Yes, but?
Thanks BJ. I can appreciate a liability concern as a reason, BUT . . . why not simply make all that area a dead ball area? Also, there's nothing to prevent a fielder from doing the same thing and conking another old lady on the noggin; all you've got is a dumb "ground rule" that says he can't do it. He still physically could. As for logic . . . the old lady could also have been hit by a thrown ball going her way without having caromed first. (An overthrow, for example. Or an errant foul ball.) I just think that you've got a nightmare to enforce. Would awards go from the TOP? TOT? How many bases? Would the offense be put at a disadvantage? Lots of questions; not too many answers.
It's never happened, but I suppose I'd grant 2 bases from the time of the throw and call it a dead ball.
Jerry
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