Baseball Rule Clarification: Foul Balls & Tips Explained

Question
QUESTION: Tom - two questions:  (1) if a batted ball rolls foul and then back into fair territory before 3rd base and before being touched - fair or foul?  (2) first pitch of the game is a foul tip caught by catcher - out #1 or strike 1?  Thanks.

John

ANSWER: John

(1) Fair ball

(2) Strike One

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Tom - thanks for the responses.  Is a foul tip caught by the catcher only an out when it is the 3rd strike?

Thanks again,
John

Answer
John,

The short answer is yes.

Although the rule book defines a foul tip so that it is not confused with a foul ball, a foul tip is treated as any other strike.  The ball is live not dead like a foul ball.  This means runners can steal or anything else can happen that normally would happen when the ball is live.

Tom