Runners hit by batted balls

[LMan]

Originally Posted by Tabe

I have looked in the official rules on the MLB.com site and I can't find anything that specifically states a batter is out when struck by a batted ball except in cases of interference - which this wasn't - or on an Infield Fly, which also doesn't apply here.

7.08

(f) He is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an infielder. The ball is dead and no runner may score, nor runners advance, except runners forced to advance. EXCEPTION: If a runner is touching his base when touched by an Infield Fly, he is not out, although the batter is out;


note that, expcet for the IFF, there is no distinction between physically touching a base or not

[mbyron]

We might also note that it matters where the batted ball struck the runner. If the runner has one foot on the base (which is in fair territory), the other foot in foul territory, and the batted ball strikes him in the leg over foul territory, then the ball is foul. If it strikes him on the other leg and over fair territory, then the ball is dead and the runner is out. The batter would be awarded 1B if this were not the 3rd out.

Fair/foul in this case depends on where the ball is, not where the runner is.