Southpaw

Note: This page links to southpaw, a term for a left handed pitcher. For the Chicago White Sox mascot, click here.

A southpaw is a left-handed pitcher. Before stadium lighting was readily available, ballparks were designed for day games. In order to keep the setting sun out of the batters eyes in the late afternoon, ballparks were laid out with home plate at the western most end and centerfield at the eastern most end of the playing field so the setting sun would be behind the batter. As a result, when a left-handed pitcher is releasing the pitch, his back is towards centerfield (east), his body is facing home plate (west), and his pitching hand is south.

Today ballparks and stadiums are built with the "prettiest background". See Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and the original Yankee Stadium as examples of ballparks that existed before night games and whose layouts served an actual purpose.