Who is C.B. Bucknor? Everything you need to know about MLB's Jamaican umpire known for inconsistent calls

Charlie Brown Bucknor, or, in short, C.B. Bucknor, is one of Major League Baseball’s veteran umpires who has been in this profession since 1996.

Born in Jamaica, Bucknor moved to the United States in 1973 with his family. He was raised with two brothers and a sister under the care of his parents in Brooklyn, New York.

While growing up, Bucknor never played baseball. He used to play soccer and cricket with his brothers. After moving to the US, the closest thing to cricket was baseball. So he decided to play baseball, which shaped the rest of his life.

“Cricket is very big in Jamaica and the closest thing I could find to cricket here in the U.S. was baseball,” said Bucknor, via UmpsCare.com. “So I quickly picked up the sport and continued playing throughout my life.”

He started playing baseball as a member of the Bonnie Youth Club in Brooklyn, and he stayed with the club to this day as its board of directors. Bucknor played as a centerfielder for SUNY Cortland and graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a degree in therapeutic recreation.

Before becoming a professional umpire, Bucknor worked as a recreation therapist in the Child Life Department of New York Presbyterian Hospital. He enrolled in Joe Brinkman's umpiring program in 1990, motivated by his love of baseball, and began working at New York-Penn League games.

After umpiring in the minor leagues, he finally debuted in the MLB on April 4, 1996, in a game between the Colorado Rookies and Philadephia Phillies.

Since then, he has been part of several iconic journeys, including being a part of the 2005 and 2021 All-Star crews. Bucknor also served in the Wild Card Series in 2020 and the Division Series of 2007–2009, 2013 and 2020.

He was inducted into the Bonnie Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Cortland Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2002. Bucknor and his wife, nurse Judy Ashton, have three children: Phoeniz, Austin-Hugh, and Dakota.

C.B. Bucknor is known for his inconsistent calls

In a field-sensitive sport like baseball, where an error in calls can lead a team to a devastating situation, C.B. Bucknor is known for inconsistent calls.

In a survey conducted by Sports Illustrated in 2003 and 2006 among active major league players, Bucknor was voted as the worst umpire in MLB. In a similar survey conducted by ESPN in 2010 with 100 active players, he was again tagged as the worst in the league.

On April 8th, In a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays, Bucknor's poor umpiring cost the Mainers a win. He had a 79% Called Strike Accuracy, where the average is 88%. His overall consistency (89%) and overall accuracy (91%) were all below average.