Ballpark Regulations

[Gooseamania]

obviously there are certain rules that major league stadiums need to comply with such as mound height, base path and mound distances, foul poles, etc. what i want to know is are there regulations on the ground rules of stadium aside from the obvious? what i mean is if a team wanted to, could they create ridiculous dimensions like 220 down the line, or 500 feet in dead center? do the walls need to be a certain material? are there regulations about obstructions in the field of play (such as overhanging stands, poles, bullpens)? does major league baseball have a group that deems what is acceptable and what is not?

[PeteU]

obviously there are certain rules that major league stadiums need to comply with such as mound height, base path and mound distances, foul poles, etc. what i want to know is are there regulations on the ground rules of stadium aside from the obvious? what i mean is if a team wanted to, could they create ridiculous dimensions like 220 down the line, or 500 feet in dead center? do the walls need to be a certain material? are there regulations about obstructions in the field of play (such as overhanging stands, poles, bullpens)? does major league baseball have a group that deems what is acceptable and what is not?

There was for a while standards that MLB sought to enforce...I think 325 down the line was the minimum. That's why MLB put the kibash on the Kansas City Athletics' 296 foot "Pennant Porch".

However, as time went by, MLB has relaxed those standards, which is why you'll see 315 or so down the line at some of the new ballparks.

I don't know if MLB would look too positively on anything under 300 feet, or even anything under 310.

[Gooseamania]

thanks. the reason i thought of asking these questions is becasue i saw the highlights of the red sox vs. dodgers playing that exhibition game at l.a. memorial coliseum and i saw that it was like a little over 200ft down the left field line so they put up a 60 foot net.

[Brian McKenna]

Well for one Wrigley has a brick wall - pretty dangerous if you ask me. I would think outfielders definitely have a different mindset there than at other parks where they could bounce off some padding.

Baseball Rule 1.04:

1.04
THE PLAYING FIELD. The field shall be laid out according to the instructions below, supplemented by Diagrams No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on adjoining pages. The infield shall be a 90-foot square. The outfield shall be the area between two foul lines formed by extending two sides of the square, as in Diagram 1. The distance from home base to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on fair territory shall be 250 feet or more. A distance of 320 feet or more along the foul lines, and 400 feet or more to center field is preferable.The infield shall be graded so that the base lines and home plate are level. The pitcher's plate shall be 10 inches above the level of home plate. The degree of slope from a point 6 inches in front of the pitcher's plate to a point 6 feet toward home plate shall be 1 inch to 1 foot, and such degree of slope shall be uniform. The infield and outfield, including the boundary lines, are fair territory and all other area is foul territory. It is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East-Northeast. It is recommended that the distance from home base to the backstop, and from the base lines to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on foul territory shall be 60 feet or more. See Diagram 1. When location of home base is determined, with a steel tape measure 127 feet, 338 inches in desired direction to establish second base. From home base, measure 90 feet toward first base; from second base, measure 90 feet toward first base; the intersection of these lines establishes first base. From home base, measure 90 feet toward third base; from second base, measure 90 feet toward third base; the intersection of these lines establishes third base. The distance between first base and third base is 127 feet, 338 inches. All measurements from home base shall be taken from the point where the first and third base lines intersect. The catcher's box, the batters' boxes, the coaches' boxes, the three-foot first base lines and the next batter's boxes shall be laid out as shown in Diagrams 1 and 2. The foul lines and all other playing lines indicated in the diagrams by solid black lines shall be marked with wet, unslaked lime, chalk or other white material. The grass lines and dimensions shown on the diagrams are those used in many fields, but they are not mandatory and each club shall determine the size and shape of the grassed and bare areas of its playing field. NOTE (a) Any Playing Field constructed by a professional club after June 1, 1958, shall provide a minimum distance of 325 feet from home base to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on the right and left field foul lines, and a minimum distance of 400 feet to the center field fence. (b) No existing playing field shall be remodeled after June 1, 1958, in such manner as to reduce the distance from home base to the foul poles and to the center field fence below the minimum specified in paragraph (a) above.

[Gooseamania]

cool, that pretty much answers most of the question. i knew there were a few different kinds outfield wall meterials, most of them have the padding on them, and then there's the brick and ivy at wrigley, and the wall at the metrodome which is like a tarp almost, but i was curious if the newer stadiums had to follow certain regulations with walls, dimensions, etc. since they are modern where as wrigley is the oldest stadium in the bigs, thus explaining it's differeces from other ballparks.

