Detroit — John Nelson, who joined the Detroit Tigers as a teen-aged bat boy in 1979 and eventually became their visiting clubhouse manager, is suing the ballclub over racial and age discrimination.
Nelson, who is Black, was 58 at the time of his firing in October 2021. He filed a lawsuit in federal court in Detroit on Monday, seeking unspecified damages for lost wages.
"He loved his job," said Nick Roumel, Nelson's Ann Arbor-based attorney. "He was devastated."
The Tigers and parent company Olympia Entertainment didn't immediately return multiple messages seeking comment Monday afternoon.