Sunday, August 4, 2013

Minor Teague Ball: The One Pitch Strikeout and Ejection

HP Umpire Ron Teague awarded a one-pitch strikeout to MiLB Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks pitcher Nick Tropeano of the Texas League Thursday after Midland RockHounds batter Vinnie Catricala refused to step into the batter's box following a strike call.

Teague calls a strike on Carticala.
With none out and none on in the 6th, Carticala led off the inning by taking a first-pitch Tropeano offering for a called strike. After disagreeing and voicing his displeasure with Umpire Teague, Carticala stepped back out of the right-handed batter's box as Teague motioned for Carticala to return to his hitting position. Carticala balked at the request, uttered more words at Teague and Teague responded by calling strike two. 10 seconds after the batter first stepped out of the box, with Carticala still loitering outside, Teague called a third strike before ejecting Carticala, who broke into uninhibited argument after being called out during an at-bat that featured just one pitch.

In ruling Carticala out on automatic strikes two and three, Teague invoked OBR Rule 6.02(c), which states:
If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box during his time at bat, the umpire shall call a strike on the batter. The ball is dead, and no runners may advance. After the penalty, the batter may take his proper position and the regular ball and strike count shall continue. If the batter does not take his proper position before three strikes have been called, the batter shall be declared out.
Comment: The umpire shall give the batter a reasonable opportunity to take his proper position in the batter’s box after the umpire has called a strike pursuant to Rule 6.02(c) and before the umpire calls a successive strike pursuant to Rule 6.02(c).
In sequence...
1) Pitch #1 (and only) => Strike one call. Carticala argues, steps out of the box. Teague orders him back in.
2) Carticala remains out of the box, interpreted by Teague as a refusal to take his position in the batter's box.
3) Strike Two => Teague enforces the penalty of Rule 6.02(c) and again orders Carticala into the box.
4) Carticala remains out of the box, interpreted by Teague as another refusal to assume his position in the batter's box during his time at bat and after being given a reasonable opportunity to do so.
5) Strike Three => Teague enforces the successive strike penalty of Rule 6.02(c) and Rule 6.02(c) Comment.
6) Ejection => Following the strikeout, Teague ejects Carticala for ensuing unsporting conduct.

The crew at Deadspin drew up the video of the Teague/Tropeano/Carticala saga.

The one pitch-K was a feat first accomplished in 1945 by the New York Tea Totallers, who threw just one pitch to the opposing Gas-House Gorillas that resulted in a total of nine strikes and three outs.

32 comments :

Lindsay said...

After all the time he spent in Indy ball, this situation is no big deal to him. I'm glad he showed the balls to call the strikes.
It must have been bad since the manager didn't get run too.

Lindsay said...

Good for him....he needs promoted ASAP

Lindsay said...

I dont know how catricala stayed in after the second strike. Most people would have said "you cant do that," ump would say "I can," and the player would say "F**k off" or something along those lines

Lindsay said...

He just got promoted to the Texas league. Been there less than a month.

Lindsay said...

And you win the Internet, for adding a Bugs Bunny clip to this post.....for this, I salute you.

Lindsay said...

The pitcher used to have to throw a pitch for the automatic strike. I saw Shag Crawford call it

Lindsay said...

Part of me wants to say good on him for making the call, but another part of me really doesn't like this. To me, this isn't time wasting or "showing up an umpire" at the beginning (not counting the initial argument). It's having a close pitch called against you, and stepping out of the box to collect your thoughts and get settled again. It doesn't become showing up an ump until the umpire barks at him, which happens almost immediately after he steps out. If he'd waited before telling him to get back in the box, I wouldn't have as much of an issue, but he tells him to get back in the instant he begins to step out. Don't really think this was well handled by the umpire, but it may also be that as a former collegiate player, I'm coming at this from a different angle than most.

Lindsay said...

According to OBR, Rule 6.02(d)(1) states that the batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter's box THROUGHOUT the batter's time at bat,...except for 7 exceptions...a called strike is NOT one of those exceptions...this is why HP "instantly" told the batter to get back in the box

Lindsay said...

The article is wrong, he didn't enforce 6.02(c). The rule being enforced is 6.02(d)(1). The batter can't leave the box at all. He can't step out and collect his thoughts. He was told to get back in the box the instant he left the box because he isn't allowed to leave the box.

Lindsay said...

I'm aware of the rule. I'm also aware it is never enforced. Having a strike called against you isn't one of the reasons, but common sense would dictate that it's better to let cooler heads prevail and allow them a few seconds, especially if it's borderline. That is also what is seen most often. What's easier in the long run? Allowing them a couple of seconds in the hopes that cooler heads prevail, or enforcing your will with an iron fist, ensuring that cooler heads don't prevail.

