Here are two things you should know about C.B. Bucknor, who was the first base umpire in Wednesday night's 8-4 victory for the Washington Nationals over the Miami Marlins:
1. Bucknor was born in Jamaica.
2. He has been unofficially named the worst umpire in Major League Baseball no less than three times by a poll of active ball players. You can read them for yourself here, here, and here.
The announcement of his name as part of an umpiring crew usually brings a sharp intake of breath, followed by a feeling of foreboding. So when Bryce Harper was ejected from Wednesday night's game for a relatively minor outburst, who was the man in the middle? You guessed it.
Let's be honest here, throwing out Harper for an act of frustration is pretty bogus, but that doesn't make the Paul O'Neil routine anymore endearing. How many broken bats and bounced helmets before it stops being the act of a frustrated 19-year-old and starts being the act of of a bona fide red ass?
We'll leave you with the thoughts of the Washington Examiner's Brian McNally, whose view we share as well.
Sum up the Harper ejection this way: Bad ump does things. Don't put yourself in position for him to act w/ an inevitable crazy decision
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) August 30, 2012