It has not been a particularly strong season for Major League Baseball umpires as umps across the league have gone viral for blown calls and other gaffes all season. On Sunday, another MLB umpire made a terrible call behind the plate, and it led to an extremely heated argument and an ejection.
In the top of the third inning of Sunday’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals, Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly threw a pitch to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado that looked quite a bit inside.
Even though the pitch looked several inches off the plate, home plate MLB umpire C.B. Bucknor called the pitch a strike, and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol went absolutely ballistic.
CB Bucknor and Oliver Marmol got into a HEATED argument over this strike call pic.twitter.com/uTkYxc8BET
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 21, 2022
Bucknor immediately ejected Marmol as soon as the St. Louis manager stepped out of the dugout to argue the call, but that didn’t stop Marmol from having a heated exchange with the umpire for several minutes before he left the game.
After the game, Marmol called the pitch “a clear ball,” and offered a reason why he was so angry, according to Bally Sports.
Oli Marmol got his money's worth after umpire C.B. Bucknor ejected him in the #STLCards' win Sunday: "I didn't like the smirk when I got out there. And then he questioned my time in the league, so I returned the favor and questioned his time in the league." pic.twitter.com/tLYjv23tu7
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) August 22, 2022
“I didn’t like the smirk when I got out there,” Marmol said. “And then he questioned my time in the league, so I returned the favor and questioned his time in the league.”
The Cardinals ultimately won the game 6-4.
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