Throwing ball back from DBT = home run?

[Gfoley4]

Came across this article. http://www.golferswest.com/all-sports-opinions/buhner-did-what-torii-didnt/

 

Quote

It has been more than 16 years since the Buhner catch and he said, “I don’t remember that much about it. I just remember going over the wall, making the catch, climbing back over the wall and showing the ball.

“The funny thing is,” he added, “during pre-game stretching, Junior (Ken Griffey Jr.) and I had a conversation with (former AL umpire Durwood Merrill) and we asked him what the ruling would be if an outfielder went over the fence to catch a ball.

“He said, “well, son, if you go over the fence, catch the ball and come back onto the field of play with the ball, and show you have control of it, then it’s an out. Otherwise, if you are on the other side of the wall and throw it back into the field of play, it’s a home run.”

Has anyone heard of a rule or interp about this? I was discussing the Austin Jackson great catch yesterday and someone else brought up this article as evidence that if F8 threw it back from the bullpen, it's a HR. This is at Fenway Park.

[noumpere]

49 minutes ago, Gfoley4 said:

Came across this article. http://www.golferswest.com/all-sports-opinions/buhner-did-what-torii-didnt/

 

Has anyone heard of a rule or interp about this? I was discussing the Austin Jackson great catch yesterday and someone else brought up this article as evidence that if F8 threw it back from the bullpen, it's a HR. This is at Fenway Park.

What the umpire was saying was that if the ball came back over the fence not in control of the fielder, it would be assumed that there was not a completed catch -- so a home run.

 

and, yes, I recognize that there's lots that could happen beyond a solid fence that would result in a ruling that was not consistent with what actually happened.

[Senor Azul]

OBR 5.06(3) (7.04) Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when:

(C) A fielder, after catching a fly ball, steps or falls into any out-of-play area; 

Comment (Rule 7.04(c) Comment): If a fielder, after having made a legal catch, should step or fall into any out-of-play area, the ball is dead and each runner shall advance one base, without liability to be put out, from his last legally touched base at the time the fielder entered such out-of-play area.

Official Interpretation: PBUC: If a fielder while making a catch enters a spectator area due to his momentum, the ball is dead and all runners are awarded one base regardless of whether the fielder has fallen or remains standing. (2014 PBUC, section 6.5.5, p. 57)

[Gfoley4]

19 minutes ago, noumpere said:

What the umpire was saying was that if the ball came back over the fence not in control of the fielder, it would be assumed that there was not a completed catch -- so a home run.

 

and, yes, I recognize that there's lots that could happen beyond a solid fence that would result in a ruling that was not consistent with what actually happened.

that makes sense. I think I just read too far into it.