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.