what is the answer to this baseball question?..?

Question

i asked a couple of days ago,'' if a ball is hit to the outfield and hits the wall right below the yellow line,the player leaps up to make the catch.The ball hits the wall..ricochets off the player and goes over the wall''...what is the ruling?

i got 25 or so answers..half said home run,the other half said double.

what is the call?

Answer 1

If it hits the wall below the yellow line then goes over the wall for any reason , it touched in play then went out of play the rule is a ground rule double....

Answer 2

The call is simple. If the ball hits the wall first and then leaves the playing field it is a ground rule double. If it hits the player first and bounces off the wall and into the stands without hitting the playing field it is a ground rule double. If it bounces off a player and DIRECTLY into the stands it is a home run. Once a ball hits any part of the playing field it is ruled "in play". If it leaves the playing area after that it will be ruled a ground rule double (although there are circumstances when an umpire can award another base...but that is a different discussion).
An easy way to understand this is the same as a grounder that is just fair down either baseline and a fan reaches over the wall and picks up the ball...it is now out of play after first being in the playing field and therefore is a ground rule double. The same is true if the ball enters the playing field in the outfield, once it touches any surface inside the playing field it is a live ball and if it leaves the playing area at any time after it is ruled a ground rule double. So regardless of what happens after the ball contacts any surface in fair territory (not a player...a surface) it is a live ball.

Answer 3

Either Ground Rule Double or Ground Rule Triple, at the umpire's discretion.

Once the ball has hit the wall, below the yellow "home run" line, it is a live ball in the field of play. In fact, hitting the wall first automatically negates the play being a home run. Hitting the player and bouncing over the wall is the same as if the ball bounced on the field and then went over the wall.

Depending on where in the outfield this occurs, it will usually be a Ground Rule Double. But, if it happens in a field with larger right field dimensions, the umpires can rule Ground Rule Triple if they believe the players would have advanced 3 bases on the play.

Specifically, rule 6.09 (g):

"Any bounding fair ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over or under a fence on fair or foul territory, in which case the batter and all runners shall be entitled to advance two bases;"

Because it is no longer a fly ball, a home run cannot be awarded.

Answer 4

It is a double. Once the ball touches any part of the playing field in fair territory and goes over the fence it is a double. This includes the ground or the fence. At this point it is no long a fly ball but a bounding ball. If it had simply bounced off the players glove without ever touching the wall and then went over it would be a homerun since it would still be considered a fly ball. Or if it bounces off a players head then over the fence it's a homerun (ask Jose Canseco).

Answer 5

It's still a double because it has hit a boundary in play, if the ball escapes the field of play after that point it is ruled the same as a ground rule double. The exception is if the ball hits the player and then jumps over the yellow line when it might not have even been a homerun. (It happened to Jose Canseco in fact, great blooper highlight that was...what a goofball)

Answer 6

It's a double (Rule 6.09g). By definition, as it hit the wall, it is no longer a fly ball but a bounding ball. Where the ball to deflect off of the fielder without hitting the wall, it is a home run (Rule 6.09h).

6.09 The batter becomes a runner when-
(g) Any bounding fair ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over or under a fence on fair or foul territory, in which case the batter and all runners shall be entitled to advance two bases;

(h) Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over the fence into foul territory, in which case the batter shall be entitled to advance to second base; but if deflected into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be entitled to a home run. However, should such a fair fly be deflected at a point less than 250 feet from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only.

Answer 7

Since it hit the wall first it would probably be a Ground Rule Double. If it hits the player in the head (i.e. Jose Canseco) then goes in the stands
it is a home run.

Answer 8

It's a double. I cited the rule and gave you my credentials. I don't know what makes you think you're going to get any better answers by asking a second time.

And for those who keep talking about ground rule doubles, it is not. Ground rules are specific to a field and a field's unique characteristics (such as the yellow vertical lines at Fenway Park that distinguish where the stands or bullpen begins). And there is absolutely no such thing as a ground triple.

Br549: The bases are awarded from the runners' position at the time of the pitch.

Comment: Whoever keeps giving a thumbs down to my answer must have serious problems.

Answer 9

Since it hit the wall, it would be a ground rule double. If it had no contact with the wall, and only the player's glove, then went over the wall, that would be a home run.

Answer 10

It would be a ground rule double. If the ball hit only the outfielder and went over the wall it would be ruled a home run.