “organizing a systematic takeover of the United States’ southwest corridor to expand the Bakersfield inland empire.” While little is known about this group, these same investigators have positively linked Mr. Lanovez to a string of malicious activity over the prior two decades and have unofficially provided confirmation that he is loosely associated with Slummings and the Yuma baseball organization. 

While Tempe investigators continue their inquiries into Mr. Lanovez and the SBRM, reviews of surveillance video from the stadium site did reveal a meeting between an unknown individual and Mabrey Thomas, the head of the 237th, which appeared to have taken place earlier in the day on 26 December, prior to the explosion two days later. Unfortunately, no identification of the mystery meeting participant has yet been made and details of this meeting remain elusive but are believed to be relevant to the ongoing investigation. 

Tempe police have thus far refused to go public with details of their criminal investigation but sources inside the Arizona Attorney General’s office indicate that a statement may be provided in the coming days to tamp down what has become rampant speculation about this series of events.