# No Pepper Games? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 1999, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521 "1999-11-04T10:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/1 "1999-11-04T10:14:00Z")
OK New Yorkers, what does the “No Pepper Games” sign on the back stop, one on either side near the on-deck circles, at Yankee stadium mean? I know what pepper is (the game), but why is there a need to warn against it in the ballpark? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/2 "1999-11-04T13:54:00Z")
They ban pepper games because they don’t want the ball to be hit into the stands and hitting paying customers. The sign is usually designed so the guy with the bat can see it. For those who don’t know, “pepper” is when a ballplayer stands with a bat and hits practice ground balls to a line of players. If the fielder misses, the ball goes behind him and into the stands. Since the games would be played during batting practice, the ball would be hit toward the patrons at a time when they’re concentrating on getting seated and not on what’s coming in their direction. * * * [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/3 "1999-11-04T13:55:00Z")
As an addendum, the “no pepper” rule is in effect throughout the major leagues, not just in New York. Some stadiums put the signs up, others don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/4 "1999-11-04T14:05:00Z")
Well, it makes sense not to do it when there are fans there, but thats obvious. I can’t think of a single park that has it up there except Yankee Stadium. I was thinking that there is some back story in NY, or some joke involved with it. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/5 "1999-11-04T15:32:00Z")
I’ve seen that sign at a number of rec league parks too. Except in this case, I thought “pepper” means to hit balls into a fence that the coach tosses up. It eventually distorts and bends a chain link fence. Enright3 ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/6 "1999-11-04T15:38:00Z")
From the Majorleague baseball FAQ [http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com/u/baseball/mlbcom/headquarters/faq.html](http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com/u/baseball/mlbcom/headquarters/faq.html) > [@](#): > > ``` > What is pepper? > > Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk > grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 > feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The > batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because > wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators). > > ``` I don’t think all parks ban it. Atleast this answer leads me to believe that. pat ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Naked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Buck\_Naked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Naked)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/7 "1999-11-04T22:59:00Z")
Pepper also tears up the grass where the player’s are standing, Enright you are thinking of “Soft Toss” a great tool to develop your swing, but murder on the balls and fence, better to use tennis balls or hard foam base balls. * * * I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-pepper-games/4521/8 "1999-11-05T13:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t think all parks ban it. Atleast this answer leads me to believe that. According to Joe Garagiola’s _Baseball is a Funny Game_, one of the duties of a major league umpire is to enforce the rule against pepper games. That, of course, was in the 40s and 50s, but I doubt they’ve repealed the rule since then. * * * [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman)