Rule 4.03 of MLB Rules (emphasis added): When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory. (a) The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher's box until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. PENALTY: Balk. (b) The pitcher, while in the act of delivering the ball to the batter, shall take his legal position; (c) Except the pitcher and the catcher, any fielder may station himself anywhere in fair territory; (d) Except the batter, or a runner attempting to score, no offensive player shall cross the catcher's lines when the ball is in play.
In response to yerfatma's question, I'm going to guess the putout goes to the fielder nearest the hit runner.
What did Keith Hernandez do to foul things up for everybody else?
Well, another brilliant idea is ruined, but thanks for the help. I appreciate it. And yeah, do tell about the Keith Hernandez thing.
From the mustachioed one's wikipedia page: Hernandez also revolutionized the position -- until umpires disallowed what he did -- by taking pickoff throws while essentially squatting in foul territory so that he could make tags to his right more readily. (Positioning oneself in foul territory is now illegal, according to official baseball rules, which state that all defensive players except the catcher must be positioned in fair territory while the ball is pitched.)
Piggyback: Who gets the putout when a batted ball hits a runner? Wouldn't that be the pitcher since he's the last one to touch the ball?
That's my guess, just too lazy to look and too stupid to know where to look.
Who gets the putout when a batted ball hits a runner? Everything I find seems to indicate that the putout is credited to the nearest fielder, but none of this is from solid sources.
It happened in the top of the 8th in this game. Posada was struck by a batted ball from Cairo.
To split a very fine hair, at the time of the pitch all defensive players except the catcher must be in fair territory. The catcher must be in his box. The time of the pitch is determined by when the pitcher is committed to deliver a pitch, not when the ball leaves his hand.