[Gooseamania]

check that, wrigley is the SECOND oldest stadium in the bigs behind fenway, my bad.

[Manhattan]

Ballpark Regulations

check that, wrigley is the SECOND oldest stadium in the bigs behind fenway, my bad.

I will not go onto the field while the game is in play. I will only go onto the field when I will be invited onto the field. I have been on zero fields at Major League Baseball Stadium.

[locke40]

I will not go onto the field while the game is in play. I will only go onto the field when I will be invited onto the field. I have been on zero fields at Major League Baseball Stadium.

In what situation would you be invited onto the field at Major League Baseball Stadiums?

[monkeypants]

Of course, Rule 1.04 is ignored all the time. When they were building Great American Ballpark, they were forced to bring the CF at Riverfront in to 393'. One could argue that this was a special circumstance. Then again, how do they explain 399' to CF at Pac Bell/AT&T (and 309' to RF), or 315' to LF in Minutemade, or 396' to CF at Petco, or 399' to CF at PNC, or 315' to LF at Tropicana. in addition, the New Yankee Stadium will also violate that rule, since both LF and RF will be too short.

MLB seemed to care about this rule in the 1960s and 1970s, when Yankee Stadium was remodeled (and complied to the rule: both LF and RF were extended) and the "cookie cutter" stadiums were built. But once the owners rediscovered HRs = $$$$$, the rules go out the window.

[Gary Dunaier]

In what situation would you be invited onto the field at Major League Baseball Stadiums?

There are legitimate situations where fans can go on the field, or at least the warning track, at ballparks.

The Yankee Stadium Tour, if my understanding is correct, allows you to walk along the warning track.

At Shea Stadium, they have the "Mr. Met Dash," where children 12 and under get to run the bases at Shea after selected games, weather permitting. And on May 15, fans 60 and over can participate in a leisurely stroll around the bases at Shea. (Unfortunately, I'm too old for the "Mr. Met Dash" and too young for the leisurely stroll... maybe there'll be something for the rest of us at the Citi Field.)

[NinthWithoutNen]

Of course, Rule 1.04 is ignored all the time. When they were building Great American Ballpark, they were forced to bring the CF at Riverfront in to 393'. One could argue that this was a special circumstance. Then again, how do they explain 399' to CF at Pac Bell/AT&T (and 309' to RF), or 315' to LF in Minutemade, or 396' to CF at Petco, or 399' to CF at PNC, or 315' to LF at Tropicana. in addition, the New Yankee Stadium will also violate that rule, since both LF and RF will be too short.

MLB seemed to care about this rule in the 1960s and 1970s, when Yankee Stadium was remodeled (and complied to the rule: both LF and RF were extended) and the "cookie cutter" stadiums were built. But once the owners rediscovered HRs = $$$$$, the rules go out the window.

Uh most of those parks are pitchers parks anyway, and down the foul lines there are often really high fences, plus the distances to straight away center often get deeper if you go to the right or left of that marker. And I assume the Yankee Stadium dimensions were considered okay because it is similar off the current layout.


A real bandbox is often defined by shorter power alleys, possibly lower fences, or the ballpark being built in an where the ball carries well.

[monkeypants]

Uh most of those parks are pitchers parks anyway, and down the foul lines there are often really high fences, plus the distances to straight away center often get deeper if you go to the right or left of that marker. And I assume the Yankee Stadium dimensions were considered okay because it is similar off the current layout.


A real bandbox is often defined by shorter power alleys, possibly lower fences, or the ballpark being built in an where the ball carries well.

Whether they turned out to be pitchers parks does not necessarily mean that the owners did not *intend* them to be hitters parks. In any case, MLB has chosen to ignore its own rules for ballpark dimensions.

As for Yankee Stadium, when they remodeled by rule they had to keep the same dimensions or lengthen the distance down the lines. They could not shorten those distances. Subsequent tinkering with the fences in the 1980s resulted in a few more feet down the lines.

[Manhattan]

Ballpark Regulations

Whether they turned out to be pitchers parks does not necessarily mean that the owners did not *intend* them to be hitters parks. In any case, MLB has chosen to ignore its own rules for ballpark dimensions.

As for Yankee Stadium, when they remodeled by rule they had to keep the same dimensions or lengthen the distance down the lines. They could not shorten those distances. Subsequent tinkering with the fences in the 1980s resulted in a few more feet down the lines.

There is a Police Academy and a Police Station across the street from Dodger Stadium. I already know the regulations of Dodger Stadium.

[Chevy114]

sorry wrong place.