I bet you didn’t even know this was possible. Well it is.
In 2013, while playing for the Midland Rock Hounds, Nick Tropeano threw a first pitch strike and Vinnie Catricala disagreed with the call. Instead of throwing a fit, Vinnie took his time getting back in the box and the umpire invoked Rule 6.02(c). Which rule it that?
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.
And just like that, thanks to a bad strike call, Nick Tropeano became a part of history. Now let’s see if the nerds on the coaching staff can turn him into a Major League pitcher.
