Four foul balls after a full count

[Gary Dunaier]

I'm almost positive that sometime in the mid to late 50's, maybe only in the American League, and for a short period - maybe only a year or so, that rule was instituted.

It was the result of several consecutive years when batters would try to wear the pitcher out with fouling the ball off instead of trying to get a hit.

Unfortunately, the only substantiation I've ever been able to run across, was The Statler Brothers. That line is in their lyrics for "Do You Remember These?" "Four foul balls - yer out!"

Keep searching. Maybe someone else will remember.

After so much time - prior to john_doseph's post, the last post in this thread was 13 years ago (and the post I'm quoting here was written eighteen years ago) - and nobody having been able to present substantial evidence to the contrary, I highly doubt there was such a rule in Major League Baseball. The citation of a song lyric in and of itself doesn't mean anything, because the lyric could have been written the way it was in order to fit the song. Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" has the lyric "2-3 the count with nobody on, he hit a high fly into the stands," but nobody actually thinks in 1956 you could have a count of two balls and three strikes and still remain at bat to hit a home run on the next pitch.

A case could be made that such a rule - after a certain number of foul balls, the batter is out - could be implemented in the interest of speeding up the game. There would be a precedent, since a pitcher no longer has to throw four actual pitches in order for there to be an intentional walk, eliminating the conceivable possibility that a batter could swing at one of the pitches and make contact.

[john_doseph]

I was looking for something similar and came across this post, 6718 days later.

As kids in the early 1990s we would play with 4-fouls and you were out, with every strike counting. IE: if your first 2 strikes were from foul balls, you only had 2 left until you were out.

The weird piece of info I can contribute to this is.. we called it "Canadian rules" ???

[plask_stirlac]

Maybe it was for spring training, 90 minute game and get in a quick 9 holes afterward.

[Brian McKenna]

No way at any time was this silly rule instituted in MLB.

[dreadsox]

somebody's mom

I googled "four fouls & third strike", was directed to this site, and found that I (also being "somebody's mom") entertain the same (I guess) delusion, having a strong recollection of the "four fouls on third strike" rule. I too was an avid Redsox fan in the 40's and early 50's -- but I played kickball along with sandlot baseball so who knows.

[0077]

I just checked on the Rules through the 20th Century and I can't find anything about four foull balls and your "OUT".

I suggest the Poser check with ML Rules Committee?

I think your Mom was watching some local League that may have adapted said rule to speed up the game.

[Dave Cooke]

Four Foul Balls - "Yer OUT!"

I'm glad someone else remembers this.
I logged on to this site, hopefully, to substantiate what you purport (and your Mom).
Most of the (NO ALL) people I've talked with say the same as the people who replied to you.
I'm almost positive that sometime in the mid to late 50's, maybe only in the American League, and for a short period - maybe only a year or so, that rule was instituted.
It was the result of several consecutive years when batters would try to wear the pitcher out with fouling the ball off instead of trying to get a hit.
Unfortunately, the only substantiation I've ever been able to run across, was The Statler Brothers. That line is in their lyrics for "Do You Remember These?" "Four foul balls - yer out!"

Keep searching. Maybe someone else will remember.

[trosmok]

RE: Four foul balls after a full count

Several little leagues have used this "rule," but I would almost wager that four fouls is an out in major league kickball.

[bluezebra]

RE: Four foul balls after a full count

>Does anyone remember a rule from the late forties or early
>fifties that was if the batter hit four foul balls after
>reaching a full count, the forth foul ball constituted a
>third strike? If yes, can you give me a reference book to
>look at the rule? My Mom remembers this and she is trying
>to prove it to someone that thinks she's crazy. You can
>email me at [email protected] Thank you.

I saw batters in those days foul off a dozen or more pitches. I hate to dispute someone's Mom, but she's off-base. The only place there's a rule similar to this, is in some slo-pitch softball leagues.

Bob

[BASEBALL_TRIVIA_NUT]

RE: Four foul balls after a full count

[updated:LAST EDITED ON May-27-02 AT 08:22 PM (EDT)]>Does anyone remember a rule from the late forties or early
>fifties that was if the batter hit four foul balls after
>reaching a full count, the forth foul ball constituted a
>third strike? If yes, can you give me a reference book to
>look at the rule? My Mom remembers this and she is trying
>to prove it to someone that thinks she's crazy. You can
>email me at [email protected] Thank you.

BASEBALL_TRIVIA_NUT

No way! Not in the era of major league ball has there
been such a rule and I can say this without referring to the
rule book or any baseball reference, since such a rule would
always be cited to historians regarding strikeout records,
and the foul ball system you cite is never referenced for
the record for historians.

Before 1900, perhaps; in the decade after the game was
first started, perhaps; in softball leagues, perhaps; in
the women's leagues during the 40's, perhaps; in local games
in local communities by agreement to speed up the game, perhaps.

The above are all possibilites, since all of us remember as
youngsters changing the rules for various reasons to accommodate
conditions or circumstances - all are possible, and this may be
why the thought is presented in the question, so, one may remember
such a rule, however, such a rule never applied in the modern era
of major league ball - there is no record of it, and, all of us
can, in due course, look it up to confirm, but, you can bet dollars
to doughnuts the majors did not have the rule in its modern era,
and probably never!

I will try to remember to send the email and have a good one!

[rosedabose]

Does anyone remember a rule from the late forties or early fifties that was if the batter hit four foul balls after reaching a full count, the forth foul ball constituted a third strike? If yes, can you give me a reference book to look at the rule? My Mom remembers this and she is trying to prove it to someone that thinks she's crazy. You can email me at [email protected] Thank you.