- Oct 19, 2009
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/LEAGUE CITY, Texas -- The parents of a local Little League pitcher have filed a million-dollar lawsuit after their son was hit in the face during a line drive by a player who they claim used an unlicensed and illegal bat.
Emmett Parsutt Jr., 12, played for the Santa Fe All- Stars. He said it happened so fast.
“I thought I was throwing a good game,” Parsutt Jr. said. “They just kept hitting it and then I took the line drive.”
He was hit in the head during a district championship game against a League City team on July 1.
He fell to the ground and was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher.
His father Emmett Parsutt Sr. watched it happen.
“I didn’t know how severe his injury was, so I was just by his side,” Parsutt Sr. said.
The family is now suing both League City Little League and Little League Baseball for more than a million dollars.
A Little League official told KHOU the bat in question was sent to League headquarters in Williamsport, PA.
It was determined and confirmed by the manufacturer the bat had not been altered in any way.
The family’s attorney, Charles McMillan, suspects foul play
“We know Little League International has done an investigation on a bat. We just don't know what bat it was,” McMillan said.
Bryan Alexander, the manager of Emmett's team, wonders the same thing.
He said several people saw a parent from the opposing team take the bat from the field and lock it in the trunk of a car, shortly after Emmett was hit.
“The umpire, when I was walking around, said something sounds funny on the bat they're using, the ball is coming off really, really different,” said Alexander. “We started noticing everyone on the team was using the same bat.”
The president of League City Little League said the bat had been used all season long with no questions.
Emmett said he still has eye twitches and headaches.
He will have to sit out the rest of the season.
“It's hard,” Parsutt Jr. said. “I can't play sports for six months. That's all I do is play sports.”
Little League International had no comment on the lawsuit.
Parents sue Little League for $1M after son hurt by line drive | khou.com Houston
Concern arose prior to the start of the championship game over one of the League City All-star team's metal bats," the lawsuit states. "Fans, parents, and coaches expressed their opinions to the umpires that League City All-stars were using an unlicensed bat."
Following protocol, the umpire looked over the bat and deemed it fit for play, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges that the bat was quickly whisked away by a parent from the opposing team.
"While Santa Fe parents and coaches rushed to Emmett's aide, a parent (non-coach) of one of the League City All-stars came out of the stands and onto the field to retrieve the allegedly altered bat," the lawsuit states. "The parent then took the bat, walked to the parking lot, and locked it in his car."
When people demanded to see the bat, the parent allegedly refused and Texas City Police were called. The bat remained with the League City team and a bat was sent off for testing, according to the lawsuit.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-parents-sue-league-1m-son-hit-line/story?id=19698974
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