fkw said:Ive practiced at Oakland Coliseum in 1983/84 with my American Legion team, and hit about 10-15 aluminum bat HRs in batting practices if not more, this was when they had a grass hill way out beyond center, before they enclosed it in.
Ive played in about 6-8 Japanese Major League stadiums, and once hit a ball completely out of the old Osaka Stadium in a game in 1984.
see this link (below) of the "12 Worlds Weirdest Stadiums", Osaka Stadium is listed at top of page with pics
http://www.thisblogrules.com/2009/12/12-worlds-weirdest-stadiums.html
(home plate would be at bottom of the orange road, I hit the ball out of stadium between the "City" sign and the light tower in right. In reality it was only about 450' but was fun to watch
Ive played at dozens of Minor League parks up and down the West Coast too.
FYI many High School and College fields are larger than the average Major League Field, I played at one that was 350 down the lines and 420 in center with wind often blowing in, not to mention no hitters backdrop and bad lighting. If you hit 5 HRs back then you led your team. The oldschool Green Eastons are nothing like these double walled Demarini bats of today, I also messed around with wooden bats in HS batting practice (overstock left over from when they switched to aluminum), a wooden bat will hit the ball as far as a Green Easton, but the sweet spot is much smaller.
I also used wooden bats in tryouts back in mid 80s before I was drafted and hit some of the farthest HRs Ive ever hit with any bat.
cool.
