"I lost that ball in the sun - and now I'm gonna sue!"

Here's a douchebag in Hamilton, Ontario, who, while playing third base during a slowpitch game, lost sight of a line drive coming at him. He got hurt. But, instead of sucking it up, he has sued the local steel company that owns the ball diamond.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/slo-pitch-player-sues-field-owner-after-being-struck-by-ball/article1521673/

Mr. Black alleged Dofasco should have erected a sun screen at the diamond to protect players. The company considered putting a screen there months earlier but failed to do so, he added.

He also alleged the company failed to inspect the diamond or “warn [Mr. Black] of the dangers of the sun at the particular time of day.”

“Players are not trained nor experts in knowing the safety precautions,” Mr. Black alleged in his suit. “There have been no instructions in avoiding the sun. There were no instructions that the players are to cease playing when the sun is at a level that will interfere with their eyes.”

The sad thing is, because the company had considered the sun screens, and because other ball diamonds in Hamilton have the screens, this asshole will probably win his case.

I hope he's awarded damages of $1.

 

I hope he has to pay the legal costs for the steel company

 

I generally agree with what you two say, although this isn't exactly on the same level as suing Mcdonalds for getting frostbite after spilling your iced mocha latte in your lap, but as a guy who has played third base for the past 11 years while reliving my glory days, it can be downright scary at the hot corner when the sun is pretty much behind the batter. Add that to the fact that if you play in a competitive league, the guys pretty much hit rocket shots your way and when the sun is at the wrong level, you have no idea where it is off the bat. I pretty much play in the grass when that happens and I still have problems reacting to the ball. Where I play, there are no sun screens, so we are pretty much screwed, but if you play in a place where they are more commonplace, I think you have a little bit of an argument. That being said, you CAN choose not to play at that diamond.

 

The story says this guy was "a long-time player"
Anybody that plays softball (or baseball) for a long time knows how to shield your eyes or what precautions to take when the sun is shining on the field.
As a "long-time player" he's likely played on this field before and knows the conditions. So for him to claim the sun was suddenly in his eyes for this play is a bunch of bull. The previous inning he should have realized what was going on and gotten sunglasses or adjusted his cap to help shield his eyes from the sun.

 

About four years ago, I was covering a juco game and the other team's third baseman was playing with this shield covering the lower part of his face. It was like a aluminum or steel plate that was attached to sunglasses frames.

After the game, the home team's coach told me that the other team's coach said the kid was playing third at another game on the road. On this field, third base faced due west. And just behind the field was the college's PE building. When the sun set, this created a glare. A batter hit a hard line drive and the kid had no chance. The ball hit him flush in the mouth, knocked out all of his teeth and just about destroyed his lower jaw. At the time his team was down here, he not only had to wear this shield, he was also wearing what amounted to steel dentures so he could chew his food until his jaw healed fully (Don't ask me how he managed; I was too busy trying not to imagine the horror of what must feel like your mouth falling apart to ask).

So the Hamilton douche gets no sympathy from me.

 

When the sun is setting and it at around eye level, there are no sunglasses or pulling down of the hat that will help you. Sure, it may provide a bit better site, but it's certainly not clear sailing. It's simply hard to see. And when you have a softball (in many cases yellow) and it is hit as hard as some are these days in competitive leagues, sometimes the 3b is in trouble. It likely wasn't a pop-fly that hit him.

I have been in that situation before, and, because I didn't want to sound like a wuss, I wasn;t about to ask the ump to hold play because sissy-assed me was afraid of getting my head taken off by the other team (they had been peppering me all game). So, i just kept my mouth shut, played on the edge of the grass, and said alittle prayer before each swing.

 

He'll get some money out of it. If you're the parks department, would you rather just let your insurance pay some money, or leave it in the hands of an unpredictable judge? If you can get a lawyer to take the suit, you've passed a major threshold on the way to at least a modest payday.

 

Next up: Boxer sues opponent for punching him.

 

Simple solution...move to short.

 

He wasn't playing in a city league. He was playing in a company sponsored game. Dofasco has a long tradition of sports leagues for both employees and their kids.

Just for background purposes, my dad worked there for 42 years and I worked there for four summers while I was at university.

And this is a Canadian legal situation, not an American one, so I'm not sure your take on this applies.

In any case, American or Canadian, the guy's pathetic.

 

We're pretty much headed in that direction, aren't we?

 

Good Grief....