- When Falls the Coliseum - https://whenfallsthecoliseum.com -

Bad sports, good sports: Family sues bat maker for child’s injury

Posted By Alan Spoll On In bad sports, good sports | 5 Comments

The parents of an eleven-year-old boy who was hit in the head with a line-drive while pitching in a Little League game near Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the company that manufactures the bat [1] that hit the ball. Apparently, the boy’s parents feel that Easton-Bell Sports makes their bats too hard, allowing injuries like this to occur. Jake Schutter now has brain damage from the incident.

Seeing your child get injured must be horrible. I can not imagine the anguish a parent must go through when dealing with a life-changing injury to a kid. I can completely understand the desire to lash out at the world. What I can’t understand, though, is this repugnant, totally gratuitous lawsuit. If the bats were dangerous, why did Robert and Cheryl Schutter allow Jake to play? Was this his first game? Why not sue the maker of the baseball? After all, if the ball had been softer, the injury surely would not have been as severe. Perhaps they should sue the opposing coach for allowing the kid that hit the ball to play. Maybe they should sue Jake himself for throwing a pitch in a spot that allowed it to be hit that hard.

I feel bad as I write this, as attacking a family who has gone through what the Schutters have experienced this year does not feel all that great. I just can’t get over the sick feeling I get when I think about this suit. As awful as it is, sometimes bad things happen. It’s not always someone’s fault. I assume some lowlife lawyers are advising the family here, but who knows? This is a litigious society, and it certainly could have been the Schutters’ idea. There is certainly plenty of precedent for things like this. I can only hope the courts find the lawsuit as distasteful as I do and throw it out with prejudice. I wish the Schutters well, but in this instance, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Bad sports, continued:

2) Well, there’s [2] something I haven’t seen before. As Nolan Carroll, a special teams player for the Miami Dolphins was running down the sideline during a punt, he was tripped by a member of the New York Jets coaching staff [3]. Sal Alosi, the strength and conditioning coach, stuck his knee out as Carroll ran by, causing the player to tumble to the ground. Alosi has apologized and is awaiting punishment from the league. I say he should be fired.

3) Speaking of unusual sights, have you ever seen a stadium’s roof collapse? Now you have [4]. Looks like they won’t be playing NFL football in Minneapolis for a while.

4) Seven minutes into a men’s basketball game between Oakland University and the University of Illinois, it was discovered that the wrong ball was being used [5]. The ball in question was a women’s basketball, which is smaller and lighter than the one used by the men. I guess the Illini players didn’t like the small ball very much, as they quickly took over the game once the change was made, ending Oakland’s brief upset bid.

5) Greg McKee, a football player for the University of Connecticut, was arrested this week for possession of child pornography [6].

6) Professional athletes are in the public eye because of their physical skill. Often, that is the only reason. Luke Scott, outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles, appears to be one of the guys who should keep his mouth shut and play. Check out his comments about President Obama in this interview [7]. Politics aside, this is just stupidity.

Good sports:

1) The University of Akron won its first ever NCAA title [8] in any sport on Sunday, taking the championship game in Division I Men’s Soccer with a win over Louisville.

2) The University of Michigan hosted the largest crowd to ever watch a hockey game [9] on Saturday. The Wolverines beat Michigan State 5-0 in front of over 113,000 people in Michigan Stadium. Impressive.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday.

[12]

Alan Spoll [13]

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02