Semifinals player props worth a look
This weekend’s baseball series in Nashville already has enough drama to last the weekend and it’s only Friday.
During the top of the first inning of the Vols’ game against Vanderbilt, Jordan Beck delivered a home-run shot over the right-field fence right next to the foul pole. As Beck was rounding the bases though, the Vanderbilt catcher noticed an irregularity with Beck’s bat. After a conference between the umpires, Beck’s home run was ruled as an out and his bat was deemed illegal.
Before each college baseball series, every team’s bats are inspected. If they pass the inspection, a sticker is put on the bat with the opposition’s logo signifying it’s legality for the series. According to the television broadcast on Friday, Beck’s bat did not have the proper Vanderbilt sticker, and instead still had the Western Carolina series sticker.
Right as the call was made, Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello was fuming as he made his way out to have a discussion with the umpires.
Tennessee just got called for using an “illegal bat” and Tony Vitello is fuming pic.twitter.com/qYbXT2DV9W
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) April 1, 2022
Tennessee Baseball: Series Preview – Vols Head To Vanderbilt For Top 10 Tilt
A few innings later, Vitello caught up with the broadcasters in the middle of the game and gave his thoughts on what happened.
“I guess the sticker came off during [batting practice],” Vitello said during the interview. “There was no sticker on the bat, you’ve gotta have a sticker. We’ve actually, since I learned that, we’ve got a few bats that somehow, conveniently, the stickers have come off. So I don’t know. I don’t even know that Jordan Beck should be at the University of Tennessee. He forged his transcript. He’s actually a 35-year-old man named Mike Honcho.”
What a deep-cut film reference in the middle of a Top 10 rivalry matchup. Hats off to you, Tony Vitello.
The Mike Honcho reference comes directly out of the 2006 classic Talladega Nights with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. During the movie, Reilly’s character explained a situation in which he used the alias of Mike Honcho while doing a photo shoot.
The game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt is currently ongoing at the time of this publication.
Tony Vitello with an all-timer explanation on why Jordan Beck's homer didn't count. The end is hilarious. #MikeHoncho pic.twitter.com/J4xIKfIq69
— Karthik Venkataraman (@KarthikV_) April 2, 2022
