Here is the worst blown call of the 2013 season

[Wonderful Monds]

http://deadspin.com/blown-calls-dont-get-more-blown-than-bucknor-robbing-y-1395646204?autoplay=1

If not for Galaragga's stolen perfect game, this might be the worst blown call of my lifetime.

[919191]

That call was so bad I tought I was watching fiction.

[harangatang]

If not for Galaragga's stolen perfect game, this might be the worst blown call of my lifetime.I don't think that anyone would agree that the Gallaragga call was a good call, including Jim Joyce. The only difference is that Jim Joyce is a great umpire who made a mistake and CB Bucknor is consistently a bad umpire. Granted, the magnitude of this situation vs. the implications of a perfect game is much less though. I cringe every time Bucknor is umpiring the Reds.

[KronoRed]

What does it take to get replaced?

[klw]

What is sad is that is not the worst blown call this year.

This one probably gets my vote.
http://i.imgur.com/IWtNLI7.gif
Runner was called out.

[RollyInRaleigh]

The worst blown call of my lifetime belongs to Ken Burkart.

[klw]

This was pretty bad too- Adam Rosales denied game tying homer. An Angel Hernandez special
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/oakland-athletics-home-run-umps-blown-replay_n_3241721.html
http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/519d16586bb3f7ef49000017-1200/the-most-egregious-blown-call-of-the-season-came-from-angel-hernandez-who-took-a-game-tying-home-run-away-from-the-athletics-despite-instant-replay-review-582013.jpg

[George Anderson]

The worst blown call of my lifetime belongs to Ken Burkart.

In defense of Burkhart, that call was horrendous but that happened in 1970 when umpire training was a far cry from what it is today.

The play CB Bucknor missed is not an easy play to call but in classic CB style he blew it. Like I have said many times, until MLB decides to start promoting umpires that are the best and are not instead just filling a quota or doing the "good ol boy system" by promoting the son or nephew of another MLB umpire then we are going to see instances like this.

Now watch, CB will get a post season assignment. I almost guarantee it.

[Red Raindog]

The worst blown call of my lifetime belongs to Ken Burkart.

Thanks a lot -- there goes my 20 years of therapy to get over that call

:D

[klw]

This list of badly blown calls was from May
http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-blown-calls-in-mlb-2013-videos-2013-5?op=1
CB is there calling this guy safe
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/519b819aeab8ea402e000015-1200/cb-bucknor-called-henry-blanco-safe-despite-being-clearly-tagged-out-5202013.jpg

[BuckeyeRedleg]

A comment under that Deadspin story:

True story: Back in the mid '90s, when C.B. Bucknor was still a vacation fill-in umpire shuttling between Triple-A and the NL, he called the desk where I worked at a prominent newspaper to complain about how he was listed incorrectly in box scores. Glad to see he's still making a name for himself. Yesterday 10:54pm

[klw]

Here is a GIF of the Yelich play in post 1.
http://nesncom.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/bucknornod.gif?w=500&h=279

[Norm Chortleton]

One of my favorite Marty lines of all-time: "CB Bucknor is a bad umpire."

[klw]

Here is another gem- worth watching for the throw anyway.
http://www.mlbgifs.com/2013/07/yasiel-puig-can-throw-a-bit-too-bad-the-umpire-wasnt-in-on-that-info/
http://www.mlbgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/YasielPuigThrow.gif

[reds44]

Here is a GIF of the Yelich play in post 1.
http://nesncom.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/bucknornod.gif?w=500&h=279
The real story is how excited that Phillies dude was. You would swear they didn't suck and that game meant something.

[Chip R]

One of my favorite Marty lines of all-time: "CB Bucknor is a bad umpire."

That's an understatement. He's the worst.

[westofyou]

The real story is how excited that Phillies dude was. You would swear they didn't suck and that game meant something.

Don Denkinger laughs at a Phillies-Marlins call in the last week of the season being rated as a "worst"

[Ravenlord]

well, at least Bucknor's gone a full season without ejecting someone for shrugging.:lol:

[Sea Ray]

The play CB Bucknor missed is not an easy play to call but in classic CB style he blew it.

What was so difficult about seeing that the glove with the ball never touched the runner? If an umpire can't see that then why is he out there? If we were playing ball at the neighborhood playground with no umpires, he would have been safe and there would have been no argument

[klw]

Here is the Denkinger call:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=13062921

[George Anderson]

What was so difficult about seeing that the glove with the ball never touched the runner? If an umpire can't see that then why is he out there? If we were playing ball at the neighborhood playground with no umpires, he would have been safe and there would have been no argument

The fielder was making the tag with his back to the umpire which makes it harder for the umpire to see. Bucknor could have moved a little more and got a better angle on the play which from some of the other videos I have seen of him in this thread is his biggest problem.

