Last Wednesday's jury verdict against John Coomer, the Kansas City Royals fan struck in the eye with a hot dog thrown by the team's mascot, Sluggerrr, is a kick in the teeth to spectators everywhere. Coomer, who suffered a detached retina that required three surgeries to fix, was seeking more than $25,000 in damages, but jurors deliberated only a little more than an hour before siding with the team. The Royals had argued that Coomer, who on that September 2009 night was sitting six rows behind the third-base dugout, should have taken more responsibility for his personal protection.
Coomer's lawsuit sought damages from the team for failing to adequately train its mascot on the proper method of throwing hot dogs, but Byron Shores, who played the role of Sluggerrr from February 1996 to October 2009, testified that he spent two years traveling across the country teaching mascot classes that included safety training, according to Tribune News Services. Shores testified that whether throwing hot dogs or firing them out of an air cannon, he always tried to do so safely. The jury also saw video of Shores tossing hot dogs during a different 2009 game. Coomer's injury occurred when Shores, as Sluggerrr, turned toward the field and then threw the hot dog behind his back.
