Baseball Helmets for Everybody

The more I read stories from every day America, the more I wonder what the heck happened to our personal responsibility. The other day I was riding along listening to the radio and heard, in a short 10 second sound bit, a story about Louisville Slugger being sued. The story caught my ear because I have toured their impressive manufacturing plant in Louisville KY and look forward, someday, to touring their aluminum bat plant in Ontario, CA. All I heard on the radio at that point though, was that the company was being sued in Helena MT. I later looked up the story.

As a very brief summary, the suit alleges that the bat manufacturer knew of the inherent problems with the bat causing the ball to come off the bat too fast. WHAT? Isn't a bat made to hit the ball fast and hard? As I read the story, I just couldn't help but see the grieving family, not know what to do, where to turn, and this ambulance chaser coming along and saying something like, you know, they knew that was bound to happen, you should make them pay. Those evil corporations. They have insurance, that what insurance is for, right? It's Big Bat's fault. Now, I don't know if this is how this suit came about, but I have my feelings about attorney's, for my own reasons, and my mind will likely not be swayed from those feelings.

More to the point though, is this. What's next? Do we sue the Field groomer, for having not groomed the field in such a way to cause a draft to slow the ball, sue the umpire for having not stopped the game for faulty or improper equipment, sue the league for having not required a pitching helmet, sue the ball designer for having designed the ball with the stitching in such a way as to cause serious bodily injury or death. What happens the next time a boxer gets his brains scram?bled by a hard punch? Do we sue the glove manufacturer because he made an 8oz glove available rather than a 12oz glove? Do we sue the winning fighter’s trainer because he taught the guy how to swing with a harder upper?cut than the other fighters? What about the manufacturer of a BBQ grill? Do we sue them because they knew we were going to cook greasy food and cause our arteries to clog? Oh here's one, what if someone buys a cup of coffee, spills it on themselves and then sues because the coffee was hot? Oh wait, that already happened, but you get the point.

To what have we stooped as a nation when we will sue, and allow suit of, a manufaturer of a product that performs as designed, but causes a freak and unintended accident.

This story is truly tragic. I personally can't imagine losing a child. I've don't have any children and some tell me that skews my thought process in these cases. I'm here to tell you that that just isn't true. I care not to elaborate, but suffice to say, loss is something to which I can relate. C’mon people, this has to stop some?where. Grow up, take responsibility for your own actions, and accept the consequences for playing rough or using utinsels that could have unintended consequences.

In God I Trust
Have a Great Day and a Better Tomorrow
ADW