JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said umpire CB Bucknor had “zero class” for refusing to shake his hand during card exchanges on home plate ahead of a game against the Washington Nationals on Saturday shake.
Marmol saw Bucknor for the first time since he was expelled in Arizona in a contentious dispute on Aug. 21.
“I went into this game pretty sure what I think about him as a referee,” said the Cardinals sophomore manager. “They weren’t very good and it shows his lack of class as a man. I chose my words with care. I just don’t think he’s good at his job and it just showed his lack of class as a man.”
Marmol shook hands with the other three umps – Ron Kulpa, Angel Hernandez and Carlos Torres.
Marmol was ejected in the final game of a series last year after protesting a strike call by Bucknor against Nolan Arenado, with each vocally questioning the other’s “time in the league”.
“It’s not an olive branch,” Marmol said. “It’s just respect. You can have disagreements. You still go to home plate. Every time I get kicked out of a game, the next day I’ll go to home plate for exactly that reason. It’s regrettable.
“I went home to shake his hand. He did not want. He has zero class.”
The tension on home plate delayed the normal pregame picture being taken by the managers and umpires. Washington manager Dave Martinez, seemingly unwell, had to be asked to return as he was about to leave home plate.
Bucknor was unavailable after Saturday’s game and did not respond to a reporter’s call for comment.