When I was a kid in the 80's, tickets were more affordable, lots of GA seating, and dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was taught that the true fans sat in the left field bleachers, and the casual fans sat in right field. At old Arlington Stadium, I seem to recall this to be somewhat true. There was more scorekeeping and baseball talk in left field, more beer drinking and carousing in right. Anyway, I'm pretty sure none of this matters any more (if it did then).

Did anybody else learn this growing up, and was there any truth to it, and if so, why?

I want to say that Wrigley Field is where the reputation of "left field" being more rowdy or blue collar than right field began

Isn't that exactly opposite of what the OP said?

I've never heard of any differentiation

Good thread so far

This is a new concept to me.

Watchlisted

I don't recall it being a blue collar/white collar thing. It was a time before cable, when the dedicated fans read box scores and listened on the radio every night. It was more a distinction between the people who followed every pitch versus those who were out for a social event.

We got HSE in 1985, I think. Hard to overestimate the effect that had on fans. It allowed everyone to be casual and informed. HSE was much bigger than Baseball Tonight, as far as I was concerned.

I always thought it was opposite. Whenever we went we usually sat in RF because it seemed like more of a party.

You just agreed with my premise.

You just agreed with OP. W had it backwards.

Correct. That's why I was replying to him.

I remember $2 tickets at the top of the outfield bleachers in Arlington Stadium. Some of my favorite memories with my dad up there in those seats.

Left field probably got more homerun action.

As far as infield goes, in most stadiums the 1st base side is in more demand (home team dugout, more action at first base, sun typically gone on that side first).

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As far as infield goes, in most stadiums the 1st base side is in more demand (home team dugout, more action at first base, sun typically gone on that side first).

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Certainly true in Arlington, but this is hardly universal across the league. Home teams sit on first base in 18 stadiums, third base in 12. Certainly favors the first base side, but not overwhelmingly so. I can't speak to stadium orientation, but the notion that first will be the first shady side in most is quite presumptuous.

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As far as infield goes, in most stadiums the 1st base side is in more demand (home team dugout, more action at first base, sun typically gone on that side first).

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Certainly true in Arlington, but this is hardly universal across the league. Home teams sit on first base in 18 stadiums, third base in 12. Certainly favors the first base side, but not overwhelmingly so. I can't speak to stadium orientation, but the notion that first will be the first shady side in most is quite presumptuous.

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For almost every team, if the home dugout is on the third base side it is because of the sun.

At Olsen....LF used to be a party that got shut down because the fat cats upstairs couldn't handle a few fires that got out of control. RF....a train track.

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Did anybody else learn this growing up, and was there any truth to it, and if so, why?

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Nope. Sat in the bleachers at AS a LOT -- all over the place. I was one of the few non-drunks.

I started sitting 3rd base side, upper area, curved to be between 3rd and left field. Only slightly more expensive than the bleachers and the best seats in the stadium in my view.

91, you mean that little section in front of the general admission bleachers next to the foul pole? We used to sit on the blue bleachers right behind that section and watch the attendants bust people trying to sneak over. Those GA seats were $4, but in about ~1985, they upped the price on the front section of GA, and the $4 seats were only above the outfield walkways.

Oh, and whatever faults that AS had, it had to be the best stadium in all of MLB for batting practice.

Always enjoyed drinking beer anywhere in the stands..

I remember the drunk fights that always happened in the outfield bleachers! Keep in mind I think beer was like $2 a cup in the late 80s.

The $1.25 ice cream helmets were more my thing.