Can stadium renovation help fans get inside opponents heads? Recent renovations to Clemson University’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium included relocating the visiting team’s bullpen to foul territory along the left-field line — and right in front of Tigers fans.
The move places opposing pitchers in a synthetic turf bullpen that's closer to the stands than the old bullpen, subjecting opponents to increased fan interaction during warm-ups. And that's totally by design, according to Athlon Sports, which describes the relocation as "strategic."
"The area previously occupied by the visiting bullpen is being transformed into a standing-room-only beer garden, allowing fans to enjoy beverages while closely observing and potentially distracting opposing pitchers," Athlon's Jeremy Lockett reported.
“We want the rowdy crowd, we want the beer-drinking crowd, we want people to come out here and have a blast," Clemson head coach Erik Bakich said, per Athlon Sports. "And the opposing pitchers are going to have to get warm right in front of that section.”
During a game Feb. 28 against South Carolina, Clemson fans heckled USC pitchers as they warmed up in the new bullpen location. “I don’t know if they even had security down there or not, but it’s unique," Gamecocks coach Paul Mainieri said in a postgame interview, after his team lost 5-3. "We expected our players would get razzed on some. They didn’t let us down with that.”
