No doubt, every youngster playing youth baseball or softball who has ever hit a home run, and their parents, has fond memories of the occasion. It is a moment of personal grandeur and satisfaction. Time fades to a blur as the home run slugger triumphantly enjoys the three left turns required to circle the bases and enjoy the back-slapping celebration given by his/her awaiting teammates at home plate. It is indeed a special moment.

Once reaching the Major League level, where home runs are commonplace, the first time the feat is accomplished, the immediate reaction of teammates is to retrieve the baseball somehow to provide a lasting memento of the accomplishment. Even if it is not their first home run, there have been many tales of players hitting a home run after they have told a youngster, a sick patient, or birthday celebrant that they would do just that for them.

For former MLB and Japanese League standout Tom O’Malley, currently the coach of South Williamsport High School’s softball team, that MLB first home run was something very special for the O’Malley family. Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1979, O’Malley made his MLB debut in a 1982 Mother’s Day weekend series against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. With his parents (Lois and Tom) in the stands, he delivered that memorable Mother’s Day gift. Now, 39 years later, the feat is often remembered and talked about.

Baseball fans are aware of many of the unique phrases that have been used to describe a variety of situations taking place in the game. One of the more famous is “Chicks dig the long ball.” The phrase comes from a Nike commercial featuring Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Mark McGwire. Actress Heather Locklear is shown giving all her attention to McGwire because he hits home runs, while she doesn’t care about Glavine or Maddux’s Cy Young Awards.

To the consternation of many, today’s MLB game features way too many home runs and even more strikeouts that detract from the action of the game. While home runs are much more commonplace than years ago, a home run hitter circling the bases is much more entertaining than watching strikeout victims trudge back to the dugout. As a matter of record, in 2019, there were 6,776 home runs hit in the Major Leagues; this compares to 5,528 in 1999 and a mere 2,730 in 1961 when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record by belting 61 over the fences.

Baseball announcers are often heard stating that when you come to the ballpark, no matter how long you’ve been a baseball fan, you are likely to see something that you’ve never seen before. Even with the preponderance of long balls clearing the fences in recent weeks, there have been instances that have left folks scratching their heads.

By MLB definition, “a home run occurs when a batter hits a fair ball and scores on the play without being put out or without the benefit of an error. In almost every instance of a home run, a batter hits the ball in the air over the outfield fence in fair territory. In that situation, the batter is awarded all four bases, and any runners on base score as well. The batter can circle the bases at his leisure, as there is no threat of him being thrown out.”

The use of the word “awarded” is indeed a bit misleading. There is a catch. The home run hitter must touch all three bases and home plate to officially score the run.

Earlier this month, Pittsburgh Pirates outstanding rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a first-inning home run off Dodgers’ pitcher Walker Buehler that barely cleared the right-field Clemente wall inside the foul pole. Not knowing the ball went over the fence, Hayes began racing around the bases until he saw the umpire’s home run signal. However, the Dodgers saw something else; Hayes’s failure to touch first base. They appealed the play, and Hayes was ruled out. No home run or even a base hit as he had not correctly touched first base.

On the very same evening, Kansas City’s top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. playing at AAA NW Arkansas, smashed a 430-foot blast over the left-field fence, but the umpire said he didn’t touch home plate and was ruled out on appeal. While there wasn’t a review process at the AAA level, camera angles showed Witt did step on home plate. An argument can be made that it is silly for a player to be called out after hitting a ball over the fence for missing a base by a small margin.

Three days later, Houston Astros’ second baseman Jose Altuve had one of the shorter home run trots in baseball history.

Playing in Minneapolis, Altuve hit a line drive down the left-field line that ricocheted off the yellow “foul pole” and bounced back to the field. Altuve was sprinting around second base when the umpires called “foul ball.” The play was then reviewed, and it was determined the ball was indeed a home run. The umpires then ruled that Altuve didn’t need to finish his home run trot, meaning he didn’t have to touch third base or home plate for the home run to count.

In this case, they definitely awarded a home run. Confusing scenarios, indeed.

Like it or not, automated umpiring will be coming to MLB. Be careful what you wish for.