A Colorado man is suing the Rockies after suffering “catastrophic and permanent injuries” when he was hit in the right eye by a foul ball against the New York Yankees at Coors Field on July 16, 2023, according to the Denver Post. The fan, Timothy Roeckel, was in a luxury box as a guest of the box owner when he was struck in the first inning of the team’s game.
The lawsuit claims “architectural elements” of the luxury box made it impossible to see the incoming foul ball. The suit also claims the Rockies’ poor play was a factor, as it was easy to ignore the action on the field. From the Denver Post:
“Defendant’s longstanding poor performance on the field (has) contributed to a game-day environment in which spectators, particularly those in luxury suites, are less engaged with the action on the field,” attorneys with Nielsen Weisz wrote.
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“This cultural shift is not incidental but rather encouraged by (the Rockies’) own marketing and design choices, which emphasize hospitality and off-field amenities over fan vigilance,” Roeckel’s attorneys wrote.
The Rockies were 35-58 an 19 games out in the NL West on the date of Roeckel’s injury and en route to the first 100-loss season in franchise history. They enter play Wednesday with an MLB-worst 8-40 record. That puts them on pace to lose 135 games, which easily be the most in baseball history. They are a rudderless organization right now.
Roeckel’s lawsuit seeks a jury trial and an unspecified financial payment to cover damages. Many fans have sued teams over injuries suffered on a batted ball over the years, though the vast majority do not return a favorable outcome for the fan.
