RollingEyes says:

So, let me get this right… the stereotype regarding americans and frivolous lawsuits is completely true?

I think we are seeing the end of the “American Empire” such as it is… It’ll only get worse in the upcoming decades.

I predict a collapse of the value of the dollar, higher unemployment as most manufacturing leaves for cheaper labour countries, foreclosures, more bankruptcies due to outrageous health expenses, etc., etc.

All the symptoms are falling into place.

You were a grand old country at one time, but sadly you seem to be your own worst enemy.

mike l says:

This kid knowingly acted as a pitcher on a mound that is much closer to a batter than any other position. He had to know the risk of getting hit was higher. I can speak from experience as a 9 year old kid I pitched for about 3 games until I got slammed in the face by a line drive. It was my fault for not reacting fast enough. After that I was relegated to right field to chase butterflies for the rest of the season because I was afraid of the ball hitting me in the face. If you want to play the game, you have to take the risks.

These people make me sick. $700k will not bring their kid back. They know that the batter does not have deep pockets, the league doesn’t either, so let’s go after corporate America and screw the faceless people that make a bat. As a business owner I understand the risks of operating and every day pray that some bonehead doesn’t roll the dice and sue my firm into extinction for this kind of crap.

Shame on the jury. Shame on the families lawyer, shame on the judge for not throwing it out, shame on the whole system.

Wretched Gnu says:

Well, a more obvious way that Shakespeare was being ironic with the “kill all the lawyers” line is that the buffoon uttering it is an illiterate dolt who thinks that anybody who can read (like lawyers) is plotting against him.

Dale says:

Fuckin’ lawyers…

If you’re too stupid to see that there are inherent dangers in hitting a ball with any sort of stick you are probably already too dain brammaged to be helped by a warning label anyways.

And the problem with any sort of tort reform legislation is that it will be drafted by and for lawyers. The foxes are guarding the hen house and there’s nothing anyone can do about it now that doesn’t involve gunplay, I fear.

t0llyb0ng says:

See who got left holding the liability bag? Of course: the deep pocket. One might have even expected a 7 million dollar verdict, not just 700K.

Our legal system is a powerful magnet for absurdities. Always has been, probably always will be.

Plaintiff “victims” get to keep some of the money. Lawyer’s kid’s college is now paid for. They all so sad, cryin’ all the way to the bank.

Mike D says:

Mr Fusion – there’s nothing wrong with with most aluminum bats.
There are many advantages to aluminum and some disadvantages to wood. BUT there are some aluminum bat designs that are dangerous. If you think that’s impossible just look at the escalating tennis racquet technology, for instance – or golf clubs.

There are thousands of leagues – don’t pretend to know how every one is setup. The last non-competitive division of the Greenwich Village LL is the Minors and I have been in charge of it and it’s umpires for 25 years. We use modified rules that I have developed over the years with the consent and approval of the Board, of which I am a member. The managers have come up from coach-pitch where the rules are extremely loose. I don’t pretend that the hippy-dippy Village is typical, but we are a chartered Little League of 60 teams and a well respected one, too.

As I understand trolls, they try to incite – often by calling people names.
One of my favorite John Wayne lines is his sarcastic “It’s nice to be sure”.
I really dislike it when people are so sure of their opinions that they consider them to be facts.
One of the best traits an ump can have is the ability to tell a player or coach “I may be wrong, but that’s how I saw it.”
It is my opinion that metal bats can be designed to propel a baseball to dangerous speeds.
If you think that makes me a troll, well – you’re entitled to your opinion. If you think it’s a fact, well – “It’s nice to be sure” . . .

Mr. Fusion says:

#43, Mike, cont.

As for aluminum vs wood bats,

BUT there are some aluminum bat designs that are dangerous.

well, USA Baseball’s Youth Committee Issues Statement on Non-Wood Bats

PERCEPTION: Aluminum bats are more dangerous than wood bats.

The National Consumer Product Safety Commission studied this issue and concluded in 2002 that there is no evidence to suggest that aluminum bats pose any greater risk than wood bats. Multiple amateur baseball governing bodies, including the NCAA, National High School Federation, Little League International, PONY, et al, all track safety statistics and have concluded that aluminum bats do not pose a safety risk.

