1. It was a deep foul ball, and there was a runner on third who would have tagged up and scored if he had caught it.
2. No. If a player is ejected during the course if a play, the disqualification does not take effect until all action on the play has ended.
3. The score is 1-0. As soon as the first run scores and batter is safe at first, the game is over.
4. Yes. The umpire erred in calling the pitch too soon. The batter may hit a pitch even though it first touches the ground.
5. The home team wins 24-18. The home team doesn't bat in the ninth inning if it is leading at that time.
6. The minimum number of runs is zero. In odd innings, batters 1, 2, and 3 load the bases, and batters 4, 5, and 6 strike out. In even innings, batters 7 and 8 strike out, batter 9 walks and then gets out trying to steal second base after batter 1 is at bat. 7. The batter was automatically out when he missed the third strike, since there was a runner on first. The runner on first was free to advance since the ball remains in play, so the run counts and the team continues batting with the bases empty and one out.
8. Here is one possible scenario: Al got 25 hits out of 100 at bats for the first half of the season, and 175 hits out of 500 at bats the second half of the season, for a total of 200 hits in 600 at bats. Bob got 150 hits in 500 at bats the first half of the season, and 40 hits in 100 at bats the second half of the season, for a total of 190 hits in 600 at bats.
9. No. The called ball on the pitch takes precedence. Therefore the batter draws a walk, but the out due to the runner immediately retires the side.
10. There are no outs and runners on first and second. The batter pops the ball up into the infield, so he is out by the infield fly rule. The runner from first passes the runner from second, so he is called out. The fly ball lands on the runner from second, so he is out.
11. Yes. When a player is injured while a play is in progress, nothing can be done about the injury until the action is completed.
12. The 5 ways are: a) batter hit by the ball, b) batter walked, c) catcher dropped the third strike, d) catcher interference, e) pitch runner.
13. No. The ball becomes dead when it leaves the park and, when the ball is dead, no runner may return to touch a missed base after he has touched the next base. To retire the runner, the defensive team must have the pitcher put the new ball in play and throw to first base.
14. The fewest number of times a player can bat is once. A weather-shortened game is legal when 5 innings have been completed. Thus it is possible that a batter late in the line-up only bats once.
15. The batter is called out on strikes before the pitch hit him.
16. No, the home run counts. Fielders are not allowed to throw their gloves or other equipment at the ball.
17. As long as the play was unintentional, it is a live ball and play continues.
18. At the beginning of the game, he was batting 5 for 18 (.278), after 1 at bat he was 6 for 19 (.316), and after 3 more at bats he was 9 for 22 (.409).
19. Umpires are considered part of the field, so play continues.
20. No, the runner is a allowed to tag up as soon as the ball is touched.
21. Yes, but the pitcher is not allowed on the rubber without the ball.
22. 29. Each team plays 18 or 19 games against teams in its division. The American League West division has only 4 teams, so they might play only 6 × 18 = 108 division games. If each of these 4 teams loses every non-division game and has a different record, it is possible that the teams have only 29, 28, 26, and 25 wins, and the top team would be the divisional representative in the playoffs.
23. No. Runs only score once the batter makes it safely to first base.