I can only view the agitation for a ballpark as just one more symptom of our mayor and our city council's strange fascination with balls ("Ballpark environmental report highlights traffic and noise, March 1").

We do not need a ballpark; we especially do not need a ballpark without a team since we already have a ballpark with a team near Spartan Stadium, the former home of a now-departed nationally ranked soccer team.

I understand there already are a number of baseball teams and ballparks within easy driving, public transport or even boating distance from San Jose.

We do not need another vanity showcase like our mayor's town hall monoball. We could use square things, like parks and libraries that stay open longer, a solution to public transportation, kids' recreation areas so that they stay out of trouble, counselors and hospitals downtown. Those are considerations that can only be defined as "square," the shape of things like a square deal (sorely lacking in our administration), or a square meal (an item that a number of our citizens have been going without).

Willow Glen does not need San Jose's ball fixation, and parking a ballpark on Bird Avenue will only provide ballpark effluent.

Peter Brown

Fairview Avenue