On the campus of the UIC Medical Center on the near west side of Chicago, this plaque marks an important piece of baseball history. Before the Cubs were even the Cubs, this is where they played. It is also the site of their last World Series winning season in 1908 (sigh!). As the plaque explains, this is where the phrase "out in left field" originated. I heard a different and more interesting version of the story from an older gentleman (a doctor, i think), who saw me taking this picture and stopped to chat. He told me that there used to be a mental institution beyond left field, and that's how the phrase originated to describe something irrational or a little cray-cray. I don't know if it's true, but it's a great story.
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