Mini fields are causing major problems after a former MLB All-Star angered some neighbors with the new addition to his home.
Retired shortstop JJ Hardy gets into a fight with his neighbors after he starts building a children’s dream mini-baseball field in his backyard.
“Everyone has a right to enjoy their garden, but this goes beyond what we can reasonably expect our neighbors to tolerate,” Pam Lang said. he told KPHO.
Lang, who lives across the street from Hardy’s home in Chandler, Arizona, contacted local news outlets to complain about the former baseball player’s dream field.
Shaken neighbors learned for the first time what was being built behind their homes when they saw 6m pillars being drilled into the ground.
“I didn’t sign the contract thinking I was going to live next to a baseball field,” Lang said. “It’s like a commercial, it’s like living next door to Topgolf.”
Lang filed a complaint with Maricopa County and learned that Hardy did not have the proper permits for the new fields.
Located 30 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix, Hardy’s home already boasts impressive grounds with a putting green, tennis court, and in-ground pool.
Because the property is on a county island, Hardy can build almost anything he wants without fear of kickbacks from the homeowners association, something Lang is unhappy about.
“There’s an inherent unfairness to this, because this is a county island, so he can do whatever he wants and I can’t,” Lang said. “I have no recourse because I am bound by all the rules of this HOA of his.”
Although Hardy does not have an HOA to adhere to, there are some height and distance requirements that must be met.
Lang admits there’s not much he can do about his neighbors’ construction projects, but he wants people to feel heard.
“It’s very unfortunate and frustrating that all I can do is file a complaint and hope someone in the county will listen to me,” she added.
The former big leaguer must meet an April 22 deadline to apply for the proper permits or risk having to tear down some of the construction, county officials told AZFamily.
Hardy’s family declined to comment when contacted by media outlets.
Hardy spent parts of 13 seasons in the majors after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2001 draft.
He played five seasons with the Brewers and was traded to Minnesota in the 2009 offseason for Carlos Gomez. According to his player profile.
After one season with the Twins, Hardy was traded again, this time to Baltimore in December 2010, where he would remain for the remainder of his career.
The two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner retired in 2017 and will be inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2021.
He was eligible for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, but received zero votes on his only ballot.
Hardy retired with a .256 batting average, 188 home runs, and 688 RBIs in 5,805 at-bats.
