Baseball fans will never confuse the huge TaylorMade R11 foul pole at Petco Park with Fenway Park’s famous Pesky’s Pole. But the 80-foot golf club that the San Diego Padres will unveil Thursday night as their new right-field foul standard will certainly capture the attention of golfers.
Larger than life. TaylorMade-adidas Golf Co. engineers designed the nine-story tall structure that’s attached to the stadium’s current foul pole as part of a three-year marketing agreement between the golf gear maker and the baseballers. The manufacturer hopes that the world’s most prodigious club will drive home the message that the launch of its R11 driver was “larger than life,” TaylorMade chief executive Mark King said in a statement.
Popular LPGA golfer and TaylorMade staff pro Natalie Gulbis will help kick off the festivities when she throws out the first pitch at tonight’s game with the Philadelphia Phillies. Wonder whether the gigantic driver will receive as much attention from the fans as the telegenic Gulbis?
Fair ball! The 950-pound aluminum shaft and grip are affixed to the existing foul pole, with a 14-foot wide by eight-foot tall image of the white R11 club head displayed on the outfield wall. As with the mast in Boston, any ball that grazes the oversized R11 stick will be fair. The Padres and Carlsbad, Calif.-based TaylorMade worked with Major League Baseball to ensure the edifice will not distract players or interfere with play.
As part of the partnership, TaylorMade will donate $600 to a local charity for each “drive” a Padres player knocks over the fence for a home run.
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