A Houston Astros fan who filed a lawsuit against the Major League Baseball team over the recent sign-stealing scandal has had his season tickets for the franchise’s minor-league affiliate revoked.
The Corpus Christi Hooks are the Double-A affiliate of the Astros and The Athletic has reported that Bob Hilliard, whose Corpus Christi-based law firm has a long-running relationship with the Hooks, has been informed that his partnership will not be renewed.
The Athletic noted that Hilliard has filed lawsuits against the Astros on behalf of fans seeking refunds following the sign-stealing scandal. Last month, MLB suspended Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and field manager A.J. Hinch and fined the club $5m after it was found to have used live game feeds to transmit opposing teams’ sign sequences.
Hilliard filed the suit on behalf of fans who felt let down by the Astros in light of the scandal.
Hilliard told The Athletic: “I was extremely affected and offended by the Astros cheating scandal and never once thought it seeped down to the Hooks. The litigation is personal to me given what it represents and how I feel about that kind of thing.”
Hilliard runs a law firm called Hilliard Martinez Gonzales (HMG), which first bought Hooks season tickets back in 2005. Having held 11 seats and a suite, the firm also took part in sponsored nights with the club and offered fan giveaways through a partnership that, according to The Athletic, is worth $45,000 a year.
Hilliard was informed of the news by Hooks general manager Wes Weigle. The Hooks play at Whataburger Field (pictured).
Earlier this month, Astros season ticket holder Adam Wallach filed a lawsuit against the team for “deceptively overcharging”. Adam Wallach, who was a season ticket holder between 2017 and 2020, is looking to recover damages for what he called “inappropriate increases” in season ticket prices, as well as diminished value of personal seat licenses. Wallach has asked for more than $1m in damages.
Image: Christopherhegg
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