John Stossel is ABC News' Co-Anchor of "20/20" and New York Times best-selling author of Give Me A Break & Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity. His "Give Me a Break" commentaries take a skeptical look at a wide array of issues, such as education, the economy, parenting, and more.
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Dangerous Baseball
08/17/2009 10:57 AM
Taking in a baseball game this week? Better not. It could be dangerous.
A boy, sitting in a picnic area in the left field stands at an Albuquerque Isotopes game, was struck in the head by a batting practice home run ball. Four-year-old Emilio Crespin’s skull was fractured, so his parents sued the club.
The Crespins say the ballclub was negligent in having people sit in an unprotected area where the placement of tables turns picnickers' attention away from the field and where there are no warning signs or announcements when batting practice begins.
Lawyers for the team argued that under the so-called “baseball rule,” as long as there are screens protecting the seats behind home plate, the team isn’t responsible.
Jacob Vigil, a lawyer for the Crespins, contends the "baseball rule'' amounts to special treatment for the sport and stems from an era before baseball was "the multibillion-dollar enterprise that it is today.''
Hmmm. Sounds like another lawyer going after deep pockets. Of course, minor league baseball is hardly a prosperous business. In any case, there will be far fewer deep pockets once the lawyers are done.
A New Mexico appellate court (a group of lawyers) ruled that the family could sue the team.
I would think anyone sitting near batting practice understands that a ball may shoot toward them. But who knows, maybe one day stadiums will just keep all fans in protective cages. Or switch to tennis balls. Or ban fans altogether. Or maybe, just ban baseball.
August 17, 2009 in Lawyers | Permalink | Share | User Comments (6)
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A prime example of always try to squeeze as much as possible out of something. If anything the father should be sued for not protecting his son. These stupid law suits are one of the major factors in why things cost so much, I.E. health insurance !!!
Posted by: hkdakota | Aug 17, 2009 11:53:11 AM
>>Or ban fans altogether. Or maybe, just ban baseball.
YEAH!
Businesses should be allowed to maim and kill people!
And if you don't agree, then you're anti-business!
Posted by: ComeOn | Aug 17, 2009 4:14:52 PM
ComeOn, I think you're being too kind. Stossel was clearly advocating genocide. He's obviously history's greatest monster.
Posted by: Adam | Aug 17, 2009 8:18:17 PM
There's always the amount of deep pockets after lawyers get involved in anything. It's just that the depth gets transferred to the lawyers themselves.
The older I get, the more I realize that Shakespeare wasn't just trying to be funny...
King Lear
EARL OF KENT.
This is nothing, fool.
FOOL.
Then 'tis like the breath of an unfee'd lawyer,- you gave me nothing for't...
Posted by: Smee | Aug 17, 2009 9:56:14 PM
correction:
...the SAME number of deep pockets...
Posted by: Smee | Aug 17, 2009 9:57:01 PM
When the family bought tickets to the game, they should have read the back of those tickets, which SPECIFICALLY means:
Fans assume all risk upon entrance of said facility, which means batted balls, flying bats in the case of baseball. Apparently this family did not read the backs of those tickets, and essentially ignoring the consequences, took those risks upon entrance upon the picnic area before the game. THIS FAMILY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN bETTER!!
Posted by: Leroy Bright | Aug 18, 2009 5:21:10 PM
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