Baseball rules (History)
Question
How has the rule regarding foul balls and number of strikes changed over the years? Has foul balls ever counted as a strike when there are already 2 strikes on the batter (with the exception of an attempted bunt)?
Answer
Roger,
Foul balls have never been counted as a strike on the third strike. In fact, the rules have changed in that foul balls used to not count as a strike at all.
The first change was in 1894. That made a foul ball a strike when the batter attempted to bunt the ball. In 1899, the rule was written that a foul tip caught by the catcher counted as a strike. Finally, in 1901, the current rule was put into place.
Hope this helps!
Brian
But some batters were so skilled at fouling off pitches, that the rule was changed in
catching a foul tip
Right Handed Pitcher Pickoff Moves