Answer to "Fair or Foul?"

Answer to Fair or Foul...

Scenario 1. A batter hits a very hard hit line drive ball back to the pitcher. It strikes him in the foot with such force that it careens off his foot lands near the on deck circle on the first base side and bounces into the stands. Is the ball fair or foul? What do you rule?

ANSWER: The ball is fair and in fact the batter is awarded a ground rule double. Once the ball touched the pitcher in fair territory, the ball is both alive and fair.

Scenario 2. Similar to scenario 1 above, only this time the hard hit line drive strikes the home plate rubber before careening off onto the on deck circle and into the stands. What's the call here?

ANSWER: Here it is simply a foul ball. The ball never went beyond first or third base in fair territory and was never touched by a player.