Oddest / Most Unique Ground Rule?

[alan2703]

Most recent introduction to a field on the "far reaches" of our league's domain, and subsequent return journeys always seem to be in a drizzle. Curious, as this isn't the Pacific Northwest...

The ball field is situated on a reclaimed / leftover plot of land between the backyards of a block of residential houses and a local fuels wholesaler (Diesel, propane, LP, etc.). Reasoning holds that local / state codes direct there must be a standoff distance between houses and a commercial / industrial property of this nature, so instead of standing feral, the fuels wholesaler and the town agreed upon turning the plot into a ballpark. Because it always was intended to be a ballpark from inception, there is a (relatively) large scoreboard beyond the center field fence, but with the passage of time, has become weathered to the point it looks like something featured on The National Geographic Channel regarding derelict structures of Siberia. Surprisingly, it still works, with approximately 70% 60% of its light bulbs lighting up in response to inputs from a control board, constructed of what looks to be tin and faux-wood formica, wired behind the backstop. The outfield fence is a continuous arc from foul pole to foul pole (isn't that great, folks?!) and is, of course, covered with local advertising signs ("Do you think that local diner will honor that price? Is that local diner still in business?" "Official Oil Change of <Place Name Withheld> Baseball... Do any of these 12 year olds drive?").

Skinned infield, with the predominant material being sand. At least the infield doesn't turn to mud, and it drains well. The mound erodes way too quickly, though.

The backstop was likely designed by a guy whose preferred childhood toy was Erector Set. The backstop is really close, only ten-to-fifteen feet away, and melds into the dugouts with the seamlessness of a Cubist painting (no, not Cuban... Cubism). There are angles everywhere, and once some live ball action happens, you've got ballplayers running in and out from any of three gaps per side. Strangely enough, the fence lines are far too abrupt – 1BL only gets 2 more panels and 3BL doesn't get any. Remember how this is the backyards of a block of houses? Yeah, this is on the 1BS, so once the 1BL dugout fence ends, the madness begins... There are no less than ten objects / structures / trees to point out in the ground rules between the end of the fence and the 1BL foul pole. If one of the residents has actually decided to mow to the limit of his property line, then the ball can be played all the way to his landscaped bushes... If not, then you can tell the difference between the ballpark's mowing and his long grass, and his long grass is DBT. Of extra special note is a burning barrel, situated about twenty feet behind 1B and ten feet off from 1BL. It is in play, so a ball can carom off it just about any direction.

On the 3BS, there is an absence of declarable objects, as the road forms the boundary. Because the 3BS fence and the road are not parallel, and there are no discernible landmarks with which to "line up" the fence with so as to create DBT, we are forced to declare the road as DBT.

 

They give you a written copy of the field as well a map

[Umpire in Chief]

Here's my worst field for ground rules. Not only is this used for HS, but when Elizabeth City State had a baseball team this is one of the fields they would use.

1. You can't see it because they are in the shadow, but there are AC units and a oil tank along the side of the building. Rather than drawing a straight line cutting them all out they draw a semi circle around each one. 
2. Scoreboard #1 inside the fence.
3. Goalpost inside the fence.
4. Scoreboard #2 inside the fence.
5. Batting Cages.
6. I didn't mark it but the goal post in foul down left field line.

 

[alan2703]

I would change 1 myself and make it all dead ball area and tell them to me it is a safety issue. Have had fields with 2,3,4,6 mostly combo type fields smaller HS . If the cage could not be dumped over the fence how did they inform you to play it vs. how you told them it will be played. I did have a high school filed where there was a sewer line issue and they dug up part of right and put fencing around it covered most of right about 250 out from plate. The rule was if it went over that fence it was 2, over field fence HR, Next time there it became HR they had some LH hitters that where hitting to many doubles so they did some home cooking with ground rules.

