Homerun

[Sosa]

My 14-year-old son plays for the city Little League and tonight he hit the ball. It went out of the field. It hit the scoreboard and bounced back in the field but was not a home run , wouldn't that be interference because if it wouldn't if I hit the scoreboard it would have went over the fence

[Tborze]

6 hours ago, Sosa said:

My 14-year-old son plays for the city Little League and tonight he hit the ball. It went out of the field. It hit the scoreboard and bounced back in the field but was not a home run , wouldn't that be interference because if it wouldn't if I hit the scoreboard it would have went over the fence

Possibly a specific ground rule for this park?  Or, someone screwed the pooch! 

[beerguy55]

7 hours ago, Sosa said:

My 14-year-old son plays for the city Little League and tonight he hit the ball. It went out of the field. It hit the scoreboard and bounced back in the field but was not a home run , wouldn't that be interference because if it wouldn't if I hit the scoreboard it would have went over the fence

The last thing it would be is interference.  It's either out of play, or in play.

If the scoreboard is in the field (either inside the wall or part of the wall) then it's not a homerun - it's in play - play it like it hit the fence/wall. As an example, a couple of decades ago Houston had a flagpole in center field, inside the wall.  If a ball hit that pole, even it was clear that the pole prevented a homerun, the ball was in play.

If the scoreboard is beyond the wall, then it should be a homerun, because once it touches anything beyond the wall it's out of play...doesn't matter if it bounces back in the field...no different than hitting the bleachers and coming back into the field.

However, even if it's just beyond the wall, by a few inches for example, the facility may have a ground rule that says the scoreboard is in play (provided the ball comes back into the field).

 

I have played in fields where the base of the scoreboard was beyond the fence, but the scoreboard itself hung over the fence, inside the field of play.

 

[jimurrayalterego]

8 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

The last thing it would be is interference.  It's either out of play, or in play.

If the scoreboard is in the field (either inside the wall or part of the wall) then it's not a homerun - it's in play - play it like it hit the fence/wall. As an example, a couple of decades ago Houston had a flag pole in center field, inside the fence.  If a ball hit that pole, even it was clear that the pole prevented a homerun, the ball was in play.

If the scoreboard is beyond the wall then it should be a homerun, because once it touches anything beyond the wall it's out of play...doesn't matter if it bounces back in the field...no different than hitting the bleachers and coming back into the field.

However, even if it's just beyond the wall, by a few inches for example, the facility may have a ground rule that says the scoreboard is in play (provided the ball comes back into the field).

 

I was of the opinion that a ball that hit the old scoreboard at Kokernut field was in play but others in an old thread convinced me to rule otherwise if they had it a HR as a ground rule. One example that convinced me was the netting at, I think, Wrigley. 

[beerguy55]

1 hour ago, jimurrayalterego said:

I was of the opinion that a ball that hit the old scoreboard at Kokernut field was in play but others in an old thread convinced me to rule otherwise if they had it a HR as a ground rule. One example that convinced me was the netting at, I think, Wrigley. 

the hybrid to what I said above would be those fields that have a demarcation line along otherwise uneven walls.  That netting/basket (or specifically the yellow line at the top of the basket) in Wrigley is such a line.

I "think" the old Kokernot wall had a line below the scoreboard.

[jimurrayalterego]

2 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

the hybrid to what I said above would be those fields that have a demarcation line along otherwise uneven walls.  That netting/basket (or specifically the yellow line at the top of the basket) in Wrigley is such a line.

I "think" the old Kokernot wall had a line below the scoreboard.

I'll dig up the thread with pics later but I think the scoreboard was inside and the lines were on foul poles that were inside.

[Richvee]

This is mandatory plate meeting ground rule for any field I've ever worked on with a scoreboard in the outfield. "Is the scoreboard a HR or a wall?"

[834k3r]

5 hours ago, Tborze said:

Possibly a specific ground rule for this park?  Or, someone screwed the pooch! 

My guess is both.

[SeeingEyeDog]

13 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

As an example, a couple of decades ago Houston had a flagpole in center field, inside the wall.  If a ball hit that pole, even it was clear that the pole prevented a homerun, the ball was in play.

Not only was the flagpole in play...the flagpole was at the top of a slight hill. (Almost as if it was planted in a second mound area in straightaway CF.) So, on a deep fly ball to CF, F8 would have to run up this mound to potentially make a play on a ball in play!

~Dawg

[LouisB]

Fenway used to have a flagpole in the field of play in centerfield.  Lots of strange bounces off that pole.  They eventually walled if off in 1970.

[Richvee]

On 3/28/2025 at 11:42 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Not only was the flagpole in play...the flagpole was at the top of a slight hill. (Almost as if it was planted in a second mound area in straightaway CF.) So, on a deep fly ball to CF, F8 would have to run up this mound to potentially make a play on a ball in play!

~Dawg

IMO, the last great stadium quirk. I used to love all the nuances of different stadiums. Now that’s an old man minority view. It’s all about equity now.

”He lucky they’re playing here. That ball is only a HR in two other parks. “

When I hear announcers say things like this after a HR, I cringe. They’re not playing in another park😞🙄

[orangebird]

5 hours ago, Richvee said:

IMO, the last great stadium quirk. I used to love all the nuances of different stadiums. Now that’s an old man minority view. It’s all about equity now.

”He lucky they’re playing here. That ball is only a HR in two other parks. “

When I hear announcers say things like this after a HR, I cringe. They’re not playing in another park😞🙄

I mean I think we're still doing better for quirks than when teams like the Reds, Pirates and Phillies all played in identical concrete circles using artificial turf

[Velho]

1 hour ago, orangebird said:

I mean I think we're still doing better for quirks than when teams like the Reds, Pirates and Phillies all played in identical concrete circles using artificial turf

 

 

[beerguy55]

On 3/28/2025 at 9:42 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Not only was the flagpole in play...the flagpole was at the top of a slight hill.

The first time I saw that hill my ACL hurt.