Worst ump in MLB?

[JackyJackBN]

By worst ump, I mean most inconsistent, with aggressiveness (a la Joe Crawford) being a secondary factor. Last night night Cowboy Joe West had two strike zones for a while, then started to level off. I won't bore with the details. If I were a gambler, I'd make a careful study of the tendencies of the umps before placing any bet. (E.g.: Maddux on the mound, home plate ump has a tight strike zone, don't bet on Maddux.)

Uncle Bruce Froemming can hardly get around out there anymore, and he makes some strange calls, but he tends to make the same strange calls over and over.

CB Bucknor gets my vote. I wish I could be there the next time he calls a Cubs game.

 

[Chi City 81]

Consistently Bad Bucknor? He's pretty bad.

My vote goes to Angel Hernandez.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Bucknor is bad. Angel Hernandez too.

 

[ondeadline]

Bucknor, and it's not even close. Even my kids cringe when they see that he's umpiring a game involving our favorite team.

 

[JackyJackBN]

Consistently Bad Bucknor? He's pretty bad.

My vote goes to Angel Hernandez.

I have Hernandez second on my list too. Bucknor smirking at Piniella and sending Lou into a frothing, twirling rage is an image that puts him at the top for me. Or bottom, if you will. But I have to thank him for it.

 

[zeke12]

For a bad strike zone, it's Hernandez and it really isn't close.

For attitude, it's Bucknor.

 

[Dignan]

Chuck Meriweather -- pretty bad all around.

Sam Holbrook -- strike zone changes inning to inning.

 

[Left_Coast]

Definitely Bucknor and Hernandez.

But at least Ken Kaiser isn't around anymore.

 

[write then drink]

Ed Vargo = worst ever

 

[HoopsMcCann]

doug eddings is pretty bad

the other day i had a catcher say he asked eddings where a pitch was and he replied, 'eh, i dunno.'

 

[boots]

This is so easy. The worst is number 22, the former quarterback of East Carolina State University, "Cowboy" Joe West.

 

[Lyman_Bostock]

Hernandez and Bucknor, in no particular order.

Joe West gets an honorable mention, although he at least has his singing/acting career on which to fall back.

 

[JackyJackBN]

I keep waiting for Tim Tschida to surface. Am I off base here?

 

[Chi City 81]

I keep waiting for Tim Tschida to surface. Am I off base here?

You asked for worst. No way Tschida reaches the level of suckitude to which Bucknor and Hernandez aspire.

 

[JackyJackBN]

Tschida has games when he competes. I saw him once last year when his strike zone was dancing around like a luna moth on a windy night. But for sheer, consistent badditity, yep, it's still Bucknor and Hernandez, I guess.

 

[Left_Coast]

Agreed. He's below average. Certainly not brutal like Bucknor and Hernandez.

 

[cake in the rain]

Ken Kaiser.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

They don't have AL and NL umps anymore right?

Or did Bucknor switch to the NL? I know I saw him ump some Tigers games last year and yea, he is pretty bad.

 

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

Andy Fletcher seems to often have a short fuse. Not sure about his strike zone, but I've seen him escalate situations on several occasions.

 

[Chi City 81]

They don't have AL and NL umps anymore right?

Or did Bucknor switch to the NL? I know I saw him ump some Tigers games last year and yea, he is pretty bad.

Umps no longer are league-specific. So every team has an equal shot of drawing Bucknor or Hernandez and spending three games swearing at the TV.