Three decades have passed since the end of Hall of Fame former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer's distinguished career.
However, antipathy toward shoddy umpiring never leaves former players. Palmer proved as such during the Orioles' 4-2 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, which he called for Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
After shortstop Gunnar Henderson was called out on strikes on a pitch outside the zone in the first inning, Palmer lit into umpire C.B. Bucknor.
"You kinda wonder how bad he's gonna be and he's shown us already in the first inning," Palmer said. "All you want is a guy that understands the strike zone."
According to Umpire Scorecards, Bucknor's 91.6% accuracy on pitches called is tied for the lowest in baseball this season among umpires who've worked at least five games.
"He shouldn't be umpiring and he is, and they know it," Palmer said. "He's been around a long time, it doesn't mean you—it's kinda like pitching. When I couldn't get people out, I became a broadcaster."
Bucknor, who's worked five postseasons and two All-Star Games, has been an MLB umpire since 1996.
