Home field dugout.. Which side?

[twikoff]

ok.. so i played baseball up into highschool.. played in military youth leagues overseas.. went to lots of camps and stuff..
and homefield dugout was always firstbase side

never noticed anyone using 3rd base side as homefield

then i was looking at some signup info for griffin's fall ball, and it said homefield dugout would be 3rd base side (different that the 3 years he has played so far).. and Corrie made the comment that they are finally putting them on the right side

so I google it and find there is no official rule on which side the homefield takes.. and then found where Peter Gammons explains that all teams east of the mississippi use the east side (1st base side) and teams on the west of the mississippi use the west side (3rd base side)

odd.. never noticed that before :hscratch:





so.. do canadians have their homefield dugout behind 2nd base? ;)

[BigPete]

It seems more appropriate to be looking at the dugout as you are rounding third. If you pass it on your way to first, then 2nd and 3rd base will be disappointing by comparison.

[Metrodub]

so I google it and find there is no official rule on which side the homefield takes.. and then found where Peter Gammons explains that all teams east of the mississippi use the east side (1st base side) and teams on the west of the mississippi use the west side (3rd base side)

odd.. never noticed that before :hscratch:





so.. do canadians have their homefield dugout behind 2nd base? ;)

Toronto's Home Dugout is on the third base side and the last I checked, Toronto was east of the Mississippi. Then again, it's Canada.

Seattle's home dugout is on the first base side, as is Colorado's.

[jonw9]

Maybe it has to do with the direction of the sun during most games? For example, the local HS has the home bleachers on the far side of the football field, with the visitors closer, so the have to look into the sun? :shrug:

[B.A.]

Wrigley's home dugout is along third base.

Peter Gammons HoF status should be revoked! ;)

[Flashback]

I noticed that when I moved here from the Northeast. NYY, NYM and BST were on the 1st base side. When I moved to Chicago and they are all on the 3rd base side.

I figured that it may be due to the sun setting since I would rather have my
offense thrown out at 1st walk the shorter distance back to the dugout.

At Wrigley when that sun is setting the 1st base side is blinding. Probably does not make sense either :lol:

[Deftones]

Dbacks home dugout is 3rd base side.

[twikoff]

It seems more appropriate to be looking at the dugout as you are rounding third. If you pass it on your way to first, then 2nd and 3rd base will be disappointing by comparison.

from the first base side, you have a better look at a right handed batter
and the majority of baseball is righthanded

i would think there is more benefit for the coaches to be able to see the player more clearly, and to make calls from the dugout as needed, while the player is in the box.

[twikoff]

Maybe it has to do with the direction of the sun during most games? For example, the local HS has the home bleachers on the far side of the football field, with the visitors closer, so the have to look into the sun? :shrug:

except that typically in any area, the whole area will follow the same logic.. regardless which way the field is built facing.. or time of day.

[JimmySRU]

Pirates is on third base too

So is the highschool team i coach too

[B.A.]

And the Cardinals have always sat along first base.

[deadlax]

It's definitely team's choice in most upper competitive leagues, and definitely in the NCAA and MLB. I'd imagine that the sun is the most compelling reason to choose one side or the other.

[El Scorcho]

SF Giants - 3rd base side
Oakland A's - 3rd base side
Seattle Mariners - 1st base side
Los Angeles Dodgers - 3rd base side
San Diego Padres - 1st base side

[lordwow]

Red Sox are on the 1st Base side.

But regardless, in the MLB the teams have their choice of side.

[Red Dog]

Orioles is 1st base side since that side is closer to the Warehouse which is where the O's offices are located.

At Memorial Stadium, they were 3rd base side.

[stevevt]

I always assumed that the home team would want the first base side dugout since it would mean a shorter walk/run after 2/3 of their at bats. Apparently, my thinking was incorrect.

[The Cow]

Cincinnati Reds - 1st base side
Cleveland Indians - 3rd base side

[grrrah]

A designer for many of the newer ballparks including AT&T (Giants) told me that it is usually on whichever side has the larger/better locker room. end of question.

for the giants, the 3rd base side clubhouse is about 50% bigger than the visiting.

[twikoff]

A designer for many of the newer ballparks including AT&T (Giants) told me that it is usually on whichever side has the larger/better locker room. end of question.

for the giants, the 3rd base side clubhouse is about 50% bigger than the visiting.

yea.. i figured that was a factor

but i also figured they would have planned out the home field club house size based on the side that the home field dugout was on.. when they build the stadium

[Mordred]

Rangers are 1B side.