Baseball Bat Strikes Joliet Slammers Fan In Face: Lawsuit

JOLIET, IL — A man who attended a Joliet Slammers baseball game on Aug. 6, 2022, at downtown Joliet's Duly Health and Care Field, is now suing the Joliet Slammers and the city of Joliet, accusing them of negligence after he was struck in the face with a flying baseball bat, according to his Will County civil lawsuit.

A year ago, Henry Brummel attended the game at Duly Field between the Slammers and the Florence Y'Alls. He sat along the third baseline, in Section 110, Row D, Seat 104 "when he was struck in the face by a baseball bat, which had been released by the batter, causing severe facial orthopedic and nerve injuries," according to his attorney, Thomas Chute of Chute O'Malley Knobloch & Turcy of Naperville.

According to the plaintiff, the Joliet Slammers were aware that people suffered serious injuries or have been killed by baseball bats and baseballs entering the stands at a high rate of speed in foul territory at Duly Field and other minor league and Major League Baseball ballparks.

The lawsuit stated the Joliet Slammers were aware of the dire conditions remaining at various ballparks throughout the country, including Duly Field, "that have no netting past dugouts and fans remain at serious risk of being severely injured by baseball bats and high-speed line-drive foul balls and that the most dangerous areas are the exposed areas along the first and third baselines in foul territory."

On Friday, Joliet Patch interviewed Joliet's newly hired interim city attorney, Todd Greenburg of the Ancel Glink Law Firm. He declined to comment, noting he had not received a copy of the lawsuit, yet.

According to the Naperville law firm representing Brummel, the Joliet Slammers "knew or should have known that the netting along the third baseline at Duly Health and Care Field was inadequate to protect spectators along the third baseline from flying bats and foul balls and was unreasonably dangerous."

The lawsuit contends the Joliet Slammers "failed to properly warn patrons like Henry Brummel of the risk of serious injury or death posed by baseball bats flying into the stands."

Brummel and his lawyers are asking for a Will County civil judgment in excess of $50,000.