From the outfield terrace, which substituted for a warning track and caused many an unsuspecting outfielder to stumble, to the yellow line on the outfield wall separating home runs from balls in play, Crosley Field offered unusual ground rules in its 58 ½-year history as the home of the Cincinnati Reds.
One, a 5-foot-by-8-foot canvas shade hung to keep a street lamp’s glare from distracting hitters during night games, cost Harry Craft a walkoff home run in a 4-2, 11-inning loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 7, 1940. The shade, inadvertently left up during a day game, kept the ball in play and Craft was left on base.