# 2 super goofy questions about baseball rules. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151 "2013-02-23T06:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/1 "2013-02-23T06:49:46Z")
Marvel v.s. D.C. baseball game. #1) Superman smacks one so hard it flies out of the park and completely around the world and back into the stadium where Peter Parker catches it in left field. Is it a home-run or is Superman out? #2) Next time up at bat Superman smacks another one out of the park, assumingly around the world again. But this time Reed Richards stretches his arm and hand out, and 500 miles away catches the ball. Another home-run or is Supes out? ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/2 "2013-02-23T06:53:53Z")
Out in both cases because the player caught the ball in the field of play. It doesn’t matter where the ball is or was. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/3 "2013-02-23T07:05:00Z")
6.05 Abatter is out when— (a) His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder; Rule 6.05(a) Comment: Afielder may reach into, but not step into, a dugout to make a catch, and if he holds the ball, the catch shall be allowed.\*\*\* A fielder, in order to make a catch on a foul ball nearing a dugout or other out-of-play area (such as the stands), must have one or both feet on or over the playing surface (including the lip of the dugout) and neither foot on the ground inside the dugout or in any other out-of-play area. \*\*\*Ball is in play, unless the fielder, after making a legal catch, falls into a dugout or other out-of-play area, in which case the ball is dead. Status of runners shall be as described in Rule 7.04© Comment. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/4 "2013-02-23T07:20:50Z")
The two applicable rules are: 6.09(d): > [@](#): > > (d) A fair ball passes over a fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of 250 feet or more. Such hit entitles the batter to a home run when he shall have touched all bases legally. And 2.00 (Comment): > [@](#): > > A catch is legal if the ball is finally held by any fielder, even though juggled, or held by another fielder before it touches the ground. Runners may leave their bases the instant the first fielder touches the ball. A fielder may reach over a fence, railing, rope or other line of demarcation to make a catch. He may jump on top of a railing, or canvas that may be in foul ground. My answers are thus the following: 1. Here, it’s a home run. The batter hit the ball over the fence, but it was not caught by the fielder reaching over the railing. 2. Here’s it’s an out. Since, here, the fielder did stretch over the railing. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/5 "2013-02-23T08:37:12Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Marvel v.s. D.C. baseball game. > > #1) Superman smacks one so hard it flies out of the park and completely around the world and back into the stadium where Peter Parker catches it in left field. So, they’re using adamantium bats and balls, then? ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/6 "2013-02-23T08:40:35Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > The two applicable rules are: > > 6.09(d): > > And 2.00 (Comment): > > My answers are thus the following: > > 1. Here, it’s a home run. The batter hit the ball over the fence, but it was not caught by the fielder reaching over the railing. > > 2. Here’s it’s an out. Since, here, the fielder did stretch over the railing. Following the 1st rule, would example 2 not be a home run also?. The ball has long passed the imaginary 250 foot line, and the batter shall have rounded bases and made home. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/7 "2013-02-23T09:21:08Z")
> [@Jesta](#): > > the batter shall have rounded bases and made home. Superman could be running super-slow, right? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/8 "2013-02-23T09:40:33Z")
> [@Jesta](#): > > Following the 1st rule, would example 2 not be a home run also?. The ball has long passed the imaginary 250 foot line, and the batter shall have rounded bases and made home. The point of the 250 feet is that it’s a home run only if it goes over a fence or wall that’s more than that distance from home plate. A fly ball isn’t automatically a home run just because it goes more than 250 feet. It does sometimes happen that a fielder catches a fly ball after it goes over an outfield wall. This shows up in the nightly sports highlights several times a year. The batter is out in this case. Also, it doesn’t matter whether Superman can make it all the way around the bases before the ball is caught. This is not a timing play - the batter is out if a fly ball is caught regardless of when it happens relative to anything else. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/9 "2013-02-23T09:58:38Z")
There is an assumption that a fly ball that goes out of the park is a home run because it can’t be caught by fielder with both feet inbounds. Since the ball travels around the world in this case, it has to be going slower than escape velocity, which means it will take at least an hour before it returns to the park and is caught. I think it will be declared a home run before that time, and the ball will no longer be in play and can’t be caught. Thus it will be scored as a home run in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/10 "2013-02-23T11:58:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There is an assumption that a fly ball that goes out of the park is a home run because it can’t be caught by fielder with both feet inbounds. Since the ball travels around the world in this case, it has to be going slower than escape velocity, which means it will take at least an hour before it returns to the park and is caught. I think it will be declared a home run before that time, and the ball will no longer be in play and can’t be caught. Thus it will be scored as a home run in the end. Good point! And how can we be sure that the ball that returned to the park is the same ball that was hit out of the park? What if the ball only went as far as Japan where some other superhero hit another ball back this way? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/11 "2013-02-23T12:46:37Z")
Game room rather than General Questions. Moved. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/12 "2013-02-23T14:14:22Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > What if the ball only went as far as Japan where some other superhero hit another ball back this way? Hey, come on, be realistic! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/13 "2013-02-23T19:19:52Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > So, they’re using adamantium bats and balls, then? No. He’s using a bat made of the same material the [Supermobile](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermobile) was made. Believe it or not I actually had that issue when I was in high school. It was one of the very last comics I bought as a kid. > [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > And how can we be sure that the ball that returned to the park is the same ball that was hit out of the park? What if the ball only went as far as Japan where some other superhero hit another ball back this way? Please stop skewing my serious question with ridiculous tangents! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/14 "2013-02-23T20:35:05Z")
Wow, depending on who’s in the lineup, this could be either the longest or the shortest game ever. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/15 "2013-02-24T19:49:45Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Wow, depending on who’s in the lineup, this could be either the longest or the shortest game ever. I have an A-Rod! :rolleyes: **We have a Hulk!!!** https://www.youtube.com/embed/g-t4z7EZtfw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-super-goofy-questions-about-baseball-rules/651151/16 "2013-02-24T21:20:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There is an assumption that a fly ball that goes out of the park is a home run because it can’t be caught by fielder with both feet inbounds. Since the ball travels around the world in this case, it has to be going slower than escape velocity, which means it will take at least an hour before it returns to the park and is caught. I think it will be declared a home run before that time, and the ball will no longer be in play and can’t be caught. Thus it will be scored as a home run in the end. Not to mention that, as far as I understand it, all plays are final once the _next_ batter has come to the plate and either put the ball in play or makes an out himself.