KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A lawsuit has been filed by a disgruntled fan who was ousted from a Royals game after he fished a milestone ball out of Kauffman Stadium’s fountains.
The suit was filed on Sept. 22 in the Jackson County Circuit Court by Michael Liberty Jr. and his attorney, Phillip Danaher of Danaher Law Firm. It claims Liberty was wrongfully escorted out of the game.
According to the petition filed by Liberty, he attended the May 30 game between the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers with a friend. When he fished a flyball out of the stadium’s fountains, he was subsequently kicked out.
However, the plaintiff claims that he never entered the fountain’s waters, which is prohibited per signage posted around the venue. Instead, he extended his arm over the railing and used his hat to get the ball, which had just been hit by Bobby Witt Jr. for the 3,000th home run inside the stadium.
The suit alleges that he was then confronted by a staff member who asked how he retrieved the ball. Ultimately, a staff member supervisor asked where the ball was and “snatched” it back.
The petition also stated that the supervisor proceeded to taunt Liberty before three off-duty police officers escorted him out of the stadium.
FILE – Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.(Kansas City Royals)
Liberty noted that at least one of the officers told him that he should file a complaint with guest services, which he did the next day.
After three days of silence, the petition noted that the plaintiff was contacted by the Guest Relations Department. It was confirmed that there was footage of the incident, but staff members refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing.
However, later in the season, during several games, the petition noted that multiple fans were seen retrieving baseballs from the fountains with no pushback from staff.
According to Liberty’s attorney, the only real difference between his situation and the others was the significance of the ball, which now sits on display in the Royals Hall of Fame at Kauffman Stadium.
While there is signage that prohibits “entering” the fountain, the suit claims there are no signs in the stadium that bar guests from reaching over the fountain’s rails.
The petition indicated that if the Royals were truly worried about Liberty’s safety at the time, signage would be updated to specify that fans cannot reach over the fountain’s railings.
FILE – Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)(Charlie Riedel | AP)
The petition further claims that if the Royals did not care about the significance of the ball, it would not remain on display at Kauffman Stadium.
The suit has asked the court to either award Liberty the ball or order the Royals to compensate him for its value. It also asks for damages as he was restrained against his will and for the staff’s “outrageous conduct.”
Since the incident, the suit claims that Liberty has been subject to humiliating treatment, infringement of his rights, emotional pain and suffering, as well as severe emotional distress.
Court documents noted that on Sept. 29, a summons was requested to be issued by a special process server.
The Royals have told KCTV5 that the team will not comment on an active lawsuit. A hearing in this case has not yet been set.
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