Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dave Reed
"First base and third base are anchored to the inside of line."
He means the bases are anchored in the usual positions, but the foul lines are incorrectly drawn so that the inside of the lines are placed at the outer edge of the bags. This is sometimes done because the field crew believes that foul lines are supposed to be in foul territory.
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I had a call that
didn't result in an ejection that was the polar opposite of this situation. The base anchors were too close to the foul lines, so the 1st and 3rd base bags extended two or three inches into foul territory. With nobody on, a bunt rolled up the third base line about 6 inches in fair territory almost all the way to the base, where just before the base it took a little turn, completely crossed the foul line into foul ground and hit the corner of the bag. I was only five feet away and ruled foul ball. The head coach and I had a little go-round, and although he was hopping mad ("How can it be foul? It hit the freakin' base!") he eventually accepted my explanation that the ball hitting a base being ruled fair presumes the bases are properly located.
During a little between innings conversation, he wanted to know how I would know exactly where a line shot over the bag crossed, and I said in that instance I'm just ruling fair because I'll be 90 feet away and won't be able to tell.
GarthB's ruling was correct. A ball that leaves the yard in flight over fair ground is a home run. That's what happened, regardless of where the foul pole is.