A’s minor leaguer Vinnie Catricala strikes out on one pitch‏

Actually you should see him point him into the box, he chose not to do so. That's a strike, he tells him again, he doesn't, strike three. Then it was reported he used the magic word and was dumped. 

In Fed,NCAA and MiLB you can not step out of the box except in certain instances. There is an interp that says if he isn't delaying the game then let it go. If he is delaying the game, call a strike. There is also a rule that says if a batter fails to enter the box after being instructed to do so will cause a strike to be called. So these two strikes could be called for one of two reasons, probably strike two was for stepping out and delaying, strike three was for refusing to enter the box. The ejection was for using profane language. 

A couple other things apparent in the video.

 

After the first strike, the pitcher receives the ball and stands on the pitchers plate, ready to begin his delivery while the batter is still speaking to the ump.  The pitcher is still waiting when the batter steps out of the box.

 

After the batter steps out, the umpire motions toward the box three times while appearing to say something to the batter.  During this time, the batter looks away from him and begins his deliberate routine of unstrapping and re-strapping his gloves. 

 

After the umpire calls strike two, the batter continues to ignore the umpire and continues to fiddle with his equipment with the air of a man in no hurry at all.

 

Frankly, he looked like a petulant little kid making a show of not paying attention to his mom.

 

Then the camera cuts to the pitcher (a mistake by the TV production team because the action was clearly happening at home plate) and several seconds elapse before the umpire rings up the 3rd strike.

 

When the camera returns, the batter is still outside the box, having made no progress toward the box while the camera was on the pitcher.  

 

It looked to me like the player was determined to show the umpire up for the strike call on the pitch, and then he was determined to show him he was the boss and couldn't be hurried along.  

 

And the batter was absolutely right about who was the boss:  he conclusively proved that the umpire could not make make him step into that box.

 

 

Just to add to the above post, I read from someone who was at the game that he argued with the umpire during his previous at bat. If you think that it was too fast, then you have to know this.

The following was taken from the article;

“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).”

“Nine point four seconds. That's how long it took to turn Vinnie Catricala into an historical footnote.

3.9 seconds after Catricala stepped out of the box, the umpire invoked Rule 6.02 (c) and called an automatic strike. When Catricala didn't step back into the box, Teague rang him up. All told, he spent 9.4 seconds outside of the batter's box.”

 

Come on gents – the ump calls the second strike in less than 4 seconds and then rings him up 5.5 seconds later – less than 10 seconds from the time he first stepped out of the box.  Just because the ump had every right doesn’t mean that was the right way to handle the situation.  Arguing with the ump during the last at bat makes it look like the ump was gunning for him. 

“Perhaps it is better to be irresponsible and right, than to be responsible and wrong.”
― Winston Churchill

Two issues regarding the timing:

 

The 3.9 seconds from when the batter stepped out of the box with no authority are irrelevant.  That strike was for his initial refusal to get back in the box.  When he responded to the umpire's repeated gestures to get back in the box by unstrapping his gloves and looking away, that constituted a refusal.  

 

Whether the 5.5 seconds that elapsed between the second and third strikes is reasonable depends on the totality of the circumstances.  How far did he have to go to get back in the box?  What did he have to do?  What evidence did he give that he was attempting or willing to comply?  In this case, the umpire it was reasonable to give him about as much time as it takes to run from home to first base and then about halfway to second.  In that time, the batter had to take about two or three steps.  He took none.  Hard to argue he wasn't afforded a reasonable opportunity.

 

If the batter had been moving back toward the box and was pulling his bat out from under his arm or otherwise attempting to comply, you might have a case that he wasn't given a reasonable opportunity.  But when he makes zero effort to comply, he deserves only as much time as the ump decides.

 

Also, look at it from the perspective of the pitcher.  He throws a good low strike, gets the ball, steps on the rubber--and isn't permitted to pitch in his rhythm because the batter is standing in the box jawboning at the ump, and then he steps out without getting time.  The batter's theatrics had an effect on the competitive situation.  The umpire has to be fair to the pitcher, too.

 

So, what you are saying is that if you argue with an umpire, that umpire should not enforce the rules later when you violate them, to avoid the perception of gunning for you?

 

Great points Swampboy. Although, I'd like to see that person that can run from home plate halfway to second base in 5.5 seconds... 

Well, he can certainly get to first and make a wide turn!

PM when you get a chance and let me know how the job is going.

I had the plate for Nick Tropeano when he was in college (Stony Brook U.).  I have heard  many fastballs that hissed, but his slider was the first pitch I ever heard buzz as it approached the plate.  It sounded like a giant insect.

 

As for the batter, STFU and get in there and hit.  He had every chance to do that and refused.  Did the PU have a short fuse?  Perhaps, but the batter was the one who put a match to it.