The CB Bucknor Experience

[tomterp]

Hardball times did a study of umpires' ball and strike calls in 2015+2016, and Joyce was #1 in terms of calling it correctly within the typical ball/strike parameters.  He scored 139 where 100 is average.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/mlb-umpires-2016-review-world-series-preview/

It is important to understand what this metric is measuring. Note that I use the word expected. It is ascribing positive value to calls that agree with the league majority for a given pitch location and negative value otherwise. This does not necessarily mean the call is correct, based on the rule book strike zone, which means this does not necessarily identify the best home plate umpire. An umpire may have a unique strike zone he calls quite consistently, and there is certainly an argument to be made that being consistent in any one zone is fine. However, this metric rates umpires on how well their calls agree with what is being called around the league.

In my opinion, given that all home plate umpires are evaluated and provided with feedback after each game, over the course of an entire season the aggregate of all called pitches is a good proxy for the strike zone the league wishes to have called. I also believe there is value is understanding how much an umpire tends to differ from the league average as far as the calls he is making, in terms of how expected his calls are and how often his unexpected calls are strikes on pitches that are more commonly balls and vice versa.

I calculated these numbers for all umpires in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Taking the seventy umpires who worked the most behind home plate over both seasons, there was a correlation of 0.66 in the Expected+ scores between the seasons. This suggests calling balls and strikes per the typically called league zone has a sizable degree of skill that is repeatable between seasons for umpires.

[Natsinpwc]

Nestor Chylak!! I have not heard that name in a long time. A long time. For the NL fans, how about Augie Donatelli?

I remember Bob Engle being good. And Terry Tata. Bruce Froemming was terrible. Harry Wendelstadt was in all the big games but made bad calls.

[awbb]

Hardball times did a study of umpires' ball and strike calls in 2015+2016, and Joyce was #1 in terms of calling it correctly within the typical ball/strike parameters.  He scored 139 where 100 is average.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/mlb-umpires-2016-review-world-series-preview/

As far as I can work out this re-affirms how unlucky Sanchez was Game 2 against the Damned Red Birds. Manny Gonzalez sneaks in to the top half of umpires as to calling what other umpires would on a particular pitch and on top of that he's HALF as likely as the "average" umpire to call a ball a strike if it is typically out of his strike zone, which is what he did in that game.

In other notes... it is not surprising to see some of our favourite names loitering towards the bottom of list when it comes to calling balls or strikes compared to the average. Diaz, Bucknor, Hernandez all swimming in mediocrity in the bottom quarter of rated umpires. Though Bucknor is far more likely than the other two to just randomly pull a strike or ball out of the air when he typically calls the reverse.

[RobDibblesGhost]

ASG umps announced. Fat Joe behind home plate - there's a shocker. Angel Hernandez gets first base and that's a bit surprising. Manny Gonzalez, who we know all too well now, is in despite a horrible record in replay reviews (7 of 10 reversed).

HP Umpire Joe West (crew chief): 3rd All-Star Game.
1B Umpire Angel Hernandez: 3rd All-Star Game.
2B Umpire Mark Carlson: 2nd All-Star Game.
3B Umpire Chris Conroy: 1st All-Star Game.
LF Umpire Manny Gonzalez: 1st All-Star Game.
RF Umpire Mike Estabrook: 1st All-Star Game.
Replay Official Doug Eddings: 1st ASG Replay.

[RiotAct]

ASG umps announced. Fat Joe behind home plate - there's a shocker. Angel Hernandez gets first base and that's a bit surprising. Manny Gonzalez, who we know all too well now, is in despite a horrible record in replay reviews (7 of 10 reversed).

HP Umpire Joe West (crew chief): 3rd All-Star Game.
1B Umpire Angel Hernandez: 3rd All-Star Game.
2B Umpire Mark Carlson: 2nd All-Star Game.
3B Umpire Chris Conroy: 1st All-Star Game.
LF Umpire Manny Gonzalez: 1st All-Star Game.
RF Umpire Mike Estabrook: 1st All-Star Game.
Replay Official Doug Eddings: 1st ASG Replay.

Well, it's alright, at least the ASG doesn't mean anything.  Oh, wait...

[aspenbubba]

It's laughable that fans know the names of particularly bad umpires. Hernandez, Bucknor, and Laz Diaz are on every fan's list of crappy umpires. Any one care to add to the list and join in the fun?

Al Porter

[bluestreak]

Well, it's alright, at least the ASG doesn't mean anything.  Oh, wait...

It doesn't mean anything anymore. 

[RiotAct]

It doesn't mean anything anymore.

Apparently you're right - the agreement to award the winning keague HFA ended last year?  I hadn't heard anything about that.

[tomterp]

Al Porter

Always seems to make the best 10 in balls/strikes calls.  Why don't you like him?

[RobDibblesGhost]

Apparently you're right - the agreement to award the winning keague HFA ended last year?  I hadn't heard anything about that.

Yep. It was part of the new CBA.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Always seems to make the best 10 in balls/strikes calls.  Why don't you like him?

I used to not like him but I think he's a decent ump. I remember his rookie year when Roy Halladay was facing the Nats and working on a complete game. Towards the end of the game, Porter was calling anything in the same area code as home plate a strike. He's definitely improved.

[spidernat]

I used to not like him but I think he's a decent ump.

[RobDibblesGhost]

We get Bucknor behind the plate this Thursday.

In other umpire news, MLB just suspended Joe West for three games over some remarks he made in a USA Today article about Adrian Beltre. Word is the union is pissed.

[varoadking]

We get Bucknor behind the plate this Thursday.

In other umpire news, MLB just suspended Joe West for three games over some remarks he made in a USA Today article about Adrian Beltre. Word is the union is pissed.

“Biggest complainer:”

It’s got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “that ball is outside.”

I told him, “You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.”

(West later clarified to USA TODAY Sports that he and Beltre are on friendly terms).

[Slateman]

Pot, meet Kettle

[RiotAct]

Looking forward to the game tonight!   

[Baseball is Life]

I'm sure Bucknor is happy that Werth is still on the DL.

[mimontero88]

Can CB Bucknor get an assist for this game tonight?  He called some bad balls and strikes against the Marlins.

[Truconfidence]

Can CB Bucknor get an assist for this game tonight?  He called some bad balls and strikes against the Marlins.

Also not giving AJ Ellis a timeout in his 1st AB seemed to piss him off all game.

[Baseball is Life]

Ian Kinsler has big brass ones. That's all.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/08/umpire_protest_ian_kinsler.html

[bluestreak]

Ian Kinsler has big brass ones. That's all.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/08/umpire_protest_ian_kinsler.html

"I hope they wear the white wristbands for the remainder of their careers. I don't care,"
 

[Baseball is Life]

"I hope they wear the white wristbands for the remainder of their careers. I don't care,"
 

Really. Who gives a crap about their hurt feelings.

[Slateman]

"I hope they wear the white wristbands for the remainder of their careers. I don't care,"
 

Players should wear silver wrist bands, to signify they want robot umps.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Players should wear silver wrist bands, to signify they want robot umps.

or just buy roombas to sweep the infield