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People are despicable, and they’re getting worse every day. You can call me a pessimist if you’d like, but I think that a lot of people over the age of 25 may share that sentiment.
It sounds cliché, but it really was a simpler time when I grew up. When you needed information, you went to the library. When you wanted to talk on the phone, you had to use the corded model attached to your kitchen wall. When a kid got hurt playing sports, his money-grubbing parents didn’t try to capitalize on their son’s injury by suing everyone involved.
That’s right. In the most pathetic story of the day, the parents of Steven Domalewski have filed a suit against the makers of a Louisville Slugger aluminum bat, Sports Authority and Little League Baseball, after their 12-year-old son was hit in the chest with a line drive.
When the ball hit Steven, who was pitching, his heart stopped for 15 minutes, causing brain damage.
Now, I do feel badly for the boy. I feel horrible, in fact. It’s a terrible thing to see a child’s life transformed like it has been. Still, what his family is doing is selfish and unforgivable. Suing Little League Baseball for Pete’s sake!?
Not every unfortunate, or even tragic, event means that someone deserves millions of dollars.
Parents like this are the reason that community ballparks across America remain locked while not in use. They’re the reason that police reports are filed when two third-graders get in a fist fight. They’re the reason that dodgeball and tag are being banned in schools around the country.
Doesn’t anyone understand the words “freak accident”?
You can’t always blame things on negligence or malice. There are probably 10,000 balls hit every day with metal bats just like that one. Even college players use metal bats. There was nothing wrong with the equipment, and Steven wasn’t a victim. Unfortunately, he was just very unlucky.
Steven’s father is now saying his son would not have been injured with a wooden bat, and that the lawsuit will help make the game safer.
Who do they think they’re kidding? If that’s all they cared about, it probably would have been easy to petition the league. Besides, wooden bats hit the ball hard too, and they break. Sharp wooden daggers flying around the infield... yeah, that’s safer.
No, it’s obvious that the parents are looking to make more dollars than sense. Steven wasn’t even injured in a Little League game, but Little League is being sued because their logo was on the bat.
That’s right, let’s target an organization that offers a healthy outlet for millions of children. Let’s take their money. Let’s cause leagues to close. Let’s make kids pay more money to join. After all, your kid was hurt, so why not take it out on everyone else. Let’s send America’s youth back in front of the TV or computer.
What scumbags.
Newsflash: You can’t expect your kid to play sports and never get hurt. It comes with the territory. You can’t play baseball with fun noodles and marshmallows.
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