ElkOil

I agree that we weren't presented a conclusion and have limited information. My view is that assuming the ball is still moving is just as valid as assuming it isn't. I chose to answer based on the latter assumption in order to give an answer. When you read as many posts in the Ask the Umpire section, it's remarkable how so many simple questions get dissected to the Nth degree and we wind up calling a clear blue sky red and convincing ourselves it's true. We tend to over-think and over-analyze. I made an effort to simplify the process. When a non-umpire asks what they think is an easy question, we have a collective bad habit of giving analysis instead of an answer.

Given the brevity of the OP, I added some criteria that would allow me to answer the question. Read through almost any other post in this section of the forum to see that we all do it out of necessity because we are often asked incomplete questions. And given my initial interpretation of said incomplete question, and picturing what I can only imagine to be the type of play described as it was, I gave my answer. It sure beats shrugging and saying "I don't know" or "we can't know." Foul ball. It's even simpler than you describe.

Once it's called foul, it is foul. If the ball comes to rest untouched, it is foul. There is never a time when a ball sitting idly in foul territory is fair. You're adding confusion to a very straight-forward situation.

When a foul is called, the ball is foul. Particularly in FED, and the call cannot be reversed. The ball can be called foul at any point, but by Rich's logic, even a ball that is obviously foul and as I stated, has come to rest untouched and before reaching 1B, isn't actually foul unless it's touched or passes the base. Are you telling me that a ball that dribbles 10 feet from home in foul ground and stops isn't actually a foul ball because nobody touched it and it hasn't passed 1B? We would all call that a foul, and don't try to make me believe otherwise. I'm not citing any rule that says anything about a ball having a chance of becoming fair. But why do we not call anything when a ball is close to the line and wait for something to develop? Because there's a chance it could become fair. The inverse is true that the reason we call obviously foul balls that have no chance of becoming fair, foul, is because they are just that. The OP had a simple question. Why in the world are you trying to make it more difficult than it has to be?

Sorry, Coach, that's incorrect. If the ball is untouched and hasn't passed 1B and has no chance of becoming fair, it's foul. By your logic, if a ball is batted into foul territory and caroms off the dugout or wall, then comes to rest in foul territory, it's nothing. Plus, it is by definition foul once the umpire calls it so. In FED, this cannot be undone. Thanks for playing umpire. Try again next time.

Foul.

Is it possible you missed something, like the ball bouncing before the fielder caught it? Did you see an umpire make a call like a safe signal when the ball was caught by the third baseman?

Send them an email saying you're a Nigerian prince. They fall for that one every time.

Do you mean to ask if a ball held in a fielder's glove would be something besides a catch and instead be considered lodged in his equipment? If so, it's a catch. A ball lodged in a uniform or touched by detached player equipment is something else entirely. For example, if the player threw his glove at the ball or if a batted ball ran into his jersey and became stuck, then you'd have a lodged ball scenario.

Broken bones are weird like that. You can get hit over and over, then one time it hits you just right (or wrong) and something breaks.

Or why he had to leave the game for getting hit in the arm?

Depends on where the ball winds up. If it's a foul ball before two strikes, it's a strike. If it's a fair ball, it's in play. It's no different for having bounced first than if it didn't.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Kerwin Danley. The glass umpire.

I knew it.

Between the Pitch FX thing on the screen, the narrative on the CCS site and my own understanding of a strike zone, I have no idea what to believe any more. Next, you'll probably tell me Santa Claus isn't real.

I'm gonna go on record as saying I have no idea what I was talking about. Clearly. I'm back now. How have you been?

Since the ball is dead, the runners aren't required to tag up. They simply go to the bases they were awarded.

It's an out, but there is also a base award with runners on. Catching a ball while at least one foot is in, on or over live ball territory is an out. If you then proceed with both feet into dead ball territory, any runners are awarded one base. This is called a "catch and carry." To answer your question as to why it's an out, the answer is "them's the rules."

In fact, the distance to the bases is the ONLY dimension on the baseball field that has been exactly the same since the game was invented. The 90 feet is just as good now 170 years on as it was way back when.

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

You're on the field as an authority, not a worker bee. Your job -- what you are paid to do -- is to be the arbiter of the rules of the game. You show up, do your job by working with what you've got for better or worse, then leave. Period. To @noumpere's point, handling groundskeeping tasks presents you in a different image than the one you're paid to present. It can make you look overly involved in aspects of the game that are not under your purview, and that makes you look like a busy-body at best, which is a very small step away from full-blown smitty. Also, it shows up the groundskeeper (if there is one) and makes it appear that you are trying to do his job better than he can. As umpires, we draw the line when someone shows us up. Let's not do that to someone else.

The perceived lack of sophistication of my comment doesn't make it less valid. The fact remains that you've made this issue all about you and I find it implausible that you aren't a good enough umpire to overcome the color of the bases or grooming of the dirt. The rest of us seem to.

Gotta admit... I didn't see that angle coming. Bravo, I guess.

Different rule sets may have different criteria, but for High School or anything that plays under those rules, as well as OBR which many leagues play under, the ball remains live. Play only stops once the action ends and the umpire calls time. The reality is, once the player is hurt, the damage is done. Waiting the few additional seconds for the play to end doesn't endanger the player. Plus, it's good for kids to learn to persevere and play despite some pain.

Well, you know, it is all about you, so...