Athletics third baseman/outfielder Zack Gelof has taken legal action against the Detroit Tigers, alleging that the team and the owners of Comerica Park were negligent after he was hurt there in July, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The injury happened on July 9 in Detroit when Gelof was playing left field against the Tigers. In the third inning, he raced into foul territory to make a diving catch and slid into the fence on the third-base side. He made the play, but the moment ended with him clutching his right knee in pain and leaving the game.
Now Gelof says the fence was the problem.
His lawsuit, filed Monday, names the Tigers, Ilitch Holdings, which owns the team, and the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority, which owns Comerica Park. The complaint says Gelof’s “right knee violently struck an exposed dangerous metal fence on the side wall that protruded into or alongside the playing area.”
It goes further, describing the area as “rigid, sharp, inadequately protected” in a spot where players have to chase foul balls and make plays at full speed. The lawsuit says Gelof missed 30 days because of the injury and argues that the team and park “were negligent in not recognizing the danger the fence posed.”
“The collision tore plaintiff Zack Gelof's uniform and caused a deep laceration beneath his right kneecap that narrowly missed the patellar tendon,” the complaint says, per the Detroit Free Press.
The filing also says the Tigers put padding on the area soon after the incident. It notes that Tigers left fielder Riley Greene told reporters the wall “is made of metal and can be quite unforgiving during a hard slide.”
No dollar amount is listed in the suit, but Gelof is seeking compensation for “pain and suffering, economic loss, lost wages, emotional and mental distress, medical bills, attorney fees and other damages.”
“It doesn't take a stadium design expert to realize that sharp metal fencing in an area where players are required to slide and play around is a recipe for disaster like the one that occurred here,” Gelof’s attorney, Jon Marko, said in a statement, per the Detroit Free Press. “All they had to do was put cheap padding up like they did after Zack was injured and this entire incident could have been avoided. My son's little league diamond is safer.”
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