# It's not the on-deck circle, but what is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484 "2004-09-28T14:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![db4530](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@db4530](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/db4530)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/1 "2004-09-28T14:41:39Z")
I attended a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago last evening. While I enjoyed watching the game, a question came to mind which I have raised several times before with friends and fans near whom I have been sitting, but I have never received a coherent response. I have aften wondered what the little circles are that are near home plate on both the first-base and third base line. THEY ARE NOT THE ON-DECK CIRCLE. At Wrigley, the on-deck circles are much farther from the field of play back near the wall–very near the dugout. The circles about which I am inquiring are probably five feet away from the edge of the grass near home plate on each base line. They are also probably about three feet off of the each base line and about three feet in diameter. The circles are cut into the grass and filled with the same stone as the rest of the infield. Can anyone tell me their purpose? Do they exist at other parks? Is it a National League thing? I don’t recall seeing them at other stadiums, but they may be there as well. Thanks for your help. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/2 "2004-09-28T14:49:06Z")
No help, just I found a [photo](http://www.rassi.com/graphics/wrigley-field.jpg) of what you are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/3 "2004-09-28T14:49:26Z")
I have always heard they are fungo circles- where they hit fungos into the outfield when the infield is unavailable. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/4 "2004-09-28T14:52:40Z")
That’s where the batter stands when he is hitting balls to the fielders for practice and warm-up. ---
**Author:** ![db4530](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@db4530](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/db4530)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/5 "2004-09-28T15:13:34Z")
Finally, replies that make sense. Thanks for the help. A quick search on yahoo came up with the [same answer](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/features/experts/07_26_00.stm#2). If only I had known the term “fungo,” I’d have figured this out years ago. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/6 "2004-09-28T17:45:59Z")
Some day, db, see if you can try to hit with a fungo bat. Not easy. They’re flat on one side. Those coaches who stand there and hit balls exactly where they want to hit them are artists with those things. Mmmmmm and that’s the kind of stuff that makes going to Wrigley - or any park - really fun. The inside stuff of baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/7 "2004-09-28T19:12:12Z")
Just a nitpick - a standard fungo bat is not flat on one side. They are made in the same shape as a standard bat, but about half the diameter. This reduces the weight of the bat substantially and allows the coach to hit fielding practice for longer periods without tiring. I’m not saying there are no flat sided fungo bats, heaven knows _somebody_ has probably tried it\*, but if you go a Google image search on “fungo bat” you’ll not likely find any. \*I saw a youth baseball coach one time with a fungo made like a tennis racquet. It was specially strung to hit baseballs. He could consistently hit long fly balls to deep center with almost no effort. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/8 "2004-09-29T04:35:08Z")
BTW, the reason for the fungo circles is to prevent the coaches from creating ugly worn brown patches on the grass when they hit fungo. A grassless circle looks better. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/9 "2004-09-29T16:25:09Z")
Ok, well back in the day, fungo bats were flat on one side. I guess some things do change. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/10 "2004-09-29T23:50:10Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Ok, well back in the day, fungo bats were flat on one side. I guess some things do change. Cite? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-the-on-deck-circle-but-what-is-it/266484/11 "2004-09-30T15:07:39Z")
my own memory.