HHH Wrote:
The relevent text on this matter is contained in JEA under rule 6.05g. Any fair ball that strikes a BR causes the BR to be declared out. In or out of the batters box does not matter. Keep in mind that 80-90% of the batters box is in foul territory, but under the rule if a player was crowding the plate and forward in the box, a ball hit off of his left ankle (OWWWW) would cause him to be declared out. The left ankle, in this situation, would be in fair territory.
Now, no umpire that I know would call this an out. Furthermore, the JEA has a note to umpires from 1942 which strongly encourages them to call this foul.
The key to your Big Dog's decision here is that it was a
BUNT. Had it been a normal swing, it would be unlikely that the batter could leave the batter's box before being struck by the ball over fair territory. It would all happen too quickly.
The usual interpretation is that a batted ball becomes a fair ball when it is first touched while on or over fair territory. Even if it is the batter who does the touching, it only matters where the ball was in relation to fair territory - whether fair or foul - when that occurs.
OTOH, the pro's have always taught that the
benefit of any doubt should go to the batter IF he was wholly
inside the batter's box when struck by the ball. THAT is the origin of your 1942 JEA note AND, coincidentally, your Big Dog's valid interpretation. Once the batter stepped out of the batter's box after hitting the BUNT then he forfeited his protection from being struck by the fair batted ball and so should be declared out.
So in your alternative scenario, where the ball strikes the batter in fair territory but INSIDE the batter's box, the
benefit of the doubt will go to the batter. Because foul lines don't continue through the batter's box, umpires can't reliably judge fair/foul inside, and at the front of, the batter's box area.
Bottom line: If the bunted ball was on or over fair territory when the batter was struck by the ball, and the batter was NOT wholly within the batter's box at that time, that's an out by rule. Most would consider the batter still in the box so long as both feet remain grounded on or within the lines of the box. Extra leeway is also given between the box and the plate because in practice those lines are the first to be erased by batters who are taking their stance.
All the same, if your batter had one foot entirely on the ground outside the batters' box when struck by a fair batted ball
over fair territory outside the batter's box after hitting a BUNT, then he's out under OBR 6.05(g) or the NCAA equivalent.
Here is JEA's Customs and Usage for Rule 6.05(g):
Customs and Usage: Professional umpires try to scrutinize the exact feet location of the batter when a drag bunt is attempted. In most all other situations in which the batter is hit with his fair batted ball, the ball is ruled "foul" if the batter is still within the confines of the batterÂ’s box.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
[Edited by Warren Willson on Jun 29th, 2003 at 04:04 AM]