See what I mean?

Weird!

Not only was it a single-deck stadium, but the bleachers were covered…and the grandstand wasn’t.

Here’s a photo taken during a game…

…and here’s another:

As you can see in the three-part photo below, there was a cross-aisle that extended around the entire grandstand:

This means it would’ve been easy to catch foul balls, especially behind the plate where the aisle appears to be much wider. Here’s a closer look at it: 

There’s no telling what that open concrete area was used for. Wheelchair seating, perhaps? Even so, it looks like there would’ve been significant room to roam for foul balls.

But forget the fouls. This place was a dream for snagging home runs. Even though there wasn’t a cross aisle in the left field seats…

…the first few rows were always empty because it was impossible to see over the outfield wall. (BTW, do you see that yellow line running down the middle of the left staircase in the photo above? That unofficially marked the boundary between fair and foul territory.) In other words, if you were willing to sacrifice your view, you could’ve hung out in the front and had a totally clear path to any homer that barely reached the seats.

But wait, it gets better…

Every time a home run was hit to right field, the fans sitting in the far end of the bleachers would run out onto the football field to try to snag it. Can you imagine the opportunities?! Here’s another aerial view that’ll show you how that would’ve been possible:

In the photo above, check out the open area just foul of the left field corner. It looks like there are a few buses parked there, and that there’s a fence at the back…but still. Any ball that landed there probably had a chance to bounce out into the open. And what about foul balls flying completely over the grandstand? The stadium seems small enough that it could’ve happened, if not regularly, then at least on occasion.

That’s about it. Short analysis. There’s really not much to say about this stadium — no corner spots, bullpens, unusual distances to the outfield walls, or unusual protective netting — but I still wanted to blog about it. I’ve always been fascinated by the bizarre configuration. I wish I’d made it to a game there, but I was only 11 when the Jays moved out. 

Well, I’m doing it again this year, and with your help, I’m hoping we can raise even more money. If you don’t want to pledge, don’t worry about it. I just want you to know what I’m doing. Maybe you can help by telling a few friends about it. If you’re thinking about pledging, but you don’t have much money, you can pledge one penny per ball. Even that little bit will add up to a few dollars and help make a difference. And if you want to pledge even more, go for it. (Last season, Heath Bell pledged 50 cents per ball. Go Padres!)

I have a lot more info HERE on my web site, but let me break it down with a few links:

1) Some FAQs about all of this.

2) A blog entry with pics I took last season at the charity’s warehouse.

3) A recent MLB.com article about the charity.

4) My fundraising page from last season.

5) And finally…

Thank you all for being a part of this.

Here’s my response:

I remember why you guys first got so mad at me. It’s because I changed into an Orioles shirt during batting practice in order to get the Orioles players to toss baseballs to me. So you’re right, what I do IS an “act.” I’m not really an Orioles fan, and I hope it’s okay for me to say this, but I’m not a Yankee fan either. It might sound strange, but I don’t have a favorite team. I only root for individual players, and for the record, I happen to love Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera (and I really miss Bernie Williams). I will never root against those guys, and I was glad for both of them when the Yankees won the World Series last year. In this letter, you’ve accused me several times of not being “normal.” I realize I’m not normal. Lots of people have  said this over the years. But the way I see it, it’s not such a bad thing. I just have my own way of doing things — working, being in relationships, watching baseball games, you name it. I never intended to bother you (or anyone) by being the way I am. Finally, yes, I do run around a lot at baseball games, but I’ve never knocked anyone over — not once in more than 800 games. Again, I’m sorry you’re bothered by this, but I want to assure you that I’m always very careful.

Here’s the 2nd letter: 

Here’s my response:

