MLB umpire CB Bucknor ridiculed for poor call

MLB umpire CB Bucknor drew attention and laughter Tuesday night when he made a bizarre call while manning the first base line during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.

The oddity occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning with Brewers batter Jake Bauers at the plate facing Rays pitcher Cole Sulser. Bauers hit a liner to Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who overthrew the ball, but his rushed throw to first base was wide.

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It was a remarkably routine play by baseball standards. But Bucknor ruled that Bauers had not touched first base and was out when he was hit. The replay showed Bauers clearly hit the first-and-goal bag with Bucknor just a few yards into the play.

The call was instantly canceled.

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Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Bauers was seen smiling as he returned to first base, as was Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Rays manager Kevin Cash also couldn’t help but smirk at the situation.

Former New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain also spoke.

“It’s so bad you just have to laugh!! Something has to be done,” he wrote on X.

Milwaukee ended up winning the game, 6-2. Bauers was 2 for 4 with an RBI. He homered off Yoendrys Gomez in the eighth inning to extend the lead.

Gary Sánchez of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

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Gary Sanchez also hit a home run in the game.

Milwaukee improved to 4-1 with the victory. Tampa Bay fell to 2-3.