WSJ: Carlton: Life After Barry Is a Strikeout At the Ballpark

Folding kayak folding?

Mr. Bonds was a major force behind another Giants-stadium oddity: kayaks. Kayakers used to float by the dozens in McCovey Cove, hoping to fish out a so-called “Splash Hit.” Of the 45 homers that have been blasted into the cove since the ballpark’s opening in 2000, 35 came off the bat of Mr. Bonds. This season, no homers have been hit into the cove, and the number of kayaks bobbing in the water fell to about 10 on opening day from 50 on opening day last year. During the second game of this season, there were no kayaks in the cove. “It’s not as fun,” says 52-year-old Mark Busch, a San Jose businessman who sat in one of the few kayaks on opening night.

That’s bad news for Ted Choi, a 44-year-old Korean immigrant who has rented kayaks to baseball fans for five years here. Game-related rentals used to account for as much as a third of his business, persuading a stable of advertisers to pay roughly $20,000 each to put their brands on his kayaks. This year, he has just two advertisers, and game rentals are scarce most days. “I will be happy if I can break even,” he says.