Ruling on this play, ball hit down the line, lands fair bounces over the fence and hits the foul pole and comes back into fair territory. Let the play continue or is it a dead ball, ground rule double?

In most parks, the foul pole is behind (not part of) the fence. I'd guess that's the case here, because you said the ball bounced "over the fence."

Double.

If the pole is beyond the fence, dead ball, double. If the pole is in live ball territory, ball remains alive and in play.

Bob

Troy; (et al)

You know somehow, sometime those who chose the verbage in all the rule books will understand that small changes can bring about new and better understanding of the rules and how to apply them. If every umpire started to refer to the "FAIR LINE" and "FAIR POLE" it just might lead to better communication. We all know if a batted ball hits the 'line' or the 'pole' it's not foul, but fair.

Unless the ball touches anything (surface, structure, person, object) outside of fair territory then it is still 'in play.' I've worked at more than 150-200 sites and can only remember one time where the FAIR (foul) pole was not in live ball territory. In your example, if the ball hadn't made contact with anything and the pole is at the end of the home run line/fence/barrier it's still live. When the pole is beyond the home run line, etc. then I sure hope it was part of the pre-game conference discussion.

ED

Until Jim Mills chipped in, I was doubting my own memory of big-league parks, where, no matter how or where they go afterward, fly balls that hit the pole are home runs and bouncing balls that do so are doubles. Had I missed for 45 years that the poles were actually behind the fence and not flush with it?

If a bouncing ball that hit a flush pole above the fence could rebound back into play, why not a line drive that hit the top of the foul pole, 90 feet up? The screen hanging on the fair side of each pole would also have to be in play--it's flush with the fence, too. Jim Mills is correct: "above the fence" is the key.