# Cicles along the baseline **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cicles-along-the-baseline/28332 "2000-08-06T16:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nurlman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Nurlman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurlman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cicles-along-the-baseline/28332/1 "2000-08-06T16:12:58Z")
Havig watched several baseball games over the weekend, I was struck with this question: Many baseball stadiums seem to have two large dirt cicles located about 1/3 of the way up the first and third base lines, about 4 feet back from the field. What is the purpose of these circles? I’ve never seen them in use. (I’m most definitely not speaking of the on-deck circles, which are much, much closer to the dugout. The ones I’m asking about are only a couple of feet off the actual field.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cicles-along-the-baseline/28332/2 "2000-08-06T16:16:45Z")
These are where the coach, manager, whoever stands during fielding practice to hit balls into the outfield. They use a special bat called a “fungo” during this process. I have always heard these called “fungo holes.” ---
**Author:** ![Oblio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c4cdca/32.png) [@Oblio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblio)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cicles-along-the-baseline/28332/3 "2000-08-06T16:17:54Z")
It’s where the umpire stands after a controversial call. This allows the manager to kick dirt on him.