Batter Box Question

[T.J.]

Situation...
Batter sets up to bunt.
Batter bunts.
Ball lands and stops inside the batters box, but up in the front portion near the chalk line.
Freeze time before anyone moves....is the ball fair or foul?

Basically...How is a ball that lands and stays in the batter box treated? Fair or Foul? I ask this knowing Home Plate is considered fair and a good portion of the batter box is forward of home plate...therefore a percentage of the batter box area would be in fair territory. or is the entire batters box just plain foul?

I know the fould lines are actually "Fair lines" in fair territory....how are the chalk lines treated in the case when the ball lands atop the front line of the batters box?

Thanks,

T

 

[Comp]

As you said a good portion of the box lies in fair territory. If the ball stops in the box and is in fair territory it is a live fair ball

 

[quincy]

Does the runner have any protection if they kick a fair ball that is in their batter’s box?

 

[T.J.]

Does the runner have any protection if they kick a fair ball that is in their batter’s box?

I always hear the umpire call "dead ball" if the batter runner touches the ball while in teh batters box. The runner is never called out though.

 

[quincy]

Thanks, I think that is right too.

Since you brought it up I thought I would double check.

 

[ConorMacleod]

Correct on all accounts. Batter is protected if the ball hits them while they are in the batters box. If they kick the ball after leaving the batters box the runner is out, just like any runner on the base paths.

 

[chinamigarden]

While in the box if you (mentally) run the baselines all the way to the point of the plate, the line and the part that is in front of the line but still in the batters box, is fair. Including the part of the lines that make up the box which are in front of the baseline.

So to answer your question parts of the batters box which are in front of the plate and would be in front of the lines, are in fact fair. You can bunt a ball, have it stay in the front of the batters box and it is a fair ball. If the batter contacts this ball while they are also still in the box and it is treated as a foul ball.

 

[T.J.]

While in the box if you (mentally) run the baselines all the way to the point of the plate, the line and the part that is in front of the line but still in the batters box, is fair. Including the part of the lines that make up the box which are in front of the baseline.

So to answer your question parts of the batters box which are in front of the plate and would be in front of the lines, are in fact fair. You can bunt a ball, have it stay in the front of the batters box and it is a fair ball. If the batter contacts this ball while they are also still in the box and it is treated as a foul ball.

Thanks...this clears it all up, and what I figured was the case but worth checking.