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Big League Stew

Tue May 03 12:33pm EDT

Luis Castillo off the hook for broken bat that injured Mets fan

By 'Duk

It hasn't been the best of years for Luis Castillo(notes). First he was cast aside by the New York Mets in spring training, then the Philadelphia Phillies said thanks, but no thanks after kicking his tires.

But, hey, here's finally some good news in 2011 for the erstwhile second baseman: The lawsuit of a New Jersey man who was hit by Castillo's broken bat and had his jaw broken has been thrown out of court.

Castillo can now find alternative uses for the $6 million the Mets are still paying him.

From the New York Daily News:

In it, [plaintiff James] Falzon argued that the Mets should have had netting up around the seating area to keep foul balls and bats from going into the stands.

Castillo, the batter, and Mets catcher Ramon Castro(notes), who loaned him the bat, were also sued for not inspecting the lumber.

In a single sentence ruling, Supreme Court Justice Anil Singh rejected the argument and agreed to dismiss the complaint.

In other words, all that tiny disclaimer type on the back of Falzon's ticket wasn't there to just fill white space. It's unfortunate that Falzon was so seriously hurt — the NYDN reports that plates and pins were used to heal his multiple fractures — but to assign blame and seek restitution from two players that never intended to harm him seems misguided.

As for the teams and league, that might be a different story. Between serious incidents like this one and the one involving Luis Salazar during spring training, perhaps it's time for a deeper discussion to be held about expanding those nets behind the plate.

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