Why does everyone hate Angel Hernandez so much?
Angel Hernandez became a story again on Monday night, but why is he hated so much?
Through the years, as technology has opened the door to a better view, some MLB umpires have become poster boys for the advent of an electronic strike zone. Angel Hernandez has drawn a lot of ire through time, including multiple times this year. But his ineptitude was on full display in Game 3 of the Yankees-Red Sox ALDS Monday night.
The goal of any replay system is to get calls right, when officials or umpires have to make calls in real-time, at full speed and may have just simply missed something. MLB’s replay system has had issues with long delays at times, and adding more time to a Yankees-Red Sox playoff game is never ideal.
Hernandez was working first base on Monday night. By the time the fourth inning was over, three of his calls were overturned and a fourth call was upheld on review. That has to be some kind of record, but while Hernandez didn’t speak to the media after the game MLB backed up the working use of the replay system to deliver the proper result.
Angel Hernandez declined to talk postgame. MLB issued a statement through a spokesman:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 9, 2018
“There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them.”
Hernandez is in his 28th year as a major league umpire. He filed a lawsuit against MLB last year, citing racial discrimination in his not getting postseason and All-Star Game assignments. This is his 20th career postseason series, and his 10th Division Series assignment, so that lawsuit doesn’t ring all that true. That said, an umpire of Hernandez’s experience would seem likely to have worked more in the postseason. But that’s pretty clearly an issue of competence, or incompetence, not his race as a Cuban-American.
Angel Hernandez declined to talk postgame. MLB issued a statement through a spokesman:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 9, 2018
“There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them.”
Hernandez’s missed, then overturned calls ultimately did not matter in a 16-1 Red Sox route. But since he had first base Monday night, he’ll be behind the plate for Tuesday night’s Game 4. So that should be interesting, as the Yankees try to stave off elimination.
The #Yankees had their worst night in postseason history. Angel Hernandez had his most embarrassing evening as an umpire. Tonight, the two converge as the #Yankees try to stave off elimination vs #Redsox with Hernandez moving to home plate. Buckle up!. https://t.co/oL5SG4O649
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 9, 2018
Angel Hernandez can do it for the series by having a call reversed at home plate tomorrow night. https://t.co/M38RpLKyfI
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) October 9, 2018
Next. 5 candidates to replace Buck Showalter as Orioles manager. dark
Hate is a big word to use on anyone. But Hernandez has put himself back atop any list of the most hated umpires, if he ever ceded that spot to start with.