# Baseball - why was Ballesteros out?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** baseball-mlb
**Created:** [September 19, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188 "2025-09-19T14:21:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188/1 "2025-09-19T14:21:13Z")
Cubs game Wednesday. Ballesteros on first, taking a lead. One out. Batter hits a liner toward right. Ball hits Ballesteros on the helmet, knocking him down for a moment. Ball dribbles into right center. He gets up and tries to get to second. Center fielder picks up the ball and throws to second. No time to throw to first to double up the batter. Ballesteros is called out. Ump thumbs him out at second base. Announcers say he was forced at second. I say he was out the moment the ball hit him, since a runner is out when hit by a batted ball, and I don’t know why the ump signaled he was out when the ball got to second, since he was already out What’s the straight dope on a play like this?
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188/2 "2025-09-19T14:31:54Z")
A runner struck by a batted ball is out on contact only if the ball has not gone past a fielder (and if another field plausibly has a play on the ball).
On this play (reddit link here: [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1nkpkjg/mois%C3%A9s_ballesteros_is_smoked_in_the_helmet_with_a/)) the ball had gone past the first baseman who was holding the runner and then was in front of the runner on the pitch. At that point it’s a live ball and the RF was quick to throw to second to get the force.
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188/3 "2025-09-19T14:34:03Z")
Here is the rule in question:
> [@](#):
>
> Rule 6.01 (a) (11) reads in part, _ **“It is interference by a batter or a runner when a fair ball touches him on fair territory before touching a fielder. If a fair ball goes through, or by, an infielder, and touches a runner immediately back of him, or touches the runner after having** _ _ **been deflected by a fielder, the umpire shall not declare the runner out for being touched by a batted ball. In making such decision the umpire must be convinced that the ball passed through, or by, the fielder, and that no other infielder had the chance to make a play on the ball…** _ _ **”** _
Lots more discussion, with some sample plays, here: [Runner is Hit by a Batted Ball. Safe or Out? It Depends... - Baseball Rules Academy](https://baseballrulesacademy.com/runner-is-hit-by-a-batted-ball-safe-or-out-it-depends/)
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### Author:  [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-why-was-ballesteros-out/1023188/4 "2025-09-19T14:48:46Z")
Beautiful! Thank you. After all these years - gotta be at least 40 - the SDMB continues to be an amazing source of knowledge.