Left Field Lounge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Left Field Lounge is the area beyond the outfield fence in Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium at Mississippi State University. It is truly unique in college baseball,[1] and has enabled the grounds to be named the "#1 place to watch college baseball" and among the "100 things you gotta do before you graduate" by Sports Illustrated.[2]
The famed author John Grisham is an alumnus of Mississippi State and avid fan of MSU college baseball. For the book Inside Dudy Noble: A Celebration of Mississippi State Baseball, he wrote an introduction about his time at MSU and in the Left Field Lounge.[3]
The Left Field Lounge started out in the 1960s with just fans driving cars and trucks into the area to watch a game. In the late 1960s, fans started bringing grills, tables, and ice chests full of drinks for a full tailgate party experience. At that time, fans would drive in before the game to set up their tailgates, and then take it all down after the game and drive back out. As the area became more popular, a line would form to get in before the game, the area would fill up, and some would be turned away. In a 2003 article by a Mississippi State alumnus:[4] In the early 1970s one truck driven to the Left Field Lounge would not start and was unable to leave after the game was over, so the owners just left the truck there. For the next game, the truck was still there, creating an automatic reserved spot. Other fans took advantage of this and brought in trucks and grills intending to leave them there. Some trucks that were no longer drivable were towed into a spot. To allow more fans to share a space, home-built seats and bleachers were built onto the beds of the trucks. Later, motor homes and flat bed trailers were brought in with more elaborate and sturdy bleachers. Eventually the university established rules for the cherished spots in Left Field Lounge. Spaces are rented for the season, and after all of the spaces are filled, those not receiving a space are placed on a waiting list. The trucks/trailers/motor homes must be on wheels, brought in by a certain day before the season starts, and removed after the season ends.
[edit] NCAA record attendance
The ability of the Left Field Lounge to hold thousands of fans has enabled Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium to hold the largest crowds in college baseball. Mississippi State currently holds the NCAA record for largest single game on-campus baseball attendance at 14,991, the largest SEC crowd for a 3-game weekend series at 29,915. They have had nine crowds over 12,000 and twenty-two over 10,000, including the NCAA's largest on-campus crowd in 2006, 13,617 for a game against The University of Georgia.[5] Mississippi State has all of the top 18 and 22 of the top 25 on-campus crowds in the history of college baseball.
[edit] Top crowds at DNF-PDS
| Attendance | Opponent | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14,991 | Florida | April 22, 1989 | |
| 14,378 | Louisiana State | April 16, 1988 | |
| 13,761 | Arkansas | April 25, 1992 | |
| 13,715 | Clemson | June 9, 2007 | |
| 13,617 | Georgia | April 8, 2006 | |
| 13,123 | Mississippi | April 15, 2000 | |
| 12,708 | Auburn | April 24, 1993 | |
| 12,620 | Clemson | June 8, 2007 | |
| 12,360 | Georgia | April 6, 2002 | |
| 11,763 | Auburn | April 12, 2003 | |
| 11,496 | Florida State | May 27, 1990 | |
| 11,174 | Florida | April 13, 1991 | |
| 11,127 | South Alabama | May 26, 2000 | |
| 10,958 | Auburn | April 9, 2005 | |
| 10,832 | Notre Dame | May 28, 2000 | |
| 10,688 | Washington | May 25, 1997 | |
| 10,619 | Florida | April 17, 2004 | |
| 10,588 | North Carolina | May 28, 1989 | |
| 10,382 | Florida | April 25, 1987 | |
| 10,324 | Kentucky | March 31, 2007 | |
| 10,284 | Middle TN St. | May 30, 2003 | |
| 10,050 | Alabama | April 10, 1999 | |
| 9,784 | Notre Dame | May 27, 2000 | |
| 9,593 | Vanderbilt | April 21, 1990 | |
| 9,264 | Louisiana State | March 24, 2001 | |
| 9,243 | Louisiana State | May 15, 1993 | |
| 9,184 | Michigan | May 26, 1985 | |
| 9,088 | Oklahoma | May 23, 1992 |
