Just this past weekend, MLB fans were in disbelief as longtime umpire C.B. Bucknor lost control of a game between the Rays and Guardians.
He didn’t exactly have himself a bounce-back performance on Wednesday.
Bucknor — who is among baseball’s least accurate umpires this season — was behind the plate for the Brewers’ game against the Pirates. The game saw the Pirates overcome a three-run deficit to take a 5-4 lead into the ninth. With the tying run on first and William Contreras at the plate with a full count in the ninth, it seemed like Bucknor just wanted to go home.
He called this pitch a strike:
Really? This is how it ends? CB Bucknor.
Brewers fall 5-4. It's not the only reason the Brewers lost, but frustrating it ends like this. pic.twitter.com/uK9jQGuhWM— Dominic Cotroneo (@Dom_Cotroneo) September 6, 2023
You always want to protect the plate if it’s close with a full count, but it would be awfully difficult to blame Contreras for taking that pitch. It wasn’t close at all. And yet, Bucknor called the pitch a game-ending strike despite it crossing over the left-handed batter’s box. Oddly enough, this was the second straight game where Bucknor expanded the zone for right-handed batters.
Brewers fans were justifiably upset to see the game end like that. They should’ve had the tying run on second base. Instead, it was game over.
This was how Twitter reacted
CB Bucknor has missed almost three thousand balls and strikes calls since 2015 and oh how I wish I were kidding. https://t.co/ycXOzyc3AH
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) September 6, 2023
Important context: 3-2 Count, runner on first. 2 outs. 9th inning, 1-run game.
Just horrible. I wanted Pittsburgh to win, but that's still horrible.#CBBuknor#umpshow https://t.co/vU4yO8V2cv
— Eric Loechle (@ericloechle) September 6, 2023
Wow. While the Cubs have built a 6-0 lead on the Giants midway through today's series finale, the NL Central-leading Brewers just lost to the Pirates on this called strike three. https://t.co/zj1LtQLvqS
— Ryan Herrera (@ryan_a_herrera) September 6, 2023
Can we please remove this guy from the game, why does he still need to be around? https://t.co/3K8TSBOTfd
— Down on the Farm (@downonthefarm12) September 6, 2023
jesus bring on the robot umps already https://t.co/z3ElnmmiTy
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) September 6, 2023
CB Bucknor is not a good umpire and hasn't been one for a long time. If no robot umps, bring on challenges with all the saved time the rules have given. #MLB https://t.co/RWbO2m4Qeo
— Rich Gapinski (@PolishedSports) September 6, 2023
CB Bucknor proves once again he doesn't belong in @MLB. That ball was 5 inches off the plate. https://t.co/8lWsUwelqu
— Jon Miltimore (@miltimore79) September 6, 2023
CB Bucknor deciding the outcome of two games this week is wild https://t.co/soZP8G23ge
— Nick Acevedo (@nace1995) September 6, 2023
Where are the robot umps @MLB? This is embarrassing. https://t.co/1EvOXreC5R
— Wisconsin Nation (@Wisco___Nation) September 6, 2023
CB Bucknor is in the same tier of umpires as angel hernandez. Neither deserve to call a baseball game at any level ever again. https://t.co/a2rgtzzk7S
— N☀️ (@nolan_boolin) September 6, 2023
According to Baseball Savant, CB Bucknor’s called third strike on William Contreras in the ninth was the widest miss on any called third strike to end a game with the tying run on base, at bat or on deck this year. pic.twitter.com/pHCPnpBof1
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) September 6, 2023
CB Bucknor really just said “ehh I got dinner reservations at 4:30” in a 1 run game. pic.twitter.com/WNLlzzeUtz
— Joel Penfield (@jtpenfield) September 6, 2023
