Most baseball fans hope to leave an MLB game with a home run or foul ball as a souvenir. Some fans even bring baseball gloves to the stadium, hoping to snag an officially licensed MLB ball.
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For one unfortunate Yankees fan, an unexpected piece of baseball equipment came flying her way when the bat of Jose Ramirez flew into the stands and struck her in the head.
Ramirez, a switch-hitter for the Cleveland Guardians, lost control of his swing during an at-bat against the Yankees on June 2, sending the wooden bat into the stands, striking a woman in attendance.
The woman remained conscious after the brutal blow, but is seeking legal action against MLB following the incident.
Yankees Fan Files Lawsuit After Being Struck by Baseball Bat
Stephanie Duluc, 37, chief of staff at the Bronx-based SOMOS Community Care, is filing a $10 million lawsuit against MLB, according to the New York Post.
The outlet reported that she suffered a traumatic brain injury after being nailed with the wooden bat.
Duluc claims that the protective netting in her area was significantly shorter than in other areas of the ballpark, which led to her being whacked upside the head.
"It is the one location where the law has long required a stadium operator to provide adequate protective screening," according to the suit.
MLB launched a league-wide campaign in 2018 to add more protective netting to all 30 ballparks. The rule change required that every ballpark include protective netting to at least the end of both dugouts.
"It's an important change for us," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in February 2018. "The safety and security of our fans in the ballpark is obviously really, really important to us."
Even with protective netting, foul balls frequently land in the crowd. Most incidents are harmless, and fans have made more than a few Gold Glove-caliber snags over the years.
Still, not everyone can avoid baseball equipment that sails into the crowd, such as the incident at Yankee Stadium.
Duluc's lawsuit claims that the bat hit "with such force that it knocked her from her seat and violently threw her to the ground, causing her to sustain severe and permanent injuries."
Duluc claims that she was concussed by the blow and struggles with light sensitivity. She also suffered hand and neck injuries that left her "unable to return to her professional duties."
The Yankees have not yet commented on the $10 million lawsuit.