[jrewell1978]

A local middle school field that was one the high school's JV field and used for summer rec ball was sort of bizarre. It was at the bottom of a hill, it had a small backstop about 7-8 feet behind home plate with no protection to the benches (lot of foul balls landed in the yard at the top of the hill never to be seen again), about 320' to right field (home runs never recovered because no way to retrieve them due to field being fenced in, besides, the other side of the fence was swampland), flagpole about 375' to CF (balls hit off of it were in play), and a hill about 275' in LF (balls hit over the hill were still in play, by the time left fielder found it, batter usually had a HR by then. Pic was taken about 3 years ago, drove past it this past summer and it's still abandoned.

[DVA7130]

A local middle school field that was one the high school's JV field and used for summer rec ball was sort of bizarre. It was at the bottom of a hill, it had a small backstop about 7-8 feet behind home plate with no protection to the benches (lot of foul balls landed in the yard at the top of the hill never to be seen again), about 320' to right field (home runs never recovered because no way to retrieve them due to field being fenced in, besides, the other side of the fence was swampland), flagpole about 375' to CF (balls hit off of it were in play), and a hill about 275' in LF (balls hit over the hill were still in play, by the time left fielder found it, batter usually had a HR by then. Pic was taken about 3 years ago, drove past it this past summer and it's still abandoned.

I burst out laughing at sight of that picture.

[Mr_Chairman]

The last twenty feet or so of the right field foul line at one school is about an inch and a half away from the wall. Always fun trying to determine if the ball hit the wall first or the line...

[Mr_Chairman]

We have another complex here that uses multipurpose fields. In order to jack one to center, it'll require hitting a ball 485 feet. Not to mention that, in the multipurpose quad, there are no foul territory fences past the bullpen area, so we do the "imaginary line" thing all the way out to the fence. With acres of foul territory, it gets wild trying to get a good angle for overthrows that come close to the dead ball area.

[ElkOil]

31 minutes ago, Mr_Chairman said:

We have another complex here that uses multipurpose fields. In order to jack one to center, it'll require hitting a ball 485 feet. Not to mention that, in the multipurpose quad, there are no foul territory fences past the bullpen area, so we do the "imaginary line" thing all the way out to the fence. With acres of foul territory, it gets wild trying to get a good angle for overthrows that come close to the dead ball area.

Those diamonds look like a huge, burly dude is holding hands with a guy with a round body, long neck and arms, and a gray head.

[stkjock]

Here's a satellite view of a filed we played on last year. It's on the bay, left field has a sea wall that doesn't get to the foul line, if a ball bounced over the wall it was a HR, if it rolled into the water to the left of the bulkhead it was a GRD, in right field the town hall was about 150-160' from home and stuck into the field about 20-25'.  If it hit town hall it was in play, over the building was a HR, this was on a intermediate size field (50/70).  Oddest I've ever been on.  Also you can see the pee wee field in center.  

Also a retaining wall along the first base line about 3' of foul ground   

 

[Mudisfun]

Not much on the majority of the fields shown but this HS has fields that are opposing. When the varsity field fencing is in place the JV field ends up with a convex outfield. Dead center is roughly 160' out. I have called games on LL fields with larger outfields.

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[ALStripes17]

Not much on the majority of the fields shown but this HS has fields that are opposing. When the varsity field fencing is in place the JV field ends up with a convex outfield. Dead center is roughly 160' out. I have called games on LL fields with larger outfields.

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So you use a 'JV field' when there is a perfectly good field in view (and owned by the same organization) of everyone in attendance?

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[LMSANS]

I don't have a picture, too technically challenging.  But, I had a varsity softball game where there is a football goalpost that parallels the right field line, almost.  The one upright is about 9 inches forward of the left, putting it in fair territory.  That's okay because the goal post is centered on the outfield fence.  Hit the far upright home run, the near one is a foul ball.

[Mudisfun]

So you use a 'JV field' when there is a perfectly good field in view (and owned by the same organization) of everyone in attendance?

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If varsity is playing at the same time and you have the Freshman or JV game who happens to be playing at the site then yes.

[ALStripes17]

If varsity is playing at the same time and you have the Freshman or JV game who happens to be playing at the site then yes.

Wow... 160' home runs to dead center... Smh

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