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 from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only." When two bases are awarded by either ground rules or the automatic rule, any baserunners ahead of the batter are entitled to advance two bases from their positions at the time of pitch. Only in the case of interference is the umpire vested with discretion to award more bases (see MLB rule 6.01). Application of the ground rule or automatic double rule can result in a runner at first base, who appears to have been able to score on a batted ball, being required to return to third base due to the ball going out of play. History In the early years of baseball, batted balls that cleared the fence in fair territory on the fly or after a bounce were counted as home runs. The rule was changed by the American League before the season and by the National League before the season. Baseball records did not differentiate between home runs that cleared the fence on the fly and those that bounced over. Notably, this includes most of Babe Ruth's career, including when he hit 60 home runs in 1927. The last "bounce" home run in MLB was hit by Al López of the Brooklyn Robins on September 12, 1930, at Ebbets Field. See also Four (cricket) References Further reading External links MLB Ultimate Ground Rule Double Compilation via YouTube Baseball terminology Baseball rules