CB Bucknor ejeccts Scott Servais

[Umpire in Chief]

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1293296683/texsea-scott-servais-ejected-arguing-a-fair-ball/?query=servais

This is one of the games I watched this weekend. 

As an umpire, I knew what was happening. Bucknor properly waited for the play to play itself out, then signaled time as there was some question whether it hit the batter in the box. So, overall Bucknor did the right things here and the ejection was deserved. Now I did not see or notice any communication between Bucknor & Carlson about potentially being hit in the box, but lack of any communication is essentially the same as saying he was not hit. 

However, I was with my father in law who gets easily fired up about sports and reviles all officials in all sports. He had a minor conniption about this which was fueled on by the announcers (we had a different feed than these announcers).

Now in my amateur, Monday morning quarterback view here's what he could have possibly have done better (for educational purposes only not to criticize, condemn or otherwise put down any umpire).

1. Point the ball fair. -- IMO this simple act could have quite possibly prevented everything. And it wouldn't have made any difference in terms of a potential batter hit in the box situation. Additionally, because it it was so close, emphatically point it fair.
2. Verbalize calling time -- That seemed to be Servais's argument, 'You called foul' and you can read Bucknors lips, 'No, I called time'

The other thing that did not go well for Bucknor were the optics of the situation. The first baseman seems to look back at him and ask if it was fair. Then Bucknor doesn't come up with the out call (not shown on this clip) until immediately after the first baseman says something else to him. This is just one of those tough darn-if-you-do, darn-if-you-don't situations, but it just looks bad. 

 

[Stk004]

First thing first, I'm a Mariners fan. 

I was upstairs doing calc homework with the radio feed running on my laptop. I heard it happen and started hoping Servais would get tossed so I could watch the ejection clip. 

I don't understand the wide "time/foul" signal by CB. He doesn't have a foul ball, so shouldn't he point the ball fair and give an out mechanic in a timely manner? Then if PU has a foul ball, or if Seattle wanted to challenge that it was a foul ball, go ahead. But why wait for the entire play to develop before giving a signal, and then having that signal be "time?" 

[txump81]

First thing first, I'm a Mariners fan. 
I was upstairs doing calc homework with the radio feed running on my laptop. I heard it happen and started hoping Servais would get tossed so I could watch the ejection clip. 
I don't understand the wide "time/foul" signal by CB. He doesn't have a foul ball, so shouldn't he point the ball fair and give an out mechanic in a timely manner? Then if PU has a foul ball, or if Seattle wanted to challenge that it was a foul ball, go ahead. But why wait for the entire play to develop before giving a signal, and then having that signal be "time?" 

Agreed. Point it fair and signal the out. The way it looked, Bucknor was calling it foul after the play. Just my .02.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Stk004]

1 hour ago, txump81 said:

Agreed. Point it fair and signal the out. The way it looked, Bucknor was calling it foul after the play. Just my .02.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
 

I'd also like to know what F3 (Napoli???) said to CB

[Donny7]

10 hours ago, Stk004 said:

I'd also like to know what F3 (Napoli???) said to CB

He said "If/when Servais comes out here... I've got your back CB"

[ricka56]

6 minutes ago, Donny7 said:

He said "If/when Servais comes out here... I've got your back CB"

I could walk "crotch first" into any bar if I knew Napoli had my back.

[David3]

Who is MJ (second patch on ump sleeve)?

[conbo61]

3 hours ago, David3 said:

Who is MJ (second patch on ump sleeve)?

I went to the MLB Umpires site (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/umpires/) to check and was dismayed to see that it appears that they have not updated it in several YEARS as the passing of Wally Bell is still the lead story.

Checking the All-Time roster for those initials and then checking The Google, the MJ is for former AL umpire Mark Johnson who passed away in November of 2016.

http://www.closecallsports.com/2016/11/former-american-league-umpire-mark.html

[taa71458]

CB is having a rough season so far. 

[stkjock]

Sporting News ripped CB hard today

 

CB Bucknor proves that MLB umpires are essentially employed for life - Sporting News
https://apple.news/A1KJ1TkMCQ6iy_PBcj44S4A

 

CB Bucknor shows how bad an umpire he is with calls in Nationals-Braves game - Sporting News
https://apple.news/Ad_CeOnhKTyyaWLK9B7F_6A

[Gfoley4]

just missed a catch/no catch call yesterday as well. https://streamable.com/hizfz