Dropping the Ball

Wily Mo Pena’s majestic blast sailed beyond the seats in the left field concession area last night. A neighbor in the section’s bleachers told me that the ball struck a small child in the head as he waited in line.

I wasn’t surprised.

Take a look at this picture I took shortly before last night’s game between the Royals and the Red Sox began. It’s as if the concession staff wasn’t planning on a game Tuesday night. This window wasn’t manned. Ordering a hot dog at a staffed counter meant another two-minute wait. The long lines must have served as target practice for Boston’s dangerous sluggers. "Hey, Big Papi- I bet I can hit one into that mob in left field."

I realize that the Royals are probably delaying stadium improvements until the end of the season. That’s why small portions of the video screen scoreboard have been black for months. That’s why there’s construction-style graffiti on the stadium’s walls. That’s why drainage gutters under the seats are clogged with trash. That’s why I saw a 75-pound boy manage to break his seat right off its base in the sixth inning.

Going to games at "The K" used to be a first-rate experience, even as the team’s play deteriorated. Let's hope next year is a brand new ballgame.