Bouncing batted ball in Houston: HR or 2B? |
The Call: After 2B Umpire Jeremie Rehak's initial home run ruling and consultation with Crew Chief Bill Miller (working third base) and crewmates Todd Tichenor (HP) and Alan Porter (1B), Miller declared the play a home run, drawing a brief dissent from Indians Manager Terry Francona, and an immediate election to initiate a Crew Chief Review.
Bill Miller announces the result of a Replay. |
All jokes aside, there is no option C (instant replay) at most levels of ball, so knowing this rule is of great importance. Here's why this is a two-base award:
Related Post: 2B Bounding Ball Over Ground Rules-Less Kauffman
See Official Baseball Rule 5.05(a)(7) ("A fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands, or passes through, over or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to advance two bases"), which establishes that a bounding ball that exits the playing field results in a two-base award.
This is obviously not a traditional ball-hits-ground situation, is not covered by the Minute Maid Park nor Universal Ground Rules, and is not covered by the MLB Umpire Manual's interpretation that a ball which strikes the top of the wall and exits the playing field is a home run.
The top of the wall is in play until it isn't. |
SIDEBAR: A batted ball in flight deflected by a fielder into the stands in foul territory (to the foul side of the pole) is a two-base award.
The reason that a ball that hits the top of the wall and immediately bounces out of play is considered a home run even though the ball is not physically "in flight" once it touches the top of the wall is because MLBUM specifically interprets the issue of a ball striking the top of the wall and no further permutation or possibility. This same interpretation holds that the top of the wall is considered both in play (insofar as a ball that strikes the top of the wall and caroms back into the playing field is in play) and out of play (insofar that a ball that comes to rest on the top of the wall is considered dead).
For more on the top-of-the-wall interpretation, see this incorrect Replay Review decision from 2017.
Related Post: Replay Review, Ground Rules, and Levi's Landing (9/1/17).
Spirit of the Rule: An interesting note about related Ground Rules history pertains to a recent change to the Dodger Stadium ground rules, which suggests the spirit in which the home run rule exists. In the past, Dodger Stadium featured a ground rule that held that if a batted ball in flight hit any part of a bullpen gate in the outfield and bounced into the stands, the ruling would be a home run.
Illustration of Dodger Stadium's ground rule. |
As a result, the ground rule was changed to "Batted ball hitting bullpen gate in either left or right field at a point above the lower wall and continuing over the lower wall in fair territory: Home Run."
The purpose of this change was to bring the ground rule into compliance with the prevailing interpretation that a ball must achieve the wall's height in order to be eligible to be considered a home run pursuant to Rule 5.05(a)(5) [there is no minimum height issue for a batted ball deflected by a fielder, as in 5.05(a)(9)]. This explains why a ball bouncing into the stands from the top of the wall is a home run and why a ball bouncing into the stands after bouncing off the wall at a height below its top is considered a bounding ball and not a home run.
Minute Maid Park agrees: "Batted ball strikes higher wall or railing at a point above the lower wall and rebounds over lower wall: Home Run." There is no ground rule for a point lower than the top of the lower wall.
Without a Ground Rule to address it, as in KC, a less-than-top-of-wall-to-stands hit is two-bases.
Miller grabs the headsets in Houston. |
As far as Replay Review is concerned, this is a rare instance in which the Replay Official overturned a matter of rule interpretation, as opposed to a simple judgment call...unless, somehow, the umpires did not see the ball striking anything below the height of the lower fence-adjacent wall in right field.
That's Odd: Maybe this rule interpretation reversal has something to do with Miller's Friday snappiness with Houston's on-field Replay Technician...
Video as follows:
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