Exhibits, Shows and Displays

What happens if a fly ball hits a outfielder and bounces into the stands?

It hits the fielder and bounces into the stands without touching the ground. Is it a home run? Ground double? What's the ruling?

Public Comments

1. ground rule double but i seen one b ounce off some guys head and was ruled a homer i mean when is MLB gona use instant replay
2. home run, has to touch the ground for the ground rule double to apply
3. It should be a Ground Rule Double. depending where it is I think if it is already over the fence when the fielder hits it then its a homerun if it hits the fielder inside of the fence then it is Ground Rule Double.
4. Its a home run. I know for sure because Jose Canseco did this once. Heres the video. http://www.buzzhumor.com/videos/3418/Jose_Canseco_Fluke_Homerun Does that answer your question?
5. Ground Rule Double or Home Run, I'm not sure. But It hurts and it's embarassing!
6. If it bounces over the outfield wall in fair territory, it's a home run. Canseco gave us the quintessential example. Dave Henderson had one (it clonked off his glove) in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, a goof for which he made up quite well with his own, majestic dinger a few innings later. If it bounces into the stands in foul territory, it's just another harmless foul ball. The defensive players are considered "in play", and a ball touching any number of them, before touching the ground or a wall, is a live, catchable ball.
7. home run. i've seen it happen when an outfielder tries to catch a ball, but it bounces off his glove and goes into the stands, and the umpires ruled it a home run
8. Since there is such a split among the answers I will put another notch in the Home Run column, as that is the right answer. I have seen a few examples of plays where the outfielder turned what should have been an out into a home run that way. One I remember was a fielder who caught the ball over his head a couple of feet in front of the wall that he then crashed into. The impact of the crash lodged the ball free which then dropped out of his glove on the other side of the fence. Time to touch them all.
9. it would be a ground rule double but if hes hit in foul terrotory then its foul
10. HOME RUN!
11. If it bounces off the fielder in fair territory and goes over the wall in fair territory it's a home run. If it bounces off the fielder in fair territory and goes over the wall in foul territory it's a double. It it goes over the wall less than 250 ft from home plate it's a double. Baseball rule 6.09.h (h) Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over the fence into foul territory, in which case the batter shall be entitled to advance to second base; but if deflected into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be entitled to a home run. However, should such a fair fly be deflected at a point less than 250 feet from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only.