Fair or Foul?

[JJ]

You won't find this "case" in the FED Case Book, nor will you find it in the Pro book. The answer lies in the definition of Fair/Foul. This is a ground ball as soon as it hits the rubber. The book(s) say it's fair if it passes first or third (which are 90 feet from home plate)or is touched by a player or settles on fair ground before it reaches first or third. Since the rubber is only 60'6", and the ball is caught by the catcher in FOUL ground, it's a foul ball.

In 20 years I've had this kind of play happen twice. First time it bounced UNTOUCHED into foul ground; second time, with the bases loaded and two out, it bounced back to the catcher who stepped up in FRONT of home plate, THEN caught the ball and stepped on home plate for the third out of the inning. When I asked him if he knew what he did, he said, "Nope..I just figured I'd catch it and try to get somebody out IF it was fair".

I actually do have this case explained in a Knotty Problems book from 1971 - it was recently posed to me and I scanned the page and sent it to the questioning umpire. I told him it was one of those situations that makes the rounds every couple of years...

GBA