Rules question about ball boys/girls

[Frobby]

For the second time in a couple of weeks, an Orioles ball boy touched a fair ball that bounced in his direction tonight and the ball was ruled dead when he touched it.

Unlike the other incident, this ball literally came right at the ball boy’s chair. He barely had to move his glove to a spot maybe 18 inches under his lap.  He was mightily embarrassed when he realized his mistake.   The other incident was more egregious, though neither was good and the the ball boy/girl supervisor really needs to call a meeting and let all these kids know it’s an unacceptable mistake.  (I saw another ball boy/girl do this in a recent O’s road game, I believe).

That said, here’s my question.  Assume the kid jumps from his chair and the ball either rattles around under the chair or ricochets off one of the legs and back out.   In either instance, Is that a live ball?

I think the kid is supposed to try to move the chair to avoid those scenarios, but I’m still curious what the ruling would  be.  

By the way, a few innings later the same ball boy did a nice job of snagging a foul ball that had bounced off the side wall and was about to go into the field of play.   The fans sitting over there cheered him, something I doubt they would have done normally but they did it to, quite literally, “cheer him up” after his prior mistake.  Classy move.  

[Legend_Of_Joey]

Per MLB rules online, the ball is live if it is “unintentional interference.”

[MurphDogg]

I feel a little bad.

I booed the ball boy early in the game for not hustling to get a ball that ricocheted back into the field of play. I told him that he would never be a ball man. Then he interfered with a ball.

Bad night for him.

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

I feel a little bad.

I booed the ball boy early in the game for not hustling to get a ball that ricocheted back into the field of play. I told him that he would never be a ball man. Then he interfered with a ball.

Bad night for him.

The RF ballboy who touched the ball two weeks ago had a bad day then too.  Let an easy one get past him into RF.  Then he fielded a ball and tried to throw it over the screen (which now extends past his spot) to fans.  And he didn't get it high enough and it bounced off the screen and came right back down to him.  Later in the game he made a routine play and got "sarcastic applause".

[interloper]

Y'all have strong feelings about the ball boys huh.

[GuidoSarducci]

If there’s any doubt they shouldn’t touch it… better to let fouls go if they think it might be fair then to interfere with a live ball.