2026 MLB Season

[Zelda Zonk]

Red had bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count.

CB Buckner rung up Eugenio Suarez on a missed strike three call. Appealed. Shown to have been outside by 2 inches.

Next pitch, he rings him up again. Appealed. Ump was wrong again. Low.

It’s insane. It’s maybe worse to have the challenges now. Maybe it’s just CB Buckner. In this same half of the inning, he probably missed several other calls that were just not appealed because the situation didn’t warrant it. He’s awful and represents all the reasons why we need a challenge system.

 

[MSOrange]

Red had bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count.

CB Buckner rung up Eugenio Suarez on a missed strike three call. Appealed. Shown to have been outside by 2 inches.

Next pitch, he rings him up again. Appealed. Ump was wrong again. Low.

It’s insane. It’s maybe worse to have the challenges now. Maybe it’s just CB Buckner. In this same half of the inning, he probably missed several other calls that were just not appealed because the situation didn’t warrant it. He’s awful and represents all the reasons why we need a challenge system.

Bucknor is awful. One of the worst, if not the worst umpires. I think you have to look at a non-CB game to get a true feel of how the system is working.

 

[sutomcat]

Red had bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count.

CB Buckner rung up Eugenio Suarez on a missed strike three call. Appealed. Shown to have been outside by 2 inches.

Next pitch, he rings him up again. Appealed. Ump was wrong again. Low.

It’s insane. It’s maybe worse to have the challenges now. Maybe it’s just CB Buckner. In this same half of the inning, he probably missed several other calls that were just not appealed because the situation didn’t warrant it. He’s awful and represents all the reasons why we need a challenge system.

The Reds appealed 5 of his calls. All were overturned.

Also blew a call on a check swing and refused to check with the first base ump, who would have overruled him again.

He should be suspended and if he does this again, fired for life.

 

[MSOrange]

Umpire C.B. Bucknor has six pitches overturned by ABS system, including consecutive called third strikes

Bucknor, one of MLB's longest-tenured umpires, had a rough afternoon behind the plate

www.cbssports.com

 

[Zelda Zonk]

I have never been more incensed by umpiring in my life, and I routinely watch 130+ Sox games each year. Most of that may have been Bucknor’s profound incompetence, but part of it is how the challenge system exacerbates the problem and forces a different level of focus on it. Especially when challenges have been exhausted and there is no recourse for 90% of the mistakes we are easily observing.

The other matter is that the rules now prevent the broadcast crews from seeing the strike zone overlay! That’s just nuts. Not sure how that can be justified. It’s essentially obscuring truth so that they can’t be critical. I don’t k ow what is to prevent those guys from having their own iPads or whatever the teams use for feed/reviews. Hw would that rule be enforced? MLB has security agents inspecting the booth a few times during the games? Ridic.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[MSOrange]

Bucknor in spotlight again after missed call in Brewers-Rays

Umpire C.B. Bucknor, who had the poorest results among umpires in MLB's new ABS system last weekend, had another call overturned at first base during Tuesday's Brewers-Rays game.

www.espn.com

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

This ABS challenge system…. Seems ridiculous to only give a team two challenges. For the game.

Roman Anthony just used two in one AB, in the third inning. Won the first one, easily (~3 inches). Lost the second one by a fingernail. If the ‘computer’ is accurate to 1/6” every time, what’s the point of having to challenge any of them? It’s 2026. Get it right as often as possible, especially since it doesn’t take any more time to do so. What happened at the end of the WBC was awful and unnecessary.

Edit: Oh, great. An inning later, Trevor Story gets called out on a third ‘strike’ that was 3+ inches outside, ending a big inning with men on base… because we had already used our two challenges. Uncool rule.

CB Buckner is the umpire. Do. Not. Like.

Why not just let ABS call the game? Is there an issue with checed swings. If so, let 1B/3B call them. Are foul tips an issue?

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Why not just let ABS call the game? Is there an issue with checed swings. If so, let 1B/3B call them. Are foul tips an issue?

I can only put it down to baseball’s ponderous reliance upon ‘tradition.’ There isn’t a convincing rationale for having a system that gets it right 99.8% of the time, immediately, but only using that system a handful of times out of 300 opportunities. I hope this year is only the first toe in the water, and that they’ll quickly expand the program. We don’t have to go full robot or eliminate the umpire. He can just be the deliverer of the call, so everything still looks human.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Bucknor in spotlight again after missed call in Brewers-Rays

Umpire C.B. Bucknor, who had the poorest results among umpires in MLB's new ABS system last weekend, had another call overturned at first base during Tuesday's Brewers-Rays game.

www.espn.com

He needs medical/psych intervention. There’s something wrong with him.

 

[upperdeck]

Nuzzi's friend who ran a couple BB pools has a 13 run baseball pool open if anyone wants a season long thing to watch.

 

[Briancuse]

Bucknor in spotlight again after missed call in Brewers-Rays

Umpire C.B. Bucknor, who had the poorest results among umpires in MLB's new ABS system last weekend, had another call overturned at first base during Tuesday's Brewers-Rays game.

www.espn.com

Someone had to replace angel Hernandez

 

[cuseattle]

Someone had to replace angel Hernandez

That's why I'm fine with robot umpires. There's always going to be bad umps, or guys doing something an old school way that doesn't adhere to current standards.
I respect the old ways, we just have the technology now to get the calls right. I think balls and strikes will work itself out.