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Was Ryan Howard’s 200th career run baseball really worth a lawsuit?
By Lauren | October 28, 2009
A few months ago, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard hit his 200th career home run. It was not only a tremendous accomplishment for Howard, but an important moment in baseball history because Howard managed to reach that milestone in fewer games than any previous major league player. !2-year-old Phillies fan Jennifer Valvida retrieved the historic ball, but didn’t hang onto it for long. Jennifer and her 15-year-old brother, unaccompanied by an adult, were allegedly ushered into the Phillies clubhouse after the game and treated to free cotton candy. Jennifer reportedly surrendered the home run ball in exchange for an autographed one. Howard got his home run ball, and Jennifer’s mother filed suit in Miami to get it back.
In an NPR interview, Valvida’s attorney Norm Kent argued that, under the law, the ball became Jennifer’s property when she retrieved it after the history-making run. He contended that the Phillies’ representatives knew full well that the ball had significant financial as well as historic value and took it from Jennifer, a minor, without fairly compensating her for it. (Incidentally, the Phillies returned the ball to Jennifer shortly after the lawsuit was filed.) Kent had a point - sports memorabilia can go for big bucks among fans.
It’s no surprise that comments on the Miami Herald web site blasted Kent for teaching children that the best way to solve problems is to take people to court. But let’s also examine the ethics of the Phillies’ reps who saw fit to ply a little girl with candy to persuade her to relinquish her prize. There’s nothing wrong with Howard wanting to keep a tangible souvenir of his remarkable athletic achievement but, as Kent observed, the ball was worth more than the autographed substitute provided. Either Howard or his team’s manager could have called Jennifer’s mother and offered to buy the home run ball back for a reasonable price.
Ultimately, this situation demonstrates the folly of going to court over disputes that would be far better resolved in private. To parents of starstruck young baseball fans, the Phillies franchise came away looking like sleazy manipulators who cheat children to save a few dollars. Kent added another brick to the wall of public opinion that too many lawyers are greedy shysters who’d sue their own mothers to pick up a buck. No matter who won here, it’s hard to say that justice was served. There has to be a better way.
Topics: Business Ethics, Legal Ethics, Professional Ethics, corporate responsibility, customer relations, ethics |
October 28th, 2009 at 10:27 am
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October 28th, 2009 at 10:29 am
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November 5th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
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