So I was reading/flipping through the "Dickson Baseball Dictionary" and was reminded of one of the most hilarious early stories surrounding the A's in their KC days, an experiment once tried by Charlie 'O' Finley, former A's owner.  For those of you that aren't A's history buffs, or old enough to remember, Charlie O was a big fan of experiments/wacky ideas; like the time he hired teenage Stanley Burrell (aka MC Hammer) to be Executive VP, or the time he tried using orange baseballs, or the time......well you get it.  

The experiment: "The KC Pennant Porch"

In 1963 Charlie O was having a conversation with former Yankee player and then A's manager Eddie Lopat.  Finley was pondering the consistent dominance of the Yankees when Lopat made what he though was an insignificant comment about the short porch in right at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees ability to take advantage with left handed power.  Well, hearing this, Finley immediately went into action, redesigning right field in KC to exactly match the dimensions of Yankee stadium, 296 ft down the line.  He then traded two of his better players for left handed power hitters.

Unfortunately for Finley and his master plan, the league informed him after two exhibition games that the rules for new or renovated parks stated that no new fence can be closer than 325 ft.  As a result the fence was moved backand the name changed to "One-half Pennant Porch", but out of spite Charlie O had a white line drawn on the field where the fence would have been.  Then he tried putting a canopy over this new section, only it extended 29 ft into the field. Again, the league made him remove it.  For a short time, he even had the PA guy announce "That would have been a Home Run in Yankee Stadium" every time a fly ball was caught in this area.  As a result, when the A's were in Yankee Stadium later that year and a Yankee made a long but routine out to a humungous Yankee Stadium left field, the PA announcer said, "In Kansas City, that would have been a home run."

Undaunted, "One-Half Pennant Porch" was still much shorter than normal, and was in effect for the entirety of the '64 season.  Only problem was, statistically speaking, it was a total failure.  The '64 A's gave up more 'home' HRs, 132, than any team in MLB history,  as well as an assortment of other not so flattering records.

After the season Charley O would dismantle the failed experiment and just a few seasons later the A's would be off to Oakland.  Good times, and just another great example of Charley O at his finest.

One great article I found while doing some extra reading on the subject is here........

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-pennant-porch-pie-in-the-face/