My press seat for the World Series at AT&T Park is in the auxiliary box, way down the left field line in the upper deck. I never sat there before and I find it interesting, mostly because of the foul pole. I sit above the foul pole. I never have looked down on a foul pole before.

It’s windy in the ballpark and the pole rocks back and forth a few inches in each direction. I assume it’s built that way to give with the wind — that must make it structurally sound.

The bending back and forth raises an issue. It means the pole is not always in the same place. It is actually in many places. Sometimes the wind blows it an inch or two toward fair territory. Well, a guy could hit a ball that misses the foul pole by an inch as the pole is moving an inch toward fair ground. Another time that same hit might make contact with the pole if the wind is not moving the pole.

Why does all this matter? It matters because I always thought fair and foul were absolutely distinct from each other. Not really. What may be fair and a home run according to the foul pole one time could be merely foul another time.

As I grow older I realize very few things in life are fixed and certain, certainly not the way we want them to be. Add fair and foul to the category of things that aren’t as sure as they seem.