FORT MYERS, Fla. • For those who dare to take 90 feet that isn’t theirs, base burglar Lou Brock has a story he tells about the chutzpah required to burgle bases.
He starts by setting the scene. There is an immovable base. Converging at that obstacle is a professional athlete with metal spikes, a leather glove and no intention of delicacy. Rushing to meet him is a baseball traveling faster than a car and willing to bludgeon wrist, ankle, or batting helmet if it takes a detour. Into this tinderbox of wreckage races the thief, headlong.