Question: where did the term out of left field come from

title: Out of left field
text: `` Out of left field '' is American slang meaning `` unexpectedly '' , `` odd '' or `` strange '' . The phrase came from baseball terminology referring to the area covered by the left fielder who has the farthest throw to first base . According to mlb.com there is another meaning : `` The term ' way out in left field ' is taken to mean ' crazy . ' '' Cook County Hospital ( by the West Side Grounds , the Chicago Cubs first location under what is now the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine ) had a mental institution behind left field , ( This can not be true . Left field was against Wood St . ) ( ... ) The bottom line is , patients could be heard yelling and screaming things at fans behind the left field wall . ' '' Variations include `` out in left field '' and simply `` left field '' . 

Answer: answer: ``Out of left field'' is American slang meaning ``unexpectedly'', ``odd'' or ``strange''. The phrase came from baseball terminology referring to the area covered by the left fielder who has the farthest throw to first base. Also Cook County Hospital had a mental institution behind left field and patients could be heard yelling and screaming things at fans behind the left field wall.
answer: "Out of left field'' is American slang meaning ``unexpectedly'', ``odd'' or ``strange''. The phrase came from baseball terminology referring to the area covered by the left fielder who has the farthest throw to first base.