Ángel Hernández (umpire)
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Ángel Hernández (umpire)
OR:
Ángel Hernández (umpire) on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Ángel Hernández (born August 26, 1961) is a Cuban-American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...
umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...
. He worked in the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
from 1991 to 1999 and worked throughout
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) from 2000 until his retirement in May 2024. Hernández was involved in several controversial incidents and was widely criticized by players, coaches, and fans throughout his career. Hernández umpired eight
League Championship Series The League Championship Series (LCS) is the semifinal round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969. In 1981, and since 1995, the two annual series have matched up the winners of the Division Series, ...
, three All-Star Games, the
2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...
, and the
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
and
2005 World Series The 2005 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2005 season. The 101st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National ...
. In July 2017, Hernández filed an unsuccessful federal lawsuit against MLB, alleging that racial discrimination kept him from being promoted to crew chief and from umpiring future
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
games.


Early life

Hernández was born in
Havana, Cuba Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. At 14 months old, his family moved to
Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in Miami-Da ...
, where he grew up and began playing and umpiring in the Khoury League as a teenager; his father directed the local league.


Umpiring career

Hernández began umpiring in the
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
in 1981, where he earned $900 per month (), moved to the
Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
in 1984, was promoted to the Southern League in 1986 and earned a raise to $1,800 per month and then reached the top rung of
Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
in the American Association in 1988, where he was paid $2,200 per month (). In May 1991, he earned his first call-up to the Major Leagues as a substitute for a full-time umpire. Fifty-seven of his friends and family came to the ballpark to watch his debut. Hernández umpired in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
in
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
and
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
and the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, and
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
. He officiated in seven
League Championship Series The League Championship Series (LCS) is the semifinal round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969. In 1981, and since 1995, the two annual series have matched up the winners of the Division Series, ...
(
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
,
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
), and in 12
League Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series" ...
(
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
,
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
,
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
). Hernández worked Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS as an injury fill-in for
Derryl Cousins Derryl Cousins (August 18, 1946October 19, 2020) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB), who worked in the American League (AL) from 1979 to 1999, and umpired throughout both leagues from 2000 until his retirement following the 20 ...
. For the second half of the 2011 baseball season, Hernández was moved from the umpiring crew of Joe West to the crew of Gerry Davis. Hernández wore number 5 while in the National League, but the number was taken by
Dale Scott Dale Allan Scott (born August 14, 1959) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. He worked in the American League from 1986 to 1999, and officiated in both leagues from 2000 until his retirement after the 2017 season. He became a c ...
when the umpires were consolidated under MLB in 2000, so Hernández took number 55. After Scott retired in 