MLB and Legal Issues: Sleeping Fans, Parking Lot Fights and a Hot Dog to the Face

The MLB All-Star game returned to Minneapolis this weekend, and usually the action is on the field. 

But a Minneapolis law firm is using the opportunity to explore some of the legal issues associated with fans in the stands and around the ballpark. 

O’Meara, Leer, Wagner & Kohl released an article that highlights the relationship between baseball and the law. “Covering All the Bases: Legal News from the World of Baseball,” is available for re-publishing, by clicking here. 

“With the All-Star game happening this week in Minneapolis, it makes sense for our firm to get involved and turn a double play with an article that connects the game and legal issues that are currently at the forefront in various circles,” Managing Shareholder Shamus O’Meara said in a news release. “Our litigation team stepped up to the plate and delivered. I think this article has hit a home run when it comes to connecting current law-related issues with the grand old game of baseball, especially during a time when the best players in the game have all met in our backyard for the Midsummer Classic.”  

The news release continues: 

The article showcases current legal topics associated with baseball. Included in the article is background and a legal explanation about a fan that was allegedly mocked by ESPN announcers when cameras captured the fan napping during one of the oldest and most popular rivalries in all of sports: Yankees versus Red Sox. The fan has since filed a defamation suit against Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees, and ESPN for $10 million in damages.  

In addition the article explains an unfortunate accident, where “Sluggerrr,” the Kansas City Royals’ lion mascot injured a fan when throwing a hot dog into the stands, hitting the fan in the eye, and causing the fan to suffer a detached retina. Recently, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that flying hot dogs are not part of the inherent risk of attending a baseball game. 

“There hasn’t been a better time to bring the legal issues surrounding baseball to the forefront,” said OLWK attorney, Mark Azman. “Our firm thought it was good time to publish an article like this that is not only entertaining, but it provides an explanation of issues that are related to both baseball and law.”  While it might be another 30 years until the next All-Star game is played in Minnesota, the OLWK Firm is ready to address all legal issues with their experience and knowledge of the law.

“As a firm we are very excited for an event of this caliber to come to our home community,” said O’Meara. “This article aims to connect one of the season’s biggest events with the reality that legal issues can transpire anywhere, including at the ballpark.”