left field
Behind third base
Left field is the area of a baseball diamond beyond third base, defended by the left fielder.
The phrase out of left field or from left field describes something unexpected, unconventional, or seemingly random: That question came out of left field.
The baseball origin may reflect how distant left field seems from home plate, making anything arriving from there feel surprising.
Not anticipated beforehand
- surprisingCausing mild shock
- outlandishStrikingly weird or foreign-seeming
- bizarreStrikingly unconventional
- randomOccurring without pattern
curveball · unpredictable · off-the-wall · unorthodox · oddball · quirky · eccentric · out of nowhere
Batted ball aloft
- foul lineBoundary marking violations
- line driveSharply hit ball, flat trajectory
- pop flyHigh, catchable baseball hit
- ground ballBatted ball bouncing low
double play · diamond · shortstop · sacrifice fly · home run · triple · error · inning
unexpected
Not anticipated beforehand
- surprisingCausing mild shock
- outlandishStrikingly weird or foreign-seeming
- bizarreStrikingly unconventional
random · curveball · unpredictable · off-the-wall · unorthodox · oddball · quirky · eccentric · out of nowhere · wild card
fly ball
Batted ball aloft
- foul lineBoundary marking violations
- line driveSharply hit ball, flat trajectory
- pop flyHigh, catchable baseball hit
ground ball · double play · diamond · shortstop · sacrifice fly · home run · triple · error · inning · dugout
- ballpark locationshome plate, first base, second base, third base, pitcher's mound
- outfieldRF, warning track, deep center, gap, alley
- Ballparkdiamond, dugout, home plate, bases, mound
- fieldsbiology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering
- Baseball Peoplepitcher, catcher, shortstop, first baseman, second baseman
- directionsnorth, south, east, west, right
left fieldmainstream
Dominant cultural current
conventional · expected · typical · usual · orthodox
left fieldright field
Baseball's far corner
center field · infield · home plate · pitcher's mound · first base
field, left, fielder, leftist, infield, leftists, outfield, leftward, outfielder