What is "sand-lot"

sandlot \sand"lot\, Sand-lot \Sand"-lot`\, a.

1. Lit., of or pert. to a lot or piece of sandy ground, -- hence, pert. to, or characteristic of, the policy or practices of the socialistic or communistic followers of the Irish agitator Denis Kearney, who delivered many of his speeches in the open sand lots about San Francisco; as, the

   sand-lot constitution of California, framed in 1879, under the influence of sand-lot agitation.

2. of or pertaining to a sandlot; -- used especially in reference to informal games played by children; as, sandlot baseball.

also sandlot, "plot of empty land in a town or suburb," 1878, from sand (n.) + lot. In reference to the kind of sports or games played on them by amateurs, it is recorded from 1890, American English.