How would you call it?

Question

This is the first of two today an easy one...Runner A is on third base with one out. Batter hits a sharp grounder down the third baseline. Runner A retreats to third base with a headfirst slide to the inside part of the base (laying in fair territory). While touching the base, Runner A is hit by the ball. What is the ruling? Best answer gets 10 points!

Answer 1

I believe Runner A is still out. I don't think that's an attempt to move out of the way, but instead trying to avoid a run-down and potential out. The batter can't be called out. It can't be a dead ball base hit, I don't think. So, I say Runner A is out.  

Answer 2

Fair run... i say...

Answer 3

Fair ball. If the runner is touching the base and is in fair territory he is safe at third and the ball remains fair once it passes third or is touched by another player in the field of play or stops dead cold in the field of play. If the ball hits the runner while off the base the runner is out.

Answer 4

According to many baseball rulebooks from Little League to Major League Baseball,  if the runner is on the baseline between two bases and is hit by a baseball that was directly hit by a batter, that runner is out.  But since Runner A in your situation is on a base, he or she is safe on third base.  Think about it about other situations, let's say you are on first base and you have a lefty pitcher up (to make things interesting, let's say we have Randy Johnson for kicks).  Randy sets, and you take a 3 step lead with the first baseman getting ready for a pick-off throw from the "Big Unit."  Randy throws it but before the ball gets there you dive head first and safely get to first.  After touching first base, you get beamed by his pick-off on the head (sorry I had to make things dramatic).  You are safe.  As long as you are on the base and you are not a forced out, you are fine on third base.  

I hope that helps out.

Answer 5

Runner being hit by a batted ball that has not been touched by a fielder is normally out, unless he is on a base.  

Runner is safe, ball is live.

Answer 6

The runner is out.  Only in softball does touching a base offer protection.

Answer 7

Runner A is out, batter is credited with a hit. A base is only a sanctuary on an infield fly.

Answer 8

He is already touching the base so he is safe. If he was in fair territory but not touching the base, the runner is out. Batter gets a hit on the play.

Answer 9

Wow, everyone (except 2 people) got it wrong.

The runner is out IF the ball had not yet passed an infielder who had a chance to field the ball. IF the 3rd baseman was playing in, and the ball had already passed him, then the runner would be safe. However, since 3rd basemen rarely play inside of the baseline, I would assume that the ball had not yet passed an infielder, in which case the runner is out. The base offers no protection in this situation.

The ball is fair since it was touched in fair territory. It is a dead ball, the runner who was hit with the ball is out. The batter gets 1st base and any other runners who are forced to advance (because of the batter getting 1st) get to advance 1 base.

Here is the applicable rule: 7.08 (f)

A runner is out when:

(f) He is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an infielder. The ball is dead and no runner may score, nor runners advance, except runners forced to advance. EXCEPTION: If a runner is touching his base when touched by an Infield Fly, he is not out, although the batter is out;

Rule 7.08(f) Comment: If two runners are touched by the same fair ball, only the first one is out because the ball is instantly dead.

If runner is touched by an Infield Fly when he is not touching his base, both runner and batter are out.

Note that the exception that says a runner is not out if he is touching a base ONLY applies in the case of an infield fly.

Edit: for NY33: You are mostly correct EXCEPT that not everybody gets a base on the play. Only runners who are forced to advance because of the batter taking 1st base are awarded a base. For example if there was a runner on 2nd, but not on 1st in this case, the runner from 2nd would not advance to 3rd because he is not forced to move up by the batter taking 1st base. However if the bases had been loaded at the time, then the runners from 1st and 2nd would have to move up to 2nd and 3rd to make room for the batter at 1st base.

Answer 10

Runner is out unless it already passed a fielder, the batter is safe and everybody forced gets a base

Bah, I was about to edit the rule in, but smarta$$ beat me to it... smarta$$!

I said forced!  Well... I meant to.

Bonus part of the question for those still here to edit (I don't know the answer to this).  Bases are loaded, it's the runner on first that was hit... are the runners on second and third given a base because they were originally forced, or do they lose it because once the runner on first is hit, their force is eliminated?

Answer 11

As long as he is touching the base then he is safe.  No doubt about it.  THe ball would still be in play since he was hit while lying in fair ground.

Answer 12

The runner A is out!  My coach would say that if you're in foul territory, you won't be called for interference because it's not in play, but in this case it is!