History Of Dugouts By Gary Yeatts

Ever wonder where the term "dugout" came from? Like many baseball terms it is probably from around the turn of the century. Early dugouts were actually below ground level to "allow spectators to see the field, especially the home plate area."

​Years later as baseball transitioned from being a sport into an entertainment industry the dugouts provided a venue for dancing mascots.

 One curiosity about dugouts is that they are not mentioned in the MLBrulebook. Each team can choose which dugout to call home. Some choose the first baseball dugout because of all the close plays at first base. Some choose third base because managers would often coach third base. Some are chosen because of the sun can be a factor on the field. In both the NL and AL first base is the preference for 9 teams while third base for 6 teams. The Reds use third base in Goodyear but first base at Great American Ballpark. When we built our field for FairfieldHigh School, I wanted our home dugout to be nearly twice as large as the visitor's dugout. I did not want to be bumping into my players and I wanted the other team to feel "scrunched" in!

One of the most famous dugout stories is from September 23, 1908. The Cubs were playing the Giants at the old Polo Grounds in the midst of a pennant race.

The score was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Runners were on first and third when the Giants batter singled to score the apparent winning run. BUT WAIT. Fred Merkle, the runner on first, avoided the rush of fans on the field. He did not go to second base but instead headed into the dugout to avoid the melee. The Cubs Johnny Evers called for the ball to force out Merkle at second base. The ball had been lost in the scrum and someone threw another ball to Evers. The umpires convened and ruled the game a tie. Merkle was given the nickname BONEHEAD MERKLE for his trip to the dugout. The Cubs went on to win the World Series that year and its their last one to this date.  Merkle's  Bar and Grill is one block south of Wrigley Field. 

                    

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