I am not defending Bucknor in anyway because he is very bad and he blew that call badly. I am just saying I know from experience that isn't the easiest call to make.

[Boston Red]

The real story is how excited that Phillies dude was. You would swear they didn't suck and that game meant something.

The pitcher appeared in 36 games for Lehigh Valley this year. He's pitching for his professional life. You can be sure that game meant a helluva lot to him.

[redssince75]

What is sad is that is not the worst blown call this year.

This one probably gets my vote.
http://i.imgur.com/IWtNLI7.gif
Runner was called out.

Funny thing about this one is, even if the guy covering first caught it, runner was STILL safe. Foot off the bag.

[BCubb2003]

If an umpire is blocked from seeing a tag made, should he be assuming the tag was made, or should he call only what he sees? It means he would probably miss a few the other way, but it would be more honest: I can't call what I don't see, rather making up what you didn't see.

Many of the bad calls seem to be about depth perception. The ump sees the runner in the foreground and the glove sweeping behind the runner. But you can't tell if the glove touched or there were several inches of a gap. But this one was glaring.

[George Anderson]

If an umpire is blocked from seeing a tag made, should he be assuming the tag was made, or should he call only what he sees? It means he would probably miss a few the other way, but it would be more honest: I can't call what I don't see, rather making up what you didn't see.

Many of the bad calls seem to be about depth perception. The ump sees the runner in the foreground and the glove sweeping behind the runner. But you can't tell if the glove touched or there were several inches of a gap. But this one was glaring.

If your blocked out from seeing a play, that is one instance where you can go to your partner to get help if you feel he had a better angle. For whatever reason you rarely if ever see MLB umpires do this.

You don't always have to literally see a tag to call a player out. There are many instances where say for example the runner is out by a mile at third but somehow you got blocked out where you couldn't see the actual tag. Of course you are going to call the runner out even though you didn't see the actual tag. Alot of this is just using common sense.

[Sea Ray]

Funny thing about this one is, even if the guy covering first caught it, runner was STILL safe. Foot off the bag.

I think his foot was on the bag long enough. Umps rarely call pulling the foot off early...but what kind of idiot is that 51 who I assume is the pitcher, catching the ball? Why would he even consider sticking his glove out there to try to snag that?

[OC_Red]

I thought you were going to say it was the "home" game in SF this year. :lol:

[RedsBaron]

The fielder was making the tag with his back to the umpire which makes it harder for the umpire to see. Bucknor could have moved a little more and got a better angle on the play which from some of the other videos I have seen of him in this thread is his biggest problem.

I am not defending Bucknor in anyway because he is very bad and he blew that call badly. I am just saying I know from experience that isn't the easiest call to make.

I agree with that. I can understand how he missed the call. As you later posted he should have checked with the other umpires.
I still want a replay review system to be in place whereby there is a fifth umpire in a booth at every game to review replays of plays in the field and with the authority to reverse any call where there is indisputable evidence that the wrong call was made-no challenges necessary or allowed. If the replay shows the call was missed, make the correct call and let's move on.

[George Anderson]

I agree with that. I can understand how he missed the call. As you later posted he should have checked with the other umpires.
I still want a replay review system to be in place whereby there is a fifth umpire in a booth at every game to review replays of plays in the field and with the authority to reverse any call where there is indisputable evidence that the wrong call was made-no challenges necessary or allowed. If the replay shows the call was missed, make the correct call and let's move on.

As long as play is not held up for a long period of time, I could live with it.

[Larkin Fan]

There aren't many certainties in life but ridiculously bad calls from CB Bucknor and Angel Hernandez are ones that you can always count on.

[SporkLover]

Here is the Denkinger call:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=13062921

One of my favorite bad calls to debate. Lot's of people would like to pin the 85 cardinals loss on that one call.... but the truth is they got that out back... and bungled other opportunities to get more (Jack Clark missing an easy pop foul catch).

Bad call no doubt, but DD might be unfairly the scapegoat for that loss in my book.

Whitey i think perpetuated the effects of that bad call... if he held it together perhaps the team would have as well.

[cincinnati chili]

I've seen a lot worse including from Bucknor. Joe Torre in the league office probably has a 30-minute lowlight reel for him. It's not an easy job, and that's why we need replay.

[Roy Tucker]

What got me was that he allowed the player to "sell" the tag to him. Good job by the pitcher to deke out CB, but bad job by CB.

I can forgive lapses in judgement, but lapses by laziness is a fast ticket back to AAA.