With several years left in the game of baseball, Al Leiter is still a long way from making a formal bid for the U.S. Senate or any other public office. But here is a brief look at his political platform for July 31, 1999 anyway.

Leiter may be a lefty on the mound, but politically he leans more to the right. He believes in a smaller government, less taxes and less “freebie” programs that force people to rely on handouts. But he is a social liberal, preferring government to stay out of people’s private lives as much as possible.

Here’s his stance on a few specific issues: *TOLLS – Eliminate all tolls on the Garden State Parkway. Anyone who has tried to get to the Shore on a Friday, it’s ridiculous. Get rid of all the booths and pay for the maintenance and funding of the roads through advertising. *GUN CONTROL – People have the constitutional right to bear arms, but is it really necessary to have automatic weapons. There should be limits. *ABORTION – Believes in a woman’s right to choose, up to a point. *FOREIGN POLICY – The United States must remain strong to repel any future threats. The cold war is over, but there is much instability and new dangers can arise. *SOCIAL SECURITY – Privatization must be examined, similar to a national 401K policy. *EDUCATION – It’s the foundation of the country’s future and cannot be overemphasized. *GAMBLING – It’s fine the way it is, except for those damned green zeros in roulette. *SPORTS – Get grass on Giants Stadium now. Also, only allow 50 kids a year to be eligible for the baseball draft. Some kid foregoes college because he’s drafted in the 21st round and never makes it past Double-A and his life is ruined with no education and no job training. He’s seen it a thousand times.