Residents of a neighborhood in Chandler, Ariz. have expressed their displeasure with former MLB All-Star J.J. Hardy over his construction of a miniature baseball field in his backyard. According to KPHO, the 2013 Silver Slugger Award winner and franchise great for the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles is allegedly building a "field of dreams" in his backyard for family and friends, leading to complaints from neighbors bothered by the project's high fences and lighting system.
One neighbor, Pam Lang, filed a complaint with Maricopa County over the issue, who said Hardy had yet to acquire the proper permits to build his ballpark. Curiously, Hardy's house is on a county island as opposed to the city of Chandler, but there are still height and distance requirements that must be met for his project.
JJ Hardy is causing drama in Chandler, Arizona because his neighbors are pissed that he's building a baseball field in his backyard
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 5, 2024
(via @azfamily) pic.twitter.com/bV3GG3yxaB
"There's an inherent unfairness to this, an injustice because he can do whatever he wants because it's a county island, and I can't," Lang told KPHO. "I don't have a recourse because I am bound by all these rules in this HOA ... It's very disappointing and frustrating that all I can do is file a complaint and hope that somebody in the county feels like listening to me."
County officials now say that Hardy has until April 22 to get the proper permits to finish his ballpark, or else some of the current construction may need to come down. As of Friday afternoon, Hardy has not commented on the issue.
