in order to tire the pitcher, also impacting pace of play. Safety concerns Batted balls, especially line drives, can be dangerous to players, umpires, and spectators. There are myriad examples; several are provided below. A batted ball hit sharply at the pitcher is known as a "comebacker". In August 1982, Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox left the dugout to carry a young boy that had been hit by a foul line drive into the team's clubhouse for medical treatment; the boy later underwent emergency surgery at a local hospital. In July 2007, first base coach Mike Coolbaugh was killed when a foul line drive hit him in the head during a minor-league game. Umpire Dale Scott had to leave a game in August 2012 after being struck by a foul tip while serving as home plate umpire, and also had to leave a game in June 2015 when struck by a line drive while umpiring at second base. In May 2019, a young fan at a Houston Astros game required hospitalization after being hit with a foul line drive. In a June 2021 minor-league game, pitcher Tyler Zombro was hit in the head by a line drive, fracturing his skull and causing him to have a seizure. See also Baltimore chop Batting average on balls in play (BABIP) Ground ball/fly ball ratio (GB/FB) Notes References External links Baseball Rules fair foul ball via YouTube Baseball terminology