Brandon Patch was a young pitcher who was seriously injured during a game on July 23 2003, and sadly died later the same day from his injuries. The trial has taken a long time in coming to court. This is no ordinary trial in that there isn't an individual being charged; the defendant is the company who manufactured the aluminium bat which struck the ball which hit Brandon Patch in the head.
Brandon Patch's death was a tragedy, no one's arguing that, but was the design of the bat to blame? Brandon Patch's family say the bat is to blame for his death as it made the ball go faster and harder than normal. Brandon was on the mound and couldn't get out of the way in time, and was hit by a baseball travelling at 99.8 mph.
His team mates all testified that everything just happened way too fast for anyone to react. Was this the bat at fault, or just the nature of the sport? Baseball is dangerous, most sports are. There archives of newspapers are littered with tragic kids like Brandon patch, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the ultimate price.
News that Brandon Patchs' family have received £850,000 in compensation has triggered a nationwide debate. Many have long believed aluminium bats to be dangerous and are now hoping they will be outlawed. Others think it's just a tragedy that has resulted in yet another compensation claim. You don't get the same velocity from a wooden bat, and a nationwide campaign has been started to revert to them.
It's a little known fact that between 1991 and 2001, 27 people died in the US from being hit by batted balls. All types of bats are involved in these deaths, not just aluminium. If anyone should have been sued it should surely have been the league for allowing these bats to be used in the first place.
Either way, whatever they decide, and whichever material they decide to make future bats from, it isn't going to bring Brandon Patch back.
source: http://skallas.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/624/
Brandon Patch's death was a tragedy, no one's arguing that, but was the design of the bat to blame? Brandon Patch's family say the bat is to blame for his death as it made the ball go faster and harder than normal. Brandon was on the mound and couldn't get out of the way in time, and was hit by a baseball travelling at 99.8 mph.
His team mates all testified that everything just happened way too fast for anyone to react. Was this the bat at fault, or just the nature of the sport? Baseball is dangerous, most sports are. There archives of newspapers are littered with tragic kids like Brandon patch, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the ultimate price.
News that Brandon Patchs' family have received £850,000 in compensation has triggered a nationwide debate. Many have long believed aluminium bats to be dangerous and are now hoping they will be outlawed. Others think it's just a tragedy that has resulted in yet another compensation claim. You don't get the same velocity from a wooden bat, and a nationwide campaign has been started to revert to them.
It's a little known fact that between 1991 and 2001, 27 people died in the US from being hit by batted balls. All types of bats are involved in these deaths, not just aluminium. If anyone should have been sued it should surely have been the league for allowing these bats to be used in the first place.
Either way, whatever they decide, and whichever material they decide to make future bats from, it isn't going to bring Brandon Patch back.
source: http://skallas.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/624/
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