The bullpen is a symbol for the fenced-in area of a "bull's pen," where bulls wait to be slaughtered. Because the crowd were herded like cattle, this area was dubbed the "bullpen," a moniker that was eventually applied to the relief pitchers who warmed up there.
During the 19th century, when baseball games lasted several hours and required many pitchers, the most effective way to get ready in between pitches was to walk slowly around the perimeter of the field, tossing balls to work on your mechanics. This is why modern bullpens are located near the pitching mound—it's where all the balls are going to be found if you need help sorting through them.
Also during the 19th century, players used to eat lunch while sitting in the dugout, so the area was not initially intended as a place for them to warm up. But since warming up before a game improves one's performance and reduces the risk of injury, there was no reason why baseballers shouldn't do it too. So they sat in the dugout and chatted while eating their sandwiches.
Finally, during World War II, when baseball became America's pastime again after years of being overshadowed by football, the term "bullpen" came to also mean any enclosed area with windows where staff members could cool off or warm up before a game.
Latecomers to baseball games in the late 1800s were segregated into standing-room zones in foul territory. These men were often hired because they were less expensive than regular players and usually much younger.
Today's bullpens are more sophisticated affairs, but the name remains popular among fans and reporters. The primary reason is that journalists tend to cover sports stories in groups, so if one reporter gets scooped by another then they will usually call their sourcearder "bystanders" or "spectators", even though they are actually taking part in the game.
This group coverage is especially important when covering major league baseball, which is why journalists often refer to all of the teams' pitchers as if they were members of one big club.
It is also the case with coaches, managers, and trainers, who together make up the coaching staff. This group can be identified by its colorful headwear: coaches wear white hats, managers red, and trainers black.
Bullpens are used when the usual team is not playing due to rain out, injury, or some other reason and replacement players are needed immediately.
In the 1800s, prisons and holding cells were dubbed "bullpens" in honor of many police officers' bullish characteristics—strength and a quick temper. The phrase was later used to baseball bullpens. The bullpen is a symbol for the fenced-in section of a bull's pen where bulls wait before being brought to slaughter.
In addition, a team's relief pitchers are referred to colloquially as "the bullpen." When these relievers have yet to participate in a game, they normally wait in the bullpen rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. In addition, the starting pitcher completes his last pregame warmups in the bullpen.
Some clubs began to try out actual relief relievers. In the 1920s and early 1930s, clubs stretched their starting rotation even further, with as many as six pitchers getting major starts. Teams experimented with full-time relievers, but the majority of pitchers started and relieved.
The phrase initially became widely used just after the turn of the twentieth century, and it has been used in nearly its current sense since then. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "bullpen" was first used in baseball in a 1924 Chicago Tribune story from 5 October II, 1/1.
In the 1800s, prisons and holding cells were dubbed "bullpens" in honor of many police officers' bullish characteristics—strength and a quick temper. The phrase was later used to baseball bullpens. The bullpen is a symbol for the fenced-in section of a bull's pen where bulls wait before being brought to slaughter.
Each team often has its own bullpen, which consists of two pitching rubbers and plates separated by a prescribed distance. The bullpens in most Major League Baseball stadiums are located behind the outfield fence, out of play. However, during World War II, when gasoline was scarce and baseball remained America's past-time, military camps used their regulation ball fields for the duration of the war. These balls were made of hard rubber and had spikes on them to assist in keeping them off the ground. When the war was over, they were returned to Major League Baseball where they remain popular among children today.
During World War II, when gasoline was scarce and baseball remained America's past time, military camps used their regulation ball fields for the duration of the war.
In Major League Baseball, there are five pitchers in a bullpen: the closer and four setup men. Each pitcher is required to have an interpreter present during games he does not pitch in. This interpreter is there to help communicate with the pitcher if needed. In addition, all MLB teams have access to weekly translations of players' comments during interviews conducted by the media. These comments are used by managers to keep their teams focused ahead of game time.
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