Minor leaguer takes shirt off on field to prove he was hit by a pitch

One minor league baseball player went to extraordinary lengths this past weekend to prove he was hit by a pitch. In an Atlantic League game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and Gastonia Honey Hunters, Gastonia infielder Jack Reinheimer was drilled on the arm by a pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning.

As Reinheimer tossed his bat to the side and began to walk to first, however, the home plate umpire stopped him. There appeared to be some confusion on whether he had leaned into the pitch as officials gathered to discuss.

That’s when Reinheimer took matters into his own hands, taking off his shirt to plead his case and show the umps the mark where the ball landed. Somehow that did the trick, as he was awarded the base. The still shirtless Reinheimer trotted to first base having provided his point.

You can view the moment below.

The umps were second-guessing if the batter was hit by the pitch so he stripped down to prove it and they gave him the base 😂 pic.twitter.com/p5GbSBV4oT

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 27, 2023

It’s hard to blame Reinheimer for going to such great lengths to prove that he was hit by the pitch, especially with his team down 4-3 in extra innings. Looking at the replay, it seems obvious that the ball made contact with him, and it doesn’t look like he leaned into it that much.

Ultimately, Reinheimer getting award the hit by pitch didn’t matter, as Gastonia went on to lose the minor league contest 4-3. Lancaster secured a double play on the next at bat before then getting a ground out to end the game. Reinheimer finished the day without a hit, as he was walked in his only other at bat.

More on the career of Jack Reinheimer

Reinheimer played college baseball for East Carolina, after which he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He spent the first two seasons of his career in the minor leagues before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015.

Reinheimer made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2017. He was cut by the team that offseason and later went on to play with the Mets, Orioles and Twins before returning to the Mariners in 2021. He spent spring training with the team before being released and has not been on an MLB roster since.

Reinheimer then signed with the Honey Hunters ahead of the 2022 season and was named an all-star after hitting 12 home runs with 55 stolen bases. He then re-signed with the team ahead of this season.