MLB umpire Angel Hernandez retires after 3 decades

MLB umpire Angel Hernandez will retire effective immediately, ending a controversial three-decade career that in recent years has turned Hernandez into a source of consternation among players and a punching bag among fans on social media.

The 62-year-old Hernandez, who in a statement confirmed earlier reports of his retirement, has reached a settlement to leave Major League Baseball, according to a source, and will leave after having officiated thousands of games since his debut in 1991.

Hernandez, who pitched in his final game on May 9 and was replaced on Lance Barksdale’s staff by Jacob Metz, filed a lawsuit against MLB in 2017, alleging the league engaged in racial discrimination. The lawsuit was dismissed by a district court judge, a decision that was upheld by the Court of Appeals last year.

With his penchant for bad calls — during a 2018 playoff game, three calls were reversed by replay in the first four innings — Hernandez received a disproportionate amount of hate from fans. The lawsuit only added to the animosity Hernandez generated, and the storm grew to the point where Hernandez retired after missing most of the 2023 season with a back injury.

Hernandez is popular among referees, who have borne the brunt of more criticism in recent years and have rallied around him as a person. However, his work on the pitch left enough to be desired, with Hernandez becoming a constant trending topic on social media platforms and among the most hated figures in the game.

This season alone, Hernandez has scored three goals on far-from-par pitches, from Houston’s GB France to Texas’ Wyatt Langford. In 2022, Hernandez threw out Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber after hitting his bat following a third strike on a Josh Hader fastball that was off the plate.

Other Hernandez mishaps preceded the league’s instant replay series, including one in which Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael was ejected from Wrigley Field after criticizing Hernandez over the stadium loudspeaker during the seventh inning.

Especially after Joe West retired before the 2022 season, Hernandez became the face of the officiating — a job that has taken on increasing importance as referees are relied upon to implement game-pace procedures, including the pitch clock. The ball-and-strike umpire, who has been front and center in criticizing Hernandez, could soon be aided — or taken over entirely — by the use of MLB’s automated ball-strike system, which is currently in use in the minor leagues but won’t be in the major leagues until 2026 on closest estimate.

The referee rating system is intentionally opaque, although commissioner Rob Manfred at owner meetings last week defended the league’s work with referees.

“There is actually a really detailed evaluation system,” Manfred said, according to The Athletic. “They are evaluated twice a year, mid-season and at the end of the season. There are financial ramifications to those evaluations in terms of what they get in terms of postseason assignments, which is a big chunk of — a significant increase on top of what they earn, and there are, in fact, mandatory remedial activities.” They are imposed on rulers more frequently than people realize.

“Having said that, I think referee management is a… physically demanding job. It goes beyond just assessment, training and discipline. It also goes into things like thinking about their career path, and how much time they should be out of action.” there? And that includes things like your retirement plan, I mean there’s a lot of things about managing it that I don’t think everyone fully appreciates.

Hernandez has not worked a World Series game since 2005 and last umpired the League Championship Series in 2016. His lack of playoff duties, as well as his lack of promotion to crew chief despite his tenure, served as the basis for his lawsuit against the league.

Hernandez blamed league executive Joe Torre, who was in charge of officiating, and later said in a statement that Hernandez had an “overly confrontational style.” The judge granted MLB summary judgment in the case.

“Starting with my first MLB game in 1991, I have had a very good experience living out my childhood dream of umpiring in the major leagues,” Hernandez said in his full statement.

“There’s nothing better than working in a career you enjoy. I’ve appreciated the camaraderie among my teammates and the friendships I’ve made along the way, including the locker room staff in all the different cities.

“I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family.

“It goes without saying that there have been many positive changes in baseball since I first entered the profession. This includes expanding and promoting minorities. I am proud to have been able to be an active participant in this goal while I was a major league umpire.”