Over the course of baseball’s long history, targets have occasionally been placed on the outer reaches of the field offering an incentive for players to hit them. The owner of a Brooklyn clothing store paid to put an advertisement on the outfield wall at Ebbets Field that read, “hit sign, win suit.” That sign inspired a similar one—“hit bull, win steak”—in the 1988 movie Bull Durham and the real-life Durham Bulls later installed the same sign at their ballpark.
The hot tub beyond the center field fence at the Salt Lake Bees’ home stadium isn’t accompanied by a sign promising a free Jacuzzi, but it still makes for an enticing target. In Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aviators, Salt Lake’s Chris Okey crushed a homer to dead center that some landed right in the open hot tub perched out there.
"It's a bath bomb for Chris Okey!" 💣- @slbeesradio pic.twitter.com/W2nC1MCTW0
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) July 21, 2023
Okey’s blast flew an estimated 458 feet and cut the Bees’ deficit to one run. They went on to win in extra innings.
There isn’t any information online about why the hot tub is out there. Is it an ad for a local retailer? Is it actually full of water for fans to relax in during the game? Is it just a giant bird bath? Whatever the reason, it made for a memorable home run for Okey.
