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Knizner refutes Muncy's claim that Cardinals catchers bullied umps

Quinn Harris / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner doesn't believe Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was accurate when the latter said St. Louis' backstops bullied umpires into getting calls during a weekend series.

"I don't think I bully umpires," Knizner said, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I try to work with them the best I can. There are definitely cases where it's like the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If you ask, keep asking about a certain part of the zone or a certain pitch with most guys, you have a better chance of getting it, especially if you're in good communication."

Muncy suggested the umps "gave into it" following what he believed were several questionable calls related to the strike zone before he got ejected in the fourth inning Sunday.

However, the slugger later softened his stance.

"I don't think the catchers did anything wrong," Muncy said on the "Foul Territory" podcast Monday. "It was like the more you complained, the bigger zone you got as a catcher. I was kind of saying, 'All you guys are getting tricked into this right now.'"

Willson Contreras, who caught Sunday's contest, said the umps usually balance things out.

"They give a lot of calls on both sides," Contreras said. "That's the thing. When you have a really good catcher like (Dodgers backstop) Will Smith, who is getting calls, right? And you're happy about it, you're getting calls. And then you have me on the other side getting calls, and you're not happy about it? That's one thing that I was kind of shocked about watching (Muncy's) video."

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