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{{short description|In baseball and softball, a pitched balll that is contacted by the batter's bat}}
{{good article}}
[[File:Casey McGehee 2009.jpg|thumbnail|right|upright=1.2|[[Casey McGehee]] on the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] puts a ball in play]]
In the sports of [[baseball]] and [[softball]], a '''batted ball''' is a [[Pitch (baseball)|pitch]] that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either [[fair ball|fair]] or [[foul ball|foul]], and can be classified by their trajectory such as "ground ball" or "fly ball".
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Fielders can attempt to make an [[out (baseball)|out]] by catching any ball hit in the air, fair or foul, as long as it is still in play.<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|39}} Balls that leave the field of play, such as by going into spectator areas or the [[Dugout (baseball)|dugout]]s, are out of play. For balls on the ground, fielders can attempt to make an out on fair balls only.
A batted ball that clears the outfield fence in fair territory is a [[home run]].<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|22}} Since 1931, whether such a batted ball is fair or foul is judged on its position when it leaves the field (that is, where it is as it passes over the outfield fence or wall).<ref name=BA/> Previously, the ball had to be "fair when last seen" to be ruled a home run.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111016451/babe-ruth-gained-four/ |title=Babe Ruth Gained Four |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |page=12 |date=January 25, 1921 |accessdate=October 9, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Also since 1931, the ball must clear the fence or wall on the fly to be a home run; previously, the ball could bounce over and still be considered a home run—such a batted ball is now an [[automatic double]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/al-lopez-hits-last-bounce-home-run |title=Future Hall of Famer Al López Hits the Last 'Bounce' Home Run in Big League History |website=baseballhall.org |first=Connor |last=O'Gara |access-date=April 16, 2020}}</ref><ref name=oldtyme/>
A foul ball normally counts as a [[Strike (baseball)|strike]] unless the batter already has had two strikes assessed against them, in which case the [[count (baseball)|count]] does not change. Treating foul balls as strikes was adopted by the [[National League]] in 1901 and the [[American League]] in 1903.<ref name=BA/> There are specific rules for foul tips and foul bunts, which are described below. In slow-pitch softball, a foul ball ''always'' counts as a strike, even when the batter already has two strikes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://static.wbsc.org/assets/cms/documents/5e85a934-d622-2bd8-62f9-854264607589.pdf |title=Official Rules of Softball Slow Pitch |page=57 |publisher=[[World Baseball Softball Confederation]] |date=March 2022 |accessdate=October 9, 2022}}</ref>
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[[file:Yadiel Hernandez (50336621713).jpg|thumb|right|An [[outfielder]] about to catch a fly ball]]
===Fly ball===
A fly ball is a batted ball hit in an arcing manner.<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|147}} Fielders attempt to catch fly balls on their descent, and an out is recorded if the ball is caught before it hits the ground.<ref name="flyout">{{cite web |title=What is a Flyout |url=http://m.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/flyout |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref> A fly ball that do not travel far, deemed an "infield fly", has special consideration as outlined below. Under early baseball rules, a fly ball caught on a bounce also resulted in an out; this was abolished for fair balls in 1864 and for foul balls in 1883.<ref name=oldtyme>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/10-bizarre-rules-from-baseballs-past/c-124363454 |title=10 bizarre baseball rules you won't believe actually existed |first=Chris |last=Landers |website=MLB.com |date=May 22, 2015 |accessdate=October 9, 2022}}</ref>
===Line drive===
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==Safety concerns==
Batted balls, especially line drives, can be dangerous to players, umpires, and spectators. There are myriad examples; several are provided below. A batted ball hit sharply at the pitcher is known as a "[[comebacker]]".
Batted balls, especially line drives, can be dangerous to players and spectators. In 2007, [[first base coach]] [[Mike Coolbaugh]] was killed when a line drive hit him in the head during a [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] game.<ref name="colbaugh">{{cite web |title=Coolbaugh, 35, Dies After Being Struck by Ball |date = 23 July 2007|url=https://www.espn.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2945798 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref> In 2019, a fan at a [[Houston Astros]] game required hospitalization after being hit with a foul line drive.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rieken |first1=Kristie |title=Child Hit by Line Drive at Astros Game, Taken to Hospital |date=30 May 2019 |url=https://apnews.com/e43808fd90ed46a9a08bc118f38fd71c |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref> In a 2021 minor league game, pitcher [[Tyler Zombro]] was hit in the head by a {{convert|104|mph|adj=on|abbr=on}} line drive, [[skull fracture|fracturing his skull]] and causing him to have a [[seizure]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32084290/durham-bulls-pitcher-tyler-zombro-remarkable-recovery-being-hit-line-drive|title=Pitcher Tyler Zombro's remarkable recovery after being hit by a line drive|date=August 26, 2021|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=April 21, 2022}}</ref>▼
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==See also==
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