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Saturday, February 25, 2023

Cardinals’ Oliver Marmol: Umpire C.B. Bucknor ‘has zero class’

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said umpire C.B. Bucknor “has zero class” for refusing to shake his hand during the lineup card exchange at home plate before a game against the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

Marmol was seeing Bucknor for the first time since being ejected in a contentious dispute Aug. 21 in Arizona.

“I went into that game pretty certain of my thoughts on him as an umpire,” the Cardinals’ second-year manager said. “They weren’t very good and it shows his lack of class as a man. I chose my words wisely. I just don’t think he’s good at his job and it just showed his lack of class as a man.”

Marmol did shake hands with the other three umps—Ron Kulpa, Angel Hernandez and Carlos Torres.

Marmol was ejected last year in the final game of a series after protesting a strike call by Bucknor against Nolan Arenado, with each loudly questioning the other’s “time in the league.”

“It’s not an olive branch,” Marmol said. “It’s just respect. You can have disagreements. You still go to home plate. Anytime I get thrown out of a game, I will go to home plate the next day for that very purpose. It’s unfortunate.

“I went out to home to shake his hand. He didn’t want to. He has zero class.”

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: February 25, 2023 at 11:13 PM | 14 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: cb bucknor, oliver marmol

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   1. shoelesjoe Posted: February 26, 2023 at 01:47 AM (#6118643)
Marmol did shake hands with the other three umps -- Ron Kulpa, Angel Hernandez and Carlos Torres.


They put C.B. Bucknor and Angel Hernandez in the same umpiring crew? That's brutal, even for a Spring Training game.

   2. vortex of dissipation Posted: February 26, 2023 at 02:06 AM (#6118644)
It's the umpire's job to call each game individually, hand out whatever penalties are necessary, and then start the next game with a clean slate, treating everybody equally. If an umpire displays a grudge, especially over an incident that happened several months previously, he's not doing his job.
   3. cHiEf iMpaCt oFfiCEr JE Posted: February 26, 2023 at 05:15 AM (#6118653)
They put C.B. Bucknor and Angel Hernandez in the same umpiring crew? That's brutal, even for a Spring Training game.
Never mind the Cardinals and Nationals personnel, will someone please start a GoFundMe page for Kulpa and Torres?
   4. The Duke Posted: February 26, 2023 at 10:11 AM (#6118673)
2. Exactly. It's part of the job description not to hold a grudge
   5. winnipegwhip Posted: February 26, 2023 at 12:52 PM (#6118698)
#1 ....my first thoughts as well. The end is near if two horses of the apocalypse are seen together.
   6. Misirlou cut his hair and moved to Rome Posted: February 26, 2023 at 05:04 PM (#6118756)
It's the umpire's job to call each game individually, hand out whatever penalties are necessary, and then start the next game with a clean slate, treating everybody equally. If an umpire displays a grudge, especially over an incident that happened several months previously, he's not doing his job.


The same goes for a manager. I was a HS ump. One time at the plate conference, the head coach wanted to continue arguing a call made in a previous game*. He had video evidence that I was wrong and did I want to see it. I told him one more word about it and he would be gone.

* A game his team lost by mercy rule. The score was 18-0 at the time of the alleged bad call. He might have lost 18-1 had the call gone in his favor.
   7. Jeff Francoeur's OPS Posted: February 26, 2023 at 05:42 PM (#6118761)
Hell, when I was growing up, one Little League coach called the other's wife a b*tch clear across the field.
   8. Howie Menckel Posted: February 26, 2023 at 06:26 PM (#6118764)
since Bucknor has such a grudge, maybe MLB should remove him without pay from every Diamondbacks game he otherwise would be assigned this season (and maybe beyond, if he sticks to his attitude).

I can't imagine the replacement ump would be any worse, and this way Bucknor doesn't have to pass up any more handshakes. win win win !
   9. John Northey Posted: February 26, 2023 at 11:34 PM (#6118794)
It does sound like there is a potential major problem here. If Bucknor can't grow up and move on after a game then he has to be removed or placed on leave. I get not wanting to shake hands immediately after a game, but the next day? C'mon. Even in my kids hockey league where tempers flare up you don't see that.
   10. shoelesjoe Posted: February 27, 2023 at 01:14 AM (#6118799)
I get not wanting to shake hands immediately after a game, but the next day?


The next day? Bucknor had his argument with the Cardinals' manager six freakin' months ago! As an umpire he's always been mediocrity personified, so maybe MLB should use this situation to suspend or fire him.
   11. winnipegwhip Posted: February 27, 2023 at 09:58 AM (#6118822)
Marmol should not have complained to the media about this and rather voiced these concerns to the MLB authorities.

Going forward Marmol refuses to shake Bucknor's hand and I believe CB would either eject or complain about it. Bur Marmol's complaint is already on record with MLB.
   12. Cris E Posted: February 27, 2023 at 03:34 PM (#6118885)
Agree with Whip: Marmol has put Bucknor in a no-win spot right now. Of course if this was a matter of actual class Marmol would be making more effort at being the bigger man, not pointing out how small Bucknor is.
   13. A triple short of the cycle Posted: February 27, 2023 at 04:20 PM (#6118901)
He missed his opportunity for a Fat Albert reference.
   14. cardsfanboy Posted: February 28, 2023 at 11:14 PM (#6119112)
They did shake hands today (or yesterday, time flies when you are old and don't care anymore)

I still think Bucknor is a crappy umpire, and if the league isn't going to robo ump, at the very least get rid of the crappy umps, or at least make "plate assignments" a privileged job with a bonus pay and limit the crappy ones from there.

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