Fair-foul hit

From BR Bullpen

In the early days of baseball, it was legitimate to hit a squib that hit fair territory at first, and then rolled foul. That, called a fair-foul hit, counted as a hit.

Ross Barnes specialized in it until the league changed the rules following the 1876 season and made it a foul ball.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Robert H. Schaefer: "The Lost Art of Fair-Foul Hitting", The National Pastime, SABR, Number 20 (2000), pp. 3-7.
  • Robert H. Schaefer: "Bunts and Fair-Foul Hits: Who Was First ? Dickey Pearce or Tommy Barlow ?", The National Pastime, SABR, Number 20 (2000), pp. 8-9.

Related Pages[edit]