Take Me Out to the Courthouse · Foul Territory
Fifty Cents and No Net
Crane v. Kansas City Baseball & Exhibition Co. (1913)
Charge: Negligence - foul-ball injury to a fan in an unscreened seat (suit against the club)Court: Kansas City Court of Appeals (Missouri)Docket: Foul Territory
Was the club liable for injuries to a fan who chose an unscreened seat?
The facts
In the early days of professional baseball, a fan paid fifty cents for a general-admission grandstand ticket to a minor-league doubleheader. Screened seats behind home plate were available, but he chose an unprotected seat down the third-base line. During the game he was struck and injured by a ball. He sued the club, claiming it was negligent for not protecting fans like him. The trial court ruled he could not recover.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: Crane v. Kansas City Baseball & Exhibition Co., 168 Mo. App. 301, 153 S.W. 1076 (1913)
Read more at case-law.vlex.com. The source reveals the outcome.