This is the third question in a series of baseball rule questions that will be posted on this website:
Q #3: The runner on first base is stealing on the pitch. The batter foul tips the pitch (directly into the catcher's glove) to make the count 1-1. Does the runner have to return to first or can he remain on second with a stolen base?
A #3: The runner remains on second base. There is nothing foul about a foul-tip. If the ball nicks the bat and goes sharp and direct to the catcher's hand or glove and is caught, this is a foul-tip by definition. A foul-tip is a strike and the ball is alive. It is the same as a swing-and-miss. If the ball is not caught, it is a foul ball. If the nicked pitch first hits the catcher somewhere other than the hand or glove, it is not a foul-tip, it is a foul ball.
The next baseball rule question will be posted in a few days...
