The Braves have had a rough stretch with the umpires lately, but the last week is hardly the worst of it.
Chris Sale was hit with a surprising balk call against the Yankees and then got tossed the next day after the reaction to how severe it was. Monday night brought its own mess in the first inning, starting with the ball that seemed to get wedged under the padding in right field.
The umpiring crew stopped play for a review that dragged on for 10 minutes, only to decide it wasn’t stuck after all, even though it looked like it was - and the runner still ended up at second base. Bryce Elder had to stand around for 10 minutes before getting back on the mound, and later in the inning he appeared to request an ABS challenge but never got it.
Sean Murphy also fired to try to stop a stolen base, turning the sequence into a chaotic one, and it wound up as a game-changing moment.
Still, Braves fans have seen far worse from umpires over the years. Here are four calls and crews that left a much deeper scar.
Eric Gregg’s strike zone in the 1997 NLCS is still hard to believe
Game 5 of the 1997 NLCS is one of the clearest examples of an umpire taking over a game. Eric Gregg’s strike zone was brutally wide, and it played right into the hands of Marlins pitcher Livan Hernandez. Atlanta hitters had to chase pitches far off the plate, and Hernandez piled up 15 strikeouts against them.
The ending fit the night perfectly. Fred McGriff was called out on a pitch that looked a foot off the plate, and that was that. With ABS in place now, a game like that should be impossible.
The 2012 NL Wild Card infield fly call is the one Braves fans never forget
If there is one umpire moment Braves fans instantly recognize, it’s the infield fly ruling in the 2012 NL Wild Card game. Atlanta was trying to rally against the Cardinals when Andrelton Simmons lifted a ball that drifted well into the outfield. The infielder backed away from it, the ball dropped, and it looked like the Braves would have the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
Instead, Sam Holbrook ruled it an infield fly, even though it clearly wasn’t in the infield. The Braves lost 6-3 and missed the playoffs, and the call has lived in Atlanta misery ever since.
Bucknor’s night behind the plate in 2024 was a mess
The Braves also dealt with a rough outing from Bucknor in a 2024 game against the Giants. Chris Sale and Blake Snell turned it into a clean pitching duel, and the game stayed scoreless through nine innings. Even so, the strike zone was a problem.
Bucknor missed 19 calls in all, and 14 of them went against Atlanta. The Braves still pulled out the win in extras, but the officiating was a major part of the night.
Ron Gant being pulled off first base in the 1991 World Series
Game 1 of the 1991 World Series gave Atlanta another painful umpiring moment. Ron Gant singled, rounded first a little too far, and got back to the bag after a throw from Kevin Tapani. Then Minnesota first baseman Kent Hrbek physically pulled him off the base after the ball was caught.
Drew Coble called Gant out anyway, even though the play was illegal. Gant argued his case, but it didn’t change anything. He was out, and the Braves went on to lose the game.
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