batter accidentally kicks foul ball

[David Emerling]

I think the point of the interpretation that I vaguely recall reading (i.e. kicking the ball is always intentional) is that it is far too easy to "kick" a ball that is in your path and make it appear as an accident. It's easy to kick the ball without even breaking stride. This would particularly be the case on a ball slowly rolling near the 1st base foul line, in the path of the runner, when the batter is convinced he is likely going to be thrown out should the ball roll into fair territory. So he "kicks" it! Oops! Yeah, right.