Here's the most unconventional, costly way to meet your favorite athlete: fashion a press pass bearing a major news organization's name, go to a game in one of the most security-conscious cities in the world, hope to breach watchful eyes and then enter the locker room of said athlete.
That's exactly what Ryan Leli, 18, did last August. He's been a Mets fan for years, and, more specifically, a fan of Mike Piazza's. So when San Diego—Piazza's new team—visited Shea Stadium, Leli created a press pass credited to ""NBC Universal"" and somehow got past security and made his way to the Padres' dressing room.
Leli, a drama student into celebrity chasing, made his way to his favorite player. In the crush of reporters surrounding Piazza, he evidently did not attract any attention, but when those reporters left and he remained for some one-on-one, he started to raise eyebrows.
Eventually, after he asked Piazza to pose for a photograph with him (No question I'm losing my beat writing responsibilities if I ask Jack Skille for a Kodak moment after he discusses his hat-trick last weekend), an official had him thrown out of the clubhouse. Mets employees subsequently called NBC, who had never heard of one Ryan Leli.
But the story does not end there for this poseur. A week later, he tried the same stunt when the Mets were hosting the Rockies. This time, he was arrested. At this point, his fantasy takes a turn toward reality.
In Queens Criminal Court, Leli was slapped with a slew of charges: criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records, petty larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal impersonation and criminal trespassing. Suddenly, he's facing up to seven years in prison.
Which brings us to last week, when Leli pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree criminal impersonation. He is also barred from Mets home games for three years, as well as Brooklyn Cyclones games (same ownership as the Mets). Spring training in Florida is off-limits, too. Leli will also have to pay a $1000 fine.
So, did the punishment fit the crime? It would seem to, although I don't know of any precedent. Leli's lawyer, according to The New York Times, said that his client had bought tickets for the games and had never been arrested.
Leli's mother, Denise, told The Times, ""He had no idea he was doing anything that wrong, and he just wanted to hang out with Piazza and the Mets."" Just wanted to hang out? That's hardly an excuse for fabricating a press pass; Leli must have known what he was doing was in fact illegal. When he became ""pushy and obnoxious"" around the Padres, as prosecutors called it, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.
Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out how this 18-year-old got into a Major League clubhouse in the first place. Security's tight enough at UW.
If you have any other ways to sneak into an MLB ballpark, contact Jon bortin@wisc.edu.
