# U.S. Celluar Field (White Sox's Home Park) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796 "2003-07-16T02:33:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Major\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Major\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/1 "2003-07-16T02:33:30Z")
Which direction does U.S. Celluar Field face? South-west? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/2 "2003-07-16T04:12:23Z")
According to this [page](http://www.usatoday.com/sports/gaming/matchups/data/mlb/stadiums/prks406.html), if I’m reading it right, if you are standing at home plate, and facing center field, you are looking to the southeast. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/3 "2003-07-16T04:13:08Z")
Home plate is NW, left field E, right field S. [seating](http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cws/ticketing/cws_seating_pricing.jsp) ---
**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:** [July 16, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/4 "2003-07-16T10:27:59Z")
Here’s a [satellite photo](http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2236&y=23154&z=16&w=1) , going from home down the right field line is just east of due south. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/5 "2003-07-16T14:56:25Z")
NO outdoor parks face west-to avoid sun in batter’s eyes. Hence the term southpaw for lefty pitchers- facing west, the left arm faces south. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/6 "2003-07-16T16:34:42Z")
Actually, there is a minor league park that does face west (I don’t recall where). Games there are always suspended for an hour or so as they wait for the sun to get out of the batters’ eyes. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/7 "2003-07-16T16:54:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*NO outdoor parks face west-to avoid sun in batter’s eyes. Hence the term southpaw for lefty pitchers- facing west, the left arm faces south. \*\* Sorry but this is wrong. At Wrigly field if you’re standing at home and facing right field you are facing the lake which is definitely EAST. Facing left field you are facing north. ---
**Author:** ![chewbasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@chewbasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chewbasta)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/8 "2003-07-16T17:03:31Z")
The ballpark, (If you can call it that) faces East/maybe a little S. East. The same direction of Chi-towns projects along the Ryan, and in the opposite direction of MOST of our wind. Welcome to hell. Stale air, and bullet ridden upper deck. UGH. Smee lives on the south side, but goes to Wrigley Field instead. Oh yeah, bring a saftey harness if you have upperdeck seats… and a beer hat. ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/9 "2003-07-16T17:17:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zoid \* > \*\*Sorry but this is wrong. > At Wrigly field if you’re standing at home and facing right field you are facing the lake which is definitely EAST. Facing left field you are facing north. \*\* I’m confused - so how is what **doctordoowop** said wrong? What you said seems to support his statement that ballparks don’t face _west_. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/10 "2003-07-16T19:11:06Z")
I know I’m correct- for all outdoor MLB parks. The batter faces East in each park-it could be southeast or northeast, but it is east. Obviously Minnesota & the old Astrodome don’t count, and the other parks w/permanent roofs-Tampa,Toronto too,I believe. ---
**Author:** ![More\_Cowbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@More\_Cowbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/More_Cowbell)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/11 "2003-07-16T20:31:40Z")
To see a diagram of which direction all MLB parks face, check out [here](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/general/facts/diamonds/index.htm). The link quotes the baseball rule “It is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East Northeast.” (Official Baseball Rules, section 1.04) However, IIRC, OLD Comiskey park did face the wrong direction. Home plate faced Southwest, with 1st base facing West and 3rd base faced South. When they build the new park, they had to get permission to change the direction of home plate to face the correct direction, which baseball granted. Unfortunately, this gives you a view of the projects instead of the Chicago skyline. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/12 "2003-07-17T15:56:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Barrytown \* > \*\*I’m confused - so how is what **doctordoowop** said wrong? What you said seems to support his statement that ballparks don’t face _west_. \*\* Sorry - my mistake, I thought the statement was that the ballparks **DO** face west. I appologize for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![snac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@snac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snac)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-celluar-field-white-soxs-home-park/188796/13 "2003-07-17T16:05:54Z")
Reality Chuck–you’re thinking probably of Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass. (Not all that far from you, actually.)