How BAD is Angel Hernandez Actually?

3-2 pitch a fast ball come on now yeah now this is getting ridiculous here it comes called strike three and schwarber is thrown out of the game and he had zero issue with getting thrown out meet Angel Hernandez an MLB umpire whose decisions on the field have stirred up more than just dust on the diamond over his 22y year career Hernandez has become infamous for his contentious calls drawing the eyer of fans and analyst alike in 2024 alone his calls have already caused uproar Across the Nation why does Angel Hernandez continue to be a flasho in Major League Baseball stay tuned as we dive into his tumultuous career explore the significant moments that have defined his reputation and unpack the lawsuit that put him at odds with the league itself this is why Angel Hernandez is the worst umpire in MLB history Angel Hernandez began his umpiring career in the Florida state league in 1981 earning $900 a month which is about three grand in today's money he quickly climbed the ranks moving to the California League in 1984 the southern league in 1986 with a pay rise to 1,800 bucks a month and finally reached the top tier of minor league baseball in the American Association in 1988 where he made $2,200 a month for about $5,700 bucks today in May 1991 Hernandez made his major league debut as is a substitute umpire with 57 friends and family members in attendance to see his first game over the years he's umpired in two World Series 2002 and 2005 and three All-Star games in 1999 2009 and 2017 his postseason experience is extensive having afficiated in Seven League Championship Series and 12 League Division Series Hernandez also stepped in as an injury replacement during game seven of the 2008 ALCS however her Fernandez's career has not been without controversy in 1999 he ranked 31st out of 36 umpires in the Major League Baseball Players Association survey and has consistently been rid poorly by players in various surveys a 2010 ESPN survey highlighted that 22% of major league players considered him the worst umpire despite these perceptions MLB data from 2016 showed his accuracy behind the Plate at 96.88% a sign significant improvement from earlier Years yet his calls at first base were overturned 14 out of 18 times between 2016 in 2018 a 78% overturn rate Which is higher than the league average a Boston University study analyzing nearly 4 million pitches over 11 Seasons found Hernandez to have an average of 19 incorrect calls per game in 2016 which is high but still out of the bottom 10 for that year he himself has admitted to making around four incorrect calls per game during spring training in 2019 though the study suggest a higher number but he can't be that bad can he well he is and I'm going to prove it with this timeline of his worst incidents on the field in 1998 during a game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves right before the All-Star break Hernandez made a call that still echoes in baseball lore in the 11th inning Braves Runner Michael Tucker was tagged up on a flyball to left Hernandez ruled Tucker safe despite replay showing that the throw to catcher Mike Piaza had beaten Tucker and that Tucker hadn't touched home plate after the game Piaza described the call as the worst he had ever seen some Mets players speculated that Hernandez was eager to end the game quickly so everyone could start their break fast forward to August 7th 2001 at Wrigley Field during a game between the Cubs and the Rockies Hernandez was calling home plate and made a contentious decision in the bottom of the sixth inning by ruling Cubs infielder Ron Kumer out at the plate this call incited former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael who was in the Cubs television booth that day to announce over the PA system that he'd have some speaks with Hernandez after the game a visibly upset Hernandez was caught on camera muttering son of a while glaring at McMichael although it was initially believed Hernandez had ejected McMichael from the park it was later revealed that crew chief Randy Marsh made the decision threatening to Halt the game unless McMichael was removed moved the Cubs general manager at the time Andy mcfa later apologized for McMichael's Behavior another memorable incident occurred on July 17th 2006 when Hernandez was the third base umpire for a Dodgers versus Diamondbacks game he ejected Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan to in frustration threw his cap to the ground After Duncan left the field Hernandez picked up the cap and tossed it into the stance in a humorous response Duncan taped his cap to his head the following day before delivering the Dodgers lineup to the umpires Duncan received a two- game suspension and a fine from the MLB for his actions in the dispute on May 8th 2013 Angel Hernandez found himself at the center of a major controversy during a game between the Athletics and the Indians serving as the crew chief a critical call was made in the ninth inning when Adam Rosales of the Athletics hit what appeared to be a home run the ball clearly struck a railing above the wall which should have made it a home run however Hernandez and two other umpires after reviewing the video footage ruled it a double this decision Drew sharp criticism especially after Oakland's manager Bob Melvin argued vehemently against the call and was subsequently ejected by Hernandez the A's went on to lose the game 4 to3 and MLB later admitted that the hit should have been ruled a home run but stated that it was too late to overturn the decision this incident