A lawyer, Randy Maniloff, published an interesting essay in yesterday's Wall Street Journal about baseball in Detroit. Unfortunately you need a subscription to download his essay.
Detroit was a National League City in the 1880s with home games played at Recreation Park. A Michigan Historic Marker stands on the Detroit Medical Center campus at the location of that baseball park.
In 1885, owners of the Detroit Wolverines were upset that a John Deppert who owned an adjoining property put bleacher seats on the roof of his building and charged spectators to sit there for Detroit home games. The team sued Deppert and the litgation went to the Michigan Supreme Court who ruled in his favor.
The new owners of the Chicago Cubs are having a hard time putting a great team on the field but they intend to rebuild Wrigley Field. The intend to erect a large scoreboard in left field that will block the view of the fans who now sit in bleachers on the roofs of adjoining buildings to watch the
Cubs struggle. The owners of those building intend to sue the Cubs to protect their economic interest. I wonder if this lawyers hopes that Illinois courts will follow the ruling of the Michigan Supreme Court?