Why is this obituary significant? Lopatka had his career cut short, according to his son in the article, when he hurt his hand after Del Ennis hit with a line drive in batting practice. Lopatka would later sue the Phillies for failing to treat his injury correctly and asked for $250,000, a pretty astounding amount for 1948. The Phillies settled out of court.
Lopatka then went on to a long and apparently quite fruitful career in business and also ran the Chicago Hornets franchise in 1949 in the All-American Football Conference.
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