The 1845 Knickerbocker rules...maybe you are exaggerating a tad..?
“The 1845 Knickerbocker rules...maybe you are exaggerating a tad..?”
Nope, not at all. These rules in New York were the fore runner of our baseball rules today. In this meeting in 1854, they further defined the effect of a ball that leaves the playing surface under rule 16:
“But one base allowed if the ball, when struck, bounds out of the field.”
https://www.vbba.org/knickerbocker-rules-new-york-1854/
The current rule now awards two bases from time of pitch and the bottom or behind wall of the pad is considered out of play which it touched and was resting against. This is the rule today under the last change in 1954.
However. due to the owners trying to make the fan comfortable with the rules they seem to look past the same rules for infielders fall out of play into the stands on pop ups thus carrying the ball into an our of play area. He was smart for doing what the current rule said to do. Saved a run.
wy69