Dropped ashes prompt scare at Safeco Field

Seattle A low-flying plane dropped a container of a man’s cremated ashes over the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark Friday, prompting a hazardous materials scare.

The container was dropped from a Cessna operated by a company at Boeing Field, about four miles south of the Safeco Field.

The object was seen hitting the stadium roof shortly after 10 a.m., said Seattle Fire Lt. Harold Webb.

Hazardous materials crews responded to a 911 call, closing off the streets around the stadium. No one on the ground was hurt, and the streets were reopened in about an hour.

The identity of man whose remains were in the container was not immediately known.

FAA regional spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the agency would investigate and could enforce civil penalties, including fines against the company or suspension of the pilot’s license.

Regulations prohibit the dropping of objects unless precautions are taken to ensure they won’t hurt anyone, he said.

Padres pay final share for downtown ballpark

San Diego The San Diego Padres closed a deal for $135 million in private financing for their new downtown ballpark and promised Friday it would be finished by opening day 2004.

The Padres deposited $45.8 million from the private bond sale into the design and construction fund, the final amount needed to finish the $450 million ballpark near the waterfront.

The 46,000-seat ballpark is about 30 percent finished. Part of a larger redevelopment project, the ballpark is two years behind schedule because of lawsuits and a political scandal.

The team’s sale of the bonds got major league baseball off the hook for a $48 million pledge it made in case the club failed to secure the financing.

Mets promote Bobby Jones

New York The New York Mets purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Bobby Jones from Norfolk of the International League before Friday night’s game against the Florida Marlins.

Jones was 1-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 13 games, six of them starts, at Norfolk. Jones was with the Mets during the 2000 season, but appeared in only seven minor league games last season before straining his right knee.