“[I]n 1931, the American League made a series of rules changes which impacted the definition of “home run” so greatly as to render the above to penny-ante status. After this rule change, a ball which went over the fence in fair territory but landed foul would, as it is today, be considered a homer. Prior to that, such a swat was considered a foul ball — a long strike, debited from the batter’s allotment of three. Some researchers believe that the Babe lost as many as 75 (!) home runs due to this rule.”
