|
Like a lot of historical details about the national pastime, how the word "bullpen" came about is anything but clear. One of the most commonly cited explanations has to do with a certain brand of tobacco. As this site on phrase origins explains, the late Moe Berg was a big believer in this chewy theory. According to Berg, a major league catcher and member of the high-falutin' Linguistic Society of America, all bullpens used to be located in the outfield, often directly behind billboards for Bull Durham tobacco. We won't insult your intelligence by connecting the dots. There are a few other theories
fluttering around like errant screwballs. One suggests that in the earliest days of baseball, when fans came late to the game, they were "herded like cattle" to a standing room only section known as the "bullpen." Later, that same piece of real estate was used by pitchers to warm up, but its original name stuck. Yet another has to do with Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel. The colorful skipper apparently suggested that the term came from managers who were fed up with relievers "shootin' the bull" during games, so they were given a "bullpen" away from other players. Of course, there's still another theory -- the size and symbology behind a bullpen are roughly equal to -- yep, you guessed it -- a bull's pen.
|
