Umpire C.B. Bucknor Injured After Replay Controversies

Veteran umpire C.B. Bucknor experienced a difficult week on the field, culminating in an injury during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Injury During Rays-Brewers Game

Bucknor was struck in the face mask by a 100-mph foul tip off the bat of Tampa Bay’s Nick Fortes during the game at American Family Field. He immediately dropped to his knees after the impact.

The Brewers’ training staff attended to Bucknor before he left the field. First-base umpire Chad Fairchild then took over duties behind the plate.

Controversial Calls and ABS Challenges

Bucknor’s troubles began on Saturday during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox. Eight of his ball/strike calls were challenged, and six were overturned by Major League Baseball’s new automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system.

Strike Zone Disputes

Notably, back-to-back strike three calls against Reds slugger Eugenio Suárez were overturned, much to the delight of the crowd. At one point during the game, Bucknor visibly reacted to the challenges.

He also ejected Red Sox manager Alex Cora after calling Trevor Story out on a check swing, a call that ended the eighth inning with two runners on base.

“He has one job to do. It wasn’t his best day,” Cora said after the game.

Further Replay Reversals

On Tuesday, while serving as the first-base umpire, Bucknor called Jake Bauers of the Brewers out for failing to touch first base. Replay clearly showed Bauers had stepped on the bag, leading to the call being reversed.

“Yeah, grateful for that,” Bauers told reporters. “I don’t know what happened. Just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score.”

Understanding the ABS System

The series of overturned calls highlights the adjustments umpires and players are making to the new ABS challenge system. The system utilizes 12 Hawk-Eye cameras to precisely determine the location of pitches relative to a batter’s strike zone.

The ABS system defines the strike zone differently than the traditional rulebook. It sets the top of the zone at 53.5% of a player’s height and the bottom at 27%.

Early data shows catchers have been successful in 59 of 92 challenges, while batters have been successful in 33 of 78 challenges.

Past Criticism

Bucknor, who has been an MLB umpire since 1996, has faced criticism in the past. He was ranked as the worst umpire in MLB in surveys by Sports Illustrated in 2003 and 2006, and again by ESPN in 2010.