Kid hit by pitch, dad sues

Given the douchiness of kids and coaches at this level of baseball - this doesn't surprise me, whether the story is true or not true. This is a step beyond Little League so these players (and coaches) probably think this is the first real step to a pro contract. You have to succeed in order to keep playing.
But it did remind me of the high school pitcher and catcher who attempted to hurt the home plate umpire when they didn't like the way he called the game.

 

They're suing for "lost wages"? He's 13 fucking years old. He probably doesn't even have a job.

 

He must make a bundle mowing lawns and shoveling out driveways.

 

In July?

 

Next time Little Johnny should get the fuck out of the way of the pitch.

 

The convergence of a douche coach and a douche lawyer/dad produces a douchy of a lawsuit.
Nobody should be throwing at anybody in youth baseball. But, yes, in pro ball, if it is a game-winning situation, hitting the batter/bunter on purpose is a normal strategy.

 

With the bases loaded?

 

Anybody who reads my BLOG already knows this, but if the coach really ordered the kid to throw at the batter, then he deserves to get his ass sued. Particularly because the league took no action against him, even though there were rules against intentionally throwing at batters. Even at the major-league level, if you throw at somebody, there are consequences -- getting thrown out of the game, fines, suspensions, etc. Assuming the kid is a right-handed batter, no doubt the pitcher was throwing inside, what with the left hand the one that was broken.

There's a difference between coaching hard play (a collision because the catcher was blocking the plate to keep a runner from scoring) and calling for a player to hurt an opponent.

 

Well, how do you know the coach really ordered the kid to throw at the batter?

 

“Immediately after (Michael) fell to the ground, and while writhing in pain, defendant Barber again yelled from the dugout, ‘Good!,’ thus confirming and ratifying his order to ‘throw at’ and intentionally and recklessly … hit the plaintiff,” Tom Connick stated in the suit.

 

I don't think that proves anything. May have shown the guy was a dick and making an inappropriate remark after the fact. May have been him being sarcastic to his pitcher.

 

Bottom line, the lawyer wasn't there and he is hearing from one side -- his kid's team.

As a reporter, don't you hear someone give you details of some incident or story and it sounds sensational and then you talk to the other side and it doesn't sound like a big deal at all?

That happens maybe 90 percent of the time to me.

In a heated situation like this, I'd say it's very unlikely the lawyer/dad is getting solid information from his kid's team.