The Passblast From 1874

The original rule was that a batted ball was fair fowl depending on where it first touched the ground, regardless of whether this was in the infield or the outfield. Some batters developed the technique of bunting the ball, putting a lot of spin on it, so that it bounded off into foul territory. This was hard to defend against, even when it doesn't go under the stands. The modern rule is that, if it first touches the ground in the infield, it is fair or foul based on where it ends up - not on where it starts.