Lindsay said...

I completely agree with you about this rule NOT being enforced all the time and it may be easier in the long run to let him cool off but we don't know what was said between the HP and batter that might have played a factor....I know MLB is trying to cut down on game times by asking MiLB and MLB to enforce this rule. This also shows that the HP is not afraid to make the calls that aren't the most popular and we know of a recent HOF umpire who had to follow the rules for a call...again, I agree with you that this rule is NOT enforced very often but the ejection will have merit

Lindsay said...

As I said in the initial post, I respect him for making the unpopular, and by the rules, correct call. I just think the situation was poorly handled. But again, as a former player, I'm biased towards a certain style of umpiring.

Lindsay said...

Here's a better dissection of how this went down, and the player involved. In a nutshell, Vinnie hadn't had a good couple of days, having kust been traded for "cash".

http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2013/8/2/4582814/the-anatomy-of-a-one-pitch-strikeout

Lindsay said...

To me the issue is that he didn't step out right away. He argued the pitch and then stepped out and refused to get back in the box. I have no issue with how it was handled.

Lindsay said...

And that sounds like it that would be the "certain rules for certain players" style of umpiring?

Lindsay said...

So now we want the rules enforced to a T? But we want to continue to let the umpires have discretion with their strike zone that, BTW, is spelled out too? Which one is it?

Lindsay said...

You realize the entire sequence took less than 20 seconds, right? Sounds like a long delay to me.. NOT.

Lindsay said...

Ok, then EVERY umpire who does not enforce this rule should be disciplined. It's the rule book that they are paid to know and follow. Why aren't they doing so?

Lindsay said...

He is either getting into the box or he isn't. He certainly had reasonable opportunity to.

Lindsay said...

Darryl Hamilton on MLB Network is a complete idiot. Eric Byrnes is not as bad but still not good. His insight on the games are awful, all he does is complain. He said "how do you miss that call" on a controversial tag play at second with Brian Knight in Anaheim. It appeared to be bang-bang but probably wrong. He was completely blocked by Aybar the second baseman and the tag was not definitive. Like too see that loser make the call and see what happens. And Knight even game Scoscia some slack-time for knowing he got in wrong.

Lindsay said...

Maybe you should ask them.

Lindsay said...

You seem to be having trouble with the difference between "intentionally getting it wrong" and "getting it right to the best of one's abilities." The strikezone thing is the latter.

Lindsay said...

That's a HUGE delay considering it doesn't take 20 seconds to step into the box.

Lindsay said...

It is enforced by everyone. This rule is not used in Major League Baseball. It's enforced all the time but you don't hear about it.

Lindsay said...

Was Dan Furino a former player?

Lindsay said...

Couple things. You don't see this rule enforced for a couple reasons.

1. Players almost always get back into the box when you remind them they can't leave. If they are mad, they do it begrudgingly, but they almost always go back to the box with at least one foot.

2. If you watched and looked for it, you would see umpires nearly every game gesture with their hand and calmly say something like "Hey bud we got to stay in the box on that one". Nobody notices what is going on, everyone knows the rule in MiLB. Sometimes it is an accident they forget and they come back in. In this case, he didn't want to. That changes the situation from an umpiring perspective.

Lindsay said...

I would say 20 seconds is plenty of time considering, as in this situation, no runners on base, a ball may be called if the pitcher does not pitch within 12 seconds of receiving the ball with the batter in the box.

Lindsay said...

Did this whole thing take lomg? No. Can you see the plate umpire instruct MULTIPLE times for the batter to get back in the box? Yes.

The batter is the dummy that wasn't willing to follow instructions.

Also lets npt forget that there could jave possibly been a series long issue with batters stepping out of the box. This could have just been the final straw.

Lindsay said...

Love how those minor league announcers pay attention to the game.

Lindsay said...

Manny Gonzalez has to leave the plate in the Mets/Rockies game after taking a foul ball to the throat on a bunt attempt in a scary incident. Replaced by Larry Vanover. The ball ricocheted off the bat and hit Gonzalez right in the throat in the area under where the mask ends. He immediately went to his knees in pain. The good part is he was able to leave the field on his own power, though he appeared to be light headed and had to be helped by the Mets trainer.

Lindsay said...

I'm gonna stay annon for this and for good reason.

I've known Ron Teague for a couple years now. He's pretty level headed, If you read his lips you can see him tell the coach, "I told him 4 times to get back in the box."

And it looks like that's exactly what happened. Teague pointed to the batters box at least 3 times before calling strike 2.



Sounds/looks like Teague handled it perfectly.

Lindsay said...

I have also worked withRon in the past. He is level headed and doesn't want a shit house. I applaud him for how he handled this situation.

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