Take a look at the photo above, a shot of the Washington Nationals ballpark in D.C. Draw a straight line from home plate over the mound and out past the center field wall. See what’s there? Nothing. Just a big grassy area topped with a green billboard, no fans.
Most modern ballparks are now built like that, and some older ones, too. The goal: Give the batter a better chance to see the ball. If a crowd of people was in the line of sight — let’s say all wearing white shirts — a batter would have a hard time picking up a 97-mph fastball.
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