Last updated on July 7th, 2022 at 11:51 am
When visiting a minor league or major league stadium, you typically won’t see traditional seats for fans to sit on behind center field. Usually, there is a giant black screen or painted black seats that restrict fans from sitting there. However, not every ballpark does the same thing, which makes baseball interesting.
So what exactly is that thing out in the center field? Why are fans not allowed to sit in center field in ballparks? Find out more!
What is the Batter’s Eye in Baseball?
The batter’s eye is typically a solid color that acts as a backdrop to help the batter see the ball from the pitcher in center field. Having a dark surface behind the center field outfield wall allows the baseball batter to get the best view of a pitch coming to them. Without this batter’s eye screen behind the center-field fence, hitters would be unable to pick up the ball coming to them since the view of the baseball might get lost in the crowd.
Another reason for the batter’s eye is to increase the safety of the hitter at the plate. If the hitter cannot see the ball coming to them, they might not react to a pitched ball coming towards them. A split-second reaction can be the difference between getting hit by a pitch or not.
When Did the Batter’s Eye Become Mandatory?
The use of a batter’s eye became standard across all Major League Baseball teams in the late 19th century. Before this took place, you had original baseball stadiums like Ebbets Field have fans in the stands directly behind center field. To help batters pick up the ball better from a pitcher, stadiums began incorporating the outfield batter’s eye in their baseball field design.
All Major League Baseball Stadiums Do Something Different
The beauty of baseball stadiums is the opportunity to design the outfield the way you want to a degree. For example, the New Yankee Stadium (above) made their batter’s eye into a restaurant with tinted glass. There are fans inside the restaurant, but the batter only sees a dark tinted glass, which allows them to see the white baseball coming to them.
Other venues like Comerica Park, Tropicana Field, Progressive Field, Petco Park, and more incorporate the batters eye into a pedestrian walkway to connect the bleacher seats. Venues like Great American Ballpark have a steamship in the center field, which acts as a backdrop and gathering place for fans. Most recently, in 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium made upgrades to their stadium to incorporate this popular design by creating a walkway connect fans throughout the stadium.
Finally, one of the most famous backdrops in the game belongs to Wrigley Field. Wrigley Field is home to the Chicago Cubs, and they incorporate shrubbery in their center-field batter’s eye. The solid-colored shrubbery includes the ivy wall at the stadium ideally, so the center field eye does not stand out too much. Other places like the previous home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Park, would allow fans to enter the batter’s eye lawn if a home run landed in that spot.
What Each Stadium Has as a Batter’s Eye as of 2021
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American Family Field
- (Milwaukee Brewers) has a big black rectangle beyond the center-field wall
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Angel Stadium
- (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) has green shrubbery and a dark green color paint backdrop
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Busch Stadium
- (St. Louis Cardinals) has grass and a black rectangle beyond the center-field wall
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Chase Field
- (Arizona Cardinals) big dark green rectangle
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Citi Field
- (New York Mets) is a dark black section and has the Mets Home Run Apple tucked underneath
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Citizens Bank Park
- (Philadelphia Phillies) has green shrubbery and a red brick wall
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Comerica Park
- (Detroit Tigers) a big green rectangle
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Coors Field
- (Colorado Rockies) has pine trees out in the center field
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Dodger Stadium
- (Los Angeles Dodgers) a blue rectangle that acts as a pedestrian crossway
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Fenway Park
- (Boston Red Sox) has a black tarp over seats for day games and gives green t-shirts to fans to wear in that section for night games
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Globe Life Field
- (Texas Rangers) a prominent green structure that has fans on top
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Great American Ball Park
- (Cincinnati Reds) a prominent black structure where the steamboat sits behind
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Guaranteed Rate Field
- (Chicago White Sox) a green backdrop that has fans allowed to be on it
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Kauffman Stadium
- (Kansas City Royals) a big green backdrop
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LoanDepot Park
- (Miami Marlins) a big grassy field beyond center field
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Minute Maid Park
- (Houston Astros) a prominent ivory structure that allows fans to pass behind it without disturbing the game
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Nationals Park
- (Washington Nationals) has this green section out in the center field
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Oracle Park
- (San Francisco Giants) has a green backdrop under the giant scoreboard
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Orioles Park at Camden Yards
- (Baltimore Orioles) has a green backdrop
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Petco Park
- (San Diego Padres) has a blue backdrop
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PNC Park
- (Pittsburgh Pirates) has a green shrubbery out in the center field that spells out Pirates
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Progressive Field
- (Cleveland Indians) has green shrubbery out in the center field
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RingCentral Coliseum
- (Oakland Athletics) has a giant green backdrop
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Rogers Centre
- (Toronto Blue Jays) has a black section where the seats should be
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T-Mobile Park
- (Seattle Mariners) has a black area behind center field
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Target Field
- (Minnesota Twins) a black wall directly behind center field
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Tropicana Field
- (Tampa Bay Rays) a blue backdrop that houses a gathering spot for fans behind the wall
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Truist Park
- (Atlanta Braves) a green backdrop
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Wrigley Field
- (Chicago Cubs) a green backdrop of shrubbery
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Yankee Stadium
- (New York Yankees) a restaurant out in the center field with tinted glass
Fenway Park’s Batter Eye
All MLB stadiums do something different with their batter eye, but the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park have different rules for day and night games. During a day game, you will see a black tarp covering the center-field seats to give batters a clear view of the pitch. During night games, the Red Sox give dark green t-shirts to the fans who will be sitting directly behind home plate. The dark green t-shirts as a whole make it easier for the hitter to pick up the ball so that the Red Sox can sell these as seats.
Conclusion on Batter’s Eyes at Ballparks
In conclusion, teams would have a simple backdrop to give the hitter a better view of their pitch in the early days of baseball. Now in 2021, baseball teams are utilizing that center field space in creative ways. From Dodger Stadium making it a pedestrian crossway to the New Yankee Stadium making it a restaurant, crews continue to innovate that space. Therefore, fans should visit the center field section of every ballpark they visit because that space may have something new now!
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Greg Kristan, owner of The Stadium Reviews, LLC and TM Blast, LLC, brings his extensive experience visiting over half of the MLB ballparks, along with numerous MLS, NHL, NBA, and NFL venues, to provide in-depth coverage on the bag policy, food options, and parking. He has also been interviewed about his experiences on several sports podcasts.