vintage95: It would seem to me that baseball was first played in fenced in fields where horses and cows would have grazed. So I've herd. A pen for bulls may have been attached to part of that fenced in area. And it behooved pitchers to warm up there. ofslugger: Those closers are pinned up in that pen for 7 to 8 innings just waiting for their chance to unleash their power, like a bull waiting for his chance to take out the rider. Can't buck that notion. Ronnie White: Actually, bullpen dates back the the ancient tradition of running with the bulls in Spain. I saw a movie about this. Before the bulls run, the villagers throw a huge celebration, which comes to a climax when the bulls are released. Steer clear. In modern day baseball, the game is seen as the celebration before the climax of the bull-like reliever coming out to finish the game. Unfortunately, as a Texas Ranger fan there is no climax and certainly no celebration. Poor little doggies. Mark A. Valentich: Quite simple: The founding fathers of baseball were clairvoyant. I see. They knew what "BS" Major League pitching would become in the next century. They smugly acknowledged this inevitability by calling the home of these BSers the bullpen. Where's the beef? William Tibert: In the area where the relief pitchers warmed up, Bull Durham Tobacco had giant billboard ads. Soon after, all of the relief pitcher warm-up areas were called bullpens. Bullseye!

Next, Answer Guy wonders if swimmers sweat. Got an answer? E-mail answer.guy@espnmag.com.