PERCEPTION: Balls come off aluminum bats faster than wood.

Since 2003, all bats are required to meet the “Bat Exit Speed Ratio” (BESR) performance limitation, which ensures that aluminum bats do not hit the ball any harder than the best wood bats.

PERCEPTION: Injuries from aluminum bats are more severe than with wood bats.

Two out of the three deaths from a batted ball in the last decade came from wood bats. Dr. Frederick Mueller, Director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, has indicated from his studies that catastrophic injuries from wood bats may be more frequent than aluminum bats.

PERCEPTION: The Brown University study proves that aluminum bats hit the ball harder than wood bats.

This study is irrelevant by today’s standards. All of the bats used in the Brown study would not be allowed to be used today, because they do not meet the BESR standard.

PERCEPTION: The use of aluminum bats places children at an unacceptable risk of injury.

A study from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research shows that there have been only 15 catastrophic batted ball injuries to pitchers out of more than 9,500,000 high school and college participants since 1982.

During the last five years a number of states, individual organizations, city councils, and others have proposed the banning of metal baseball bats on a number of different levels. These actions have typically been in reaction to a catastrophic injury as opposed to being based on creditable injury data or research. In May of 2002 the Consumer Product Safety Commission stated, “The Commission is not aware of any information that injuries produced by balls batted with non-wood bats are more severe than those involving wood bats”. This statement was true in 2002 and it is true in 2007.

The Medical/Safety Advisory Committee of USA Baseball was initiated due to the lack of injury data needed to make decisions affecting the safety of baseball participants. Prior to 2005 there has not been significant research comparing injuries to baseball pitchers from metal bats versus wood bats. In 2005 the USA Baseball Medical/Safety Committee initiated a three year research project comparing line drive baseball injuries to pitchers from metal bats and wood bats. Metal bat injury data were taken from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance System and wood bat injury data collected from college summer leagues (NCAA recognized college summer league teams all use wood bats).

After two years (2005 and 2006) of collecting batted ball injury data to the pitcher from 93 NCAA college baseball teams and 246 college summer league teams there have only been 17 injuries to NCAA college pitchers and 15 injuries to college summer league pitchers. Only 32 injuries after 331,821 balls were hit into play (Balls hit into play are calculated by taking the number of at bats and subtracting strike outs and bases on balls). The injuries in the summer leagues were more severe than the NCAA injuries. One-third of the summer league injuries involved the head and face as opposed to none in the NCAA. The third year of the study will be completed in 2007.

What this data does indicate is that injuries to the pitcher from batted balls are very rare and can happen while using metal or wood bats. There is no data to indicate that the few catastrophic injuries to baseball pitchers from metal bats would not have happened if the batter was using a wood bat. Before any sport makes rule changes, equipment changes, or other changes related to the safety of the participants, it is imperative that these changes are based on reliable injury data and not anecdotal information.

So you went from an umpire to a President to just someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about.

Mike D says:

Yo, Fuse – why such venom? Because I’m delusional about metal bats?

1. The Minors in our league are the last NON-competitive division! Not the highest. It’s because it’s NON-competitive that exemptions to the rules are permitted – like run per inning limits, 4 outfielders, no stealing, unlimited substitutions.
Of course our Minors teams aren’t eligible for any tournaments.

2. You state: “Since 2003, all bats are required to meet the “Bat Exit Speed Ratio” (BESR) performance limitation, which ensures that aluminum bats do not hit the ball any harder than the best wood bats.”
Why do you think they had to make that rule?
Regardless, I do hope very much that it’s effective.

3. We use pitching machines for practice, but not for games. Maybe we like the human interaction. Maybe we’re Luddites. Maybe we’re just effen nuts – I know I am, as you’ve apparently noticed.

McCullough says:

#47. Fusion seems to be a little on the obsessive-compulsive side. Thus we try to tolerate his behavior. I wouldn’t let it bother you.

Danny Kraemer says:

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