For most of us, actually setting foot on the field at a major league baseball stadium is a pipedream. Except for the random concert, or photo day at the park, most of us are confined to the seating areas.
Two weeks ago, I had the chance to roam freely around ATT Park in San Francisco, during a stop on Kenny Chesney's Poets and Pirates Tour.
Armed with an all-access laminate and a plan, I got to the park around noon. I entered the stadium through the gate by the left field foul pole, and there it was ... a Major League stadium at my disposal.
I walked the length of the warning track to the stage, deciding that both the warning track and the fence look a lot smaller on TV. Then, after asking directions to the production office, I made my way down down the dugout steps, through a tunnel, up more steps nd behold ... the visitors clubhouse. At the time I thought I was in the Giants clubhouse, as it was on the first base side. I did not find out until much later that the Giants dugout in on the third base side.
I entered the clubhouse, said my helloes, and couldn't help but notice a pair of cushy, black leather couches in the corner. During my tour of the outside of the park, I hardly saw anything that would tie the stadium to Bonds, but maybe the couches were leftover.
I was also able to take in the clubhouse rules posting -- how did you miss that one Pete? Lots of rules and regs regarding just about everything.After securing passes for friends coming later, it was up to the pressbox level. Quite the view, I must saw -- much like the view the Dodgers' Rick Monday described last night from the pressbox at GABP of Kentucky.
I then headed down to the Lexus Club seats. You know the ones that are actually below the playing field. Didn't get that at all. But I did get the spiel about entering the field during a game by a very nice older lady.
"Why would you want to do that. That's just stupid." Of course, that day was different. But San Francisco's finest gave me the facts. Enter the playing filed at ATT willingly and you get: ejected, arrested, jailed and fined $1,000. No pleas, no barters, that's straight up. As far as falling on to the field trying to catch a foul, if you \gtet right back into the seats, they'll scold you and that's about it.
After that trek, I went and sat in the dugout -- which they turned into a bar for the day, roamed the halls to the Giants clubhouse and training room. Basically covered every inch of space at ATT.
And did you know:
The home plates for the bullpens at ATT are just painted on the warning track?
That the warning track on the outfield in dirt, but the infield warning track is synthetic?
I actually used the same toilet (which is located less than 10 feet from the dugout) that home run champ and cheater Barry Bonds used?
And that stadium plumbing is the worst?
When I told my friend who works for Kenny that I was coming, she had me figured out.
"You're not coming for the show, you just want to run amok in a baseball stadium and not get stopped."
Who doesn't?

