I guess it's just me, but if I was Seattle Mariners management, I'd have moved the damn left field fence in. If the answer was yes, and I didn't have to match the other team's highest offer, if all I had to do was move in my left field fences by 20 feet, I'd have been out there with a hammer and saw before the ink on the contract was dry. Obviously, Rodriguez and all my right-handed hitters would benefit. I'd sell more tickets. Fans would be happy.
Many teams tailor their teams around their ballpark's characteristics.
I see no reason why you can't tailor the park a bit to favor the players' talents. Allen Barra is a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a regular contributor to the New York Times, Playboy and American Heritage. For more columns by Allen Barra, visit his column archive. 3 yards and a cloud of baloney Defense doesn't win games. The run doesn't set up the pass.