Out of Left Field -- phrase origin
ZBicyclist
An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi080515west-side-cubs_gfx,0,7217375.graphic
The Tribune claims that this phrase originated from a psychiatric
hospital located just beyond the left field wall of the West Side
Grounds -- the baseball stadium where the Cubs played through 1915,
when they moved to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field.
--
Mike Kruger
"You have to be careful if you are reckless." - Richard M. Daley
Blinky the Shark
> Today's fun fact?
>
> An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
> idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
> field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
>
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi080515west-side-cubs_gfx,0,7217375.graphic
> The Tribune claims that this phrase originated from a psychiatric
> hospital located just beyond the left field wall of the West Side
> Grounds -- the baseball stadium where the Cubs played through 1915,
> when they moved to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field.
Another theory here in the blogosphere:
http://www.bobcongdon.net/blog/2004/06/out-in-left-field.html
"...in older ball parks, left field was deeper than right field; that the
left fielder must play farther back when the batter is right-handed."
And I *think* right-handed batters were more prevalent back then...which
is probably why they'd make left field deeper than right.
But I dunno.
--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
NEW --> Now evaluating a GG-free news feed: http://usenet4all.se
M C Hamster
<no....@box.invalid> wrote:
>ZBicyclist wrote:
>
>> Today's fun fact?
>>
>> An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
>> idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
>> field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
>>
>> http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi080515west-side-cubs_gfx,0,7217375.graphic
>> The Tribune claims that this phrase originated from a psychiatric
>> hospital located just beyond the left field wall of the West Side
>> Grounds -- the baseball stadium where the Cubs played through 1915,
>> when they moved to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field.
>
>Another theory here in the blogosphere:
>
>http://www.bobcongdon.net/blog/2004/06/out-in-left-field.html
>
>"...in older ball parks, left field was deeper than right field; that the
>left fielder must play farther back when the batter is right-handed."
>
>And I *think* right-handed batters were more prevalent back then...which
>is probably why they'd make left field deeper than right.
>
>But I dunno.
I would have guessed that it was simply related to the connotation of
left-handedness as being unusual, and even sinister.
--
M C Hamster "Big Wheel Keep on Turning" -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bob Ward
<no....@box.invalid> wrote:
>ZBicyclist wrote:
>
>> Today's fun fact?
>>
>> An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
>> idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
>> field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
>>
>> http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi080515west-side-cubs_gfx,0,7217375.graphic
>> The Tribune claims that this phrase originated from a psychiatric
>> hospital located just beyond the left field wall of the West Side
>> Grounds -- the baseball stadium where the Cubs played through 1915,
>> when they moved to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field.
>
>Another theory here in the blogosphere:
>
>http://www.bobcongdon.net/blog/2004/06/out-in-left-field.html
>
>"...in older ball parks, left field was deeper than right field; that the
>left fielder must play farther back when the batter is right-handed."
>
>And I *think* right-handed batters were more prevalent back then...which
>is probably why they'd make left field deeper than right.
>
>But I dunno.
I think that center field would be more mainstream, or
middle-of-the-road, while left field is much closer to foul ball
territory.
Don't right-handed batters have to swing early in order to pull the
ball to left field? This might mark such a person as having a
hair-trigger, or being slightly unstable.
art...@yahoo.com
> Today's fun fact?
>
> An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
> idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
> field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
>
> The Tribune claims that this phrase originated from a psychiatric
> hospital located just beyond the left field wall of the West Side
> Grounds -- the baseball stadium where the Cubs played through 1915,
> when they moved to Weeghman Park, now Wrigley Field.
That's the story I heard when I worked near there. In fact you can see
where I worked on the map shown. It is the large building that takes
up the entire block of the south side of Polk St.
Greg Goss
>>> An unusual idea would be "something out of left field" in American
>>> idiom. This is obviously a baseball-based expression, but why left
>>> field? Why not use center field, which is usually farther out?
>I think that center field would be more mainstream, or
>middle-of-the-road, while left field is much closer to foul ball
>territory.
>
>Don't right-handed batters have to swing early in order to pull the
>ball to left field? This might mark such a person as having a
>hair-trigger, or being slightly unstable.
But the idea comes "out of left field", rather than "deep into left
field". I agree with you that the center is mainstream.
--
Tomorrow is today already.
Greg Goss, 1989-01-27
Charles Bishop
<bob...@email.com> wrote:
[snip]
>Don't right-handed batters have to swing early in order to pull the
>ball to left field? This might mark such a person as having a
>hair-trigger, or being slightly unstable.
From what perspective do right field and left field get their names? It
must be from the perspective of someone in the field, but I would have
thought that it would have been from the batter's perspective, though I
can't say why, exactly.
I can remember playing work-up ball[1] where the extra fielders would be
out in right field. I got relatively good at hitting to left field where
almost no one was.
[1]Work-up baseball was a game played with however many kids showed up.
There were three batters, then the positions at the infield had one player
each, then the extra kids were in the outfield. If a batter got put out,
the catcher would take his place, the pitcher would take the catcher's
place usw., with the infield moving up one position. If you were in the
outfield, you had to remember who moved to third base at this time, but I
don't remember too many problems. One other method of becoming a batter
was to catch a hit ball on the fly. Then the person who caught it would
trade positions with the batter.
For this reason, it made sense that when a right handed hitter was
batting, the extra fielders would shift to right field, leaving left field
mostly empty. If you could hit the ball there, you probably would get on
base.
--
charles
ZBicyclist
> From what perspective do right field and left field get their
> names?
> It must be from the perspective of someone in the field, but I
> would
> have thought that it would have been from the batter's
> perspective,
> though I can't say why, exactly.
From the batter's, catcher's, or home plate umpire's perspective,
left field is to the left.
D.F. Manno
Well, in Baker Bowl, where the Phillies played from 1887-1938, it was
341 feet to left but only 280 feet to right.
The same is true of Ebbets Field (originally was 419 feet to left and
301 to right) and others.
--
D.F. Manno | dfm...@mail.com
"As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words
are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by
destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people
will solemnly vote against their own interests." (Gore Vidal)
Blinky the Shark
> In article <v7ns24de5benrtvj4...@4ax.com>,
> M C Hamster <davo...@speakeasy.nospam.net> wrote:
>
>> Blinky the Shark <no....@box.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> >Another theory here in the blogosphere:
>> >
>> >http://www.bobcongdon.net/blog/2004/06/out-in-left-field.html
>> >
>> >"...in older ball parks, left field was deeper than right field; that the
>> >left fielder must play farther back when the batter is right-handed."
>> >
>> >And I *think* right-handed batters were more prevalent back then...which
>> >is probably why they'd make left field deeper than right.
>> >
>> >But I dunno.
>>
>> I would have guessed that it was simply related to the connotation of
>> left-handedness as being unusual, and even sinister.
>
> Well, in Baker Bowl, where the Phillies played from 1887-1938, it was
> 341 feet to left but only 280 feet to right.
>
> The same is true of Ebbets Field (originally was 419 feet to left and
> 301 to right) and others.
Here's a big differential. Robison Field (St.Louis Cardinals, 1890-1923)
at one time had a 470-foot left field and a 290-foot right.
Joseph Nebus
>From the batter's, catcher's, or home plate umpire's perspective,
>left field is to the left.
There must be a story to how baseball ended up with a convention
that uncomplicated.
--
Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jeffinputnam
> "ZBicyclist" <ZBicy...@excite.com> writes:
>
>>From the batter's, catcher's, or home plate umpire's perspective,
>> left field is to the left.
>
> There must be a story to how baseball ended up with a convention
> that uncomplicated.
It's deja vu all over again.