spurred discussions about the effectiveness of the replay system leading to later enhancements to ensure greater Clarity and accuracy in video reviews the criticisms of Hernandez didn't stop there in August 2017 Detroit Tiger second baseman Ian Kinsler was F 10 grand for vocally criticizing Hernandez kinsler's harsh words included a suggestion that Hernandez should find another job reflecting a widespread sentiment among players about Hernandez's competency as an Umpire the situation escalated further during game three of the 2018 American League Division series between the Yankees and the Red Sox hernand officiating as the first basee umpire had a particularly rough night where four out of five plays he called at first base were challenged and subsequently overturned upon video review the high rate of overturned calls drew the eyer of players and commentators alike TBS analyst and Baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez didn't hold back during the postgame analysis stating Angel was horrible don't get me going on Angel now Major League Baseball needs to do something about angel it doesn't matter how many times he sues Major League Baseball he's as bad as the r additionally Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia expressed his frustration commenting on Hernandez's consistently poor performance I don't understand why he's doing these games he's always bad he's a bad umpire despite the intense criticism in the spotlight on his performance Hernandez declined to comment after the game in July 2017 Angel Hernandez took legal action against the MLB claiming racial discrimination at prevent benative from being selected for World Series games and crew chief promotions He also mentioned a long-standing conflict with Joe Tori the chief baseball officer dating back to when Tori was a manager Hernandez argued that his performance reviews were consistently positive until tor's appointment in 2011 after which his evaluations became neutral or negative interestingly shortly after filing the lawsuit Hernandez was appointed to the 2017 All-Star Game and served as the first base umpire for the 2017 and 2018 American League Division Series the lawsuit was initially filed in the United States district court for the southern district of Ohio but was later moved to the southern district of New York in New York City where MLB is headquartered in September of 2018 in March 20121 United States District Judge J Paul otkin ruled in favor of MLB stating that no reasonable juror could conclude that MLB's reasons for not promoting Hernandez was a cover for discrimination he noted that the decisions about promotions were clearly based on an umpire's ability to manage situations and show leadership areas where MLB felt Hernandez did not meet their standards luckily Hernandez missed a significant part of the 2023 season due to a medical issue during spring training and while we sincerely wish him well in his recovery his return to the field was well classic Hernandez after a stint in AAA which presumably ended because they had enough of his questionable calls Hernandez was back in the majors by July 27th true to form he he made a glaring mistake in his very first game back it's not that I want Hernandez to lose his job but consider this if someone had as many mishaps driving as Hernandez has umpiring they probably be taking a refresher course at driving school why doesn't MLB have similar checks and balances even Bryce Harper might agree that something needs to change maybe he just had an off day in his first game back unfortunately the rest of the season didn't show any Improvement in one game alone during a Yankees versus Orioles matchup Hernandez missed 23 calls yeah 23 errors in a single game imagine making that many mistakes in front of your boss and still clocking in the next day as if nothing happened he also botched 18 calls in a game between the Dodgers and Marlins the statistics are damning by the first week of September Hernandez had missed 81 correct calls beyond the plate it just six games according to the baseball analytics system codify doctors and lawyers often display their credentials on their office walls one can't help but wonder if Hernandez keeps a record of these game stats as a bizarre form of decoration I don't know Hernandez personally and I like to think the best of people until proven otherwise however it's hard to feel sympathetic when it seems clear he might have chosen the wrong profession years ago remember the near brawl at that Mets game or when NFL legend Steve McMichael called out Hernandez for his poor umpiring right before singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game at a Cubs game Hernandez is dis pleas reaction was captured for all to see highlighting his notorious reputation from over two decades ago will anything change unfortunately with the current MLB and mlbpa collective bargaining agreement not set to expire until 2026 major changes might not be on the horizon anytime soon until then it seems Hernandez will continue to be a contentious figure in the world of baseball

Channel: Baseballyak

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Keywords: mlb, mlb highlights, baseball highlights, mlb power rankings, mlb games, mlb recap, mlb content, mlb debate, baseball, highlights baseball, highlights mlb, mlb rumors, sports highlights, angel hernandez, bad calls in baseball, angel hernandez worst calls, angel hernandez mlb, angel hernandez retirement, angel hernandez retiring

Id: _H2VhheRmyg

Length: 10min 55sec (655 seconds)

Published: Fri May 17 2024