Oliver Marmol, C.B. Bucknor seem to make peace by shaking hands at spring training game
Is the hatchet finally buried?
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and MLB umpire C.B. Bucknor shook hands prior to a Grapefruit League game Monday, two days after Marmol alleged Bucknor refused to shake his hand while exchanging lineup cards prior to a game.
“I went into that game pretty certain of my thoughts on him as an umpire,” Marmol said Saturday. “They weren’t very good and it shows his lack of class as a man. I chose my words wisely. I just don’t think he’s good at his job and it just showed his lack of class as a man.”
The bad blood dates back to an Aug. 21 game when Bucknor, an MLB umpire since 1996, ejected Marmol for arguing a strike call – leading to a heated argument that resulted in Marmol needing to be restrained and ushered off the field.
Marmol, then a first-year MLB manager, said at the time both he and Bucknor questioned each other’s credibility during the argument.
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“I didn’t like the smirk when I got out there,” Marmol said in August. “And then he questioned my time in the league, so I returned the favor and questioned his time in the league.”
Still, Marmol said he extended his hand for a shake prior to a spring training game Saturday only for Bucknor to allegedly refuse. An MLB spokesperson said the league was looking into the exchange, according to ESPN.
It all led to Monday’s game between the Cardinals and New York Mets in Jupiter, Florida. ESPN, which broadcasted the game, and its cameras showed Marmol and Bucknor shaking hands at home plate prior to the first pitch.
It’s unclear whether Marmol and Bucknor verbally cleared the air, but the handshake was at least a minor repair to what appears to be a strained baseball relationship.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, umpire C.B. Bucknor shake hands
Source: Yahoo Sports
