fair ball or foul
by Richard
(south carolina)
Fair Ball
Richard asked: In the Cleveland/ Toronto game today Perez of the Indians hit a ball down third base line.
The ball hit in fair territory and went into foul territory.
Before the ball hit the ground in foul territory the third baseman fielded the ball in foul territory.
Why wasn't this a fair ball?
Rick answered: Richard, thank you for your question.
A foul ball is a batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that bounds past first or third base, on or over foul territory, or that first falls on foul territory beyond first or third base, or that while on or over foul territory, touches the person of an umpire or player, or any object foreign to the natural ground.
The play you have described comes down to, while the baseball had not landed on foul ground, it became a foul ball when touched by the third baseman, as he was in foul territory.
Yours in baseball,
Rick
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