I know I need to grow up. I’ve always been somewhat immature for my age, and I’m working on it. But at the same time, I really feel like I have my life together in many ways, so c’mon, give me some credit. You said that I should stop selling my baseballs. What’s up with that? First of all, if I wanted to sell balls, I don’t see why that would be a problem, and secondly, I’ve never sold one anyway. Not one ball. Ever. I’ve given away lots of balls to kids (perhaps not as many as some people would like), and I’ll continue to give away many more. You said that most people my age “are married, have steady jobs, children, play softball, & drink beer.” That’s true. But why do I have to be like everyone else? I’m 32 years old. My dad married my mom when he was 48, and he was 51 when I was born. Now he’s 84 and still going strong. He’s a hero to me. I love him and admire him and take after him in many ways. The fact that he was older than most fathers when I was born didn’t seem to affect him or me in any negative way, so what’s the big deal if I wait a few more years to get married or have kids? Like I said, I know I have some growing up and maturing to do. That’s why I don’t want to rush into starting a family. There’s still a lot I need to learn. As for softball, I love playing it. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough free time to play (because I’m so busy working), but I’m hoping to get back into it someday and maybe join a league. And as for beer, what can I say? I’ve tried it, but I just don’t like it. Alcohol is really dangerous for me anyway because I’m severely hypoglycemic; I have a serious blood sugar imbalance, and I’ve heard that alcohol turns into sugar after people drink it. I was once told by a nutritionist that I could become diabetic if I’m not careful, so I try to stay away from sweets. I know that alcohol is an acquired taste, but quite frankly, I don’t see the point of drinking something repeatedly in order to make myself like it when it happens to be extremely unhealthy for me in the first place. I once got high, so it’s not like I’m terrified of adult substances. It was an interesting experience, and I’m glad I did it, but it’s just not something that I felt the need to do again. No judgments against people who drink and smoke and take drugs. All I can say is that it’s not for me. Finally, you asked if I’ve ever gotten laid. I was a late bloomer. It didn’t happen for me until I was 20. But yes, to answer your question, I’ve done pretty well with the ladies ever since. I’m not even sure how. I think I’ve gotten luckier in that sense than I have with all the baseball stuff.

Here’s the 3rd letter:

Here’s my response:

I’m not gay (ask Jona and all my ex-g
irlfriends if you don’t believe me), but yes, I’m friends with people who are. I don’t think that should be a problem. I’m also friends with tall people, short people, white people, black people, rich people, poor people, Mets fans, Yankee fans, old people, and young people. The way I see it, if someone’s cool, they’re cool. That’s enough for me. As for hanging out with 13-year-olds at the ballpark, there are kids everywhere. I think kids are fun. Lots of the people who read this blog are kids, and they happen to be really cool people. Am I supposed to avoid them? As I said in my response to your 2nd letter, I give away lots of baseballs to kids. Last year, I helped raise more than $10,000 for a children’s charity, and I’m planning to organize another fundraiser this season. Here’s the press release about my charity work. I take this very seriously. I don’t have any evil intentions, if that’s what you’re asking or suggesting.

Here’s the 4th letter:

Here’s my response:

What’s with all the talk about beer? Seriously, I just don’t get it, but I’ll tell you what: next time I see you guys, if you want, I’ll buy you each a beer. How’s that? I can’t promise I’ll drink one too, but the first round is on me. Let’s just talk face to face and shake hands. I think this whole thing was just a bad misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion. Also, I want you to know that I *do* enjoy the game of baseball very much. It’s not just the balls that I’m after. I watch games on TV all the time, and I read every boxscore every day. I don’t even play fantasy baseball. I just keep up with the stats and standings because I love the sport and I want to know how all the players and teams are doing.

Here’s the 5th letter:

Here’s my response:

Many people have told me to “get a life.” I used to hear that all the time when I was in school. I don’t know what it is about my life that everyone seems to think is so screwed up, but anyway, like I said, I’m working on a lot of things, so hopefully that will make a difference in the long run. I know I’m not perfect. Not even close.

Here’s the 6th letter:

Here’s my response:

I mean this is all seriousness: it seems like it would be a lot cheaper to drink before or after the games. What are the Steinbrenners charging for beers these days? It’s like $10 for one of those plastic bottles, right? Even if I wanted to drink at games, I don’t know if I could afford it. I’m a writer, after all, so I don’t make that much money.

Here’s the 7th letter:

Here’s my response:

I’m not gay. I’ve gotten laid. I don’t want to fight with you. And yes, here I am, replying to your letters.

Here’s the 8th envelope (which I just opened today):

Here’s the letter:

And here’s the hockey puck that was inside the envelope:

Here’s my response:

Come on, this is just uncalled for. There’s no need to bring religion into it or to make these kinds of threats. Jews are really sensitive to this kind of stuff. My parents were so freaked out about this that they called the police and filed a report. I actually had a detective from the 18th precinct contact me this evening. He asked me if I knew who was sending the letters and if I wanted to press charges for