About Geoff Expertise Huge baseball trivia lover! I will attempt to answer anything you can think of when it comes to major league baseball. I have a large reference library of all things baseball. Try to stump me!
Question say a player needs a triple still for hitting the cycle but hits a home run instead. can he stop at third even though the ball left the yard and not score a home run but a triple instead? the idea comes to mind too if Bonds hits #756 on the road instead of a possible preference to do so at home etc.
Answer Hi Doug,
Thanks for writing.
There are a couple of ways a ball player can prevent himself from being credited with a home run that clears the outfield fence. Doing so would prevent him from remaining on base though, and being called out instead.
If there is another runner on base, rule 7.08(h) states that if the batter passes another runner he is called out and would only be credited with a base hit for the bases he has already passed.
If there are no runner to pass, then rather than stop at third base, he would need to go from third base directly into the dugout. That way the umpires would rule that he "be called out for abandoning his effort to touch the next base" and would only get credit for a triple.
