It can, but nobody would do that as it would be cheaper to use a DB-25 connector and not use all the pins. If they went for the cursed true DB-9 they would need to meet the minimum order quantity for a special order, pay for the manufacturer's tooling, and any required certifications. If you needed the spacing between pins for some reason you would probably just specify the use of crimp-and-insert.
That being said, the DE-0 is real, but it can't hurt you.
While it's a common joke, not quite - if you're hit by baseball, your velocity does not change significantly as energy is dissipated in other ways, and the change in velocity of the baseball is a consequence of the lost energy, not a cause of damage.
It's just a filler that in the form of a DE connector with no holes for any pins. It was an old full-rack CISC AS/400 for what it's worth, but I scrapped it 30 years ago.
That being said, the DE-0 is real, but it can't hurt you.