Hitting a home run is one of the most exciting plays in sports. In most cases, it's obvious when a home run is hit because the ball flies over the fence and into a deliriously happy crowd when it's hit by the home team. However, in some cases the difference between a home run and a ball that stays in play is not quite as obvious.
Over Fence
When a baseball is hit by the batter and it travels over the fence in fair territory, that hit is declared a home run. On a home run, the hitter is entitled to run around the bases and all runners who are on base when the ball is struck are also entitled to run around the bases. In Major League Baseball stadiums, all fences must be at least 250 feet from home plate. The shortest fence in the major leagues is 302 feet from home plate down the right field line in Boston's Fenway Park.
Foul Pole
Foul poles are down both lines in all stadiums that have fences at the amateur, high school, college and professional levels. The name of that pole is a misnomer. If the baseball strikes the foul pole on the fly, the ball is fair and it is considered a home run. Many ball parks have a wire mesh on the inside of the foul pole to help the umpire make the determination of whether the ball was fair or foul.
Controversial Decisions
In major league stadiums, fans regularly sit in bleacher seats that are very close to the fence. In many cases, fans can reach over the fence in an attempt to catch a souvenir. That's fine when the ball is over the fence, but if the fan reaches over and into the field of play to grab the ball, the umpires can declare that the ball was not a home run. They can say the ball is a ground-rule double, award the batter third base or declare the ball an out if the umpire believes the outfielder would have caught the ball. In major league stadiums, umpires can use televised instant replay to determine if the ball was legitimately a home run or if the ball did not leave the stadium.
Inside the Park Home Run
Players can hit home runs without the ball leaving the ball park. Hard-hit fly balls that get beyond the outfielders and rebound off the outfield wall at strange angles can result in home runs. For example, the center fielder in Fenway Park can chase the ball to deep right center field. If the ball gets over his head and bounds 50 feet or more away from the outfielder, a fast runner can make it all the way around the bases. The ruling by the official scorer would a home run. If an outfielder made an error with a poor throw that allows a batter to run around the bases and score, it would not be a home run. If the official scorer believes the player would have been on second if not for the error, the ruling would be a double and an error, and not a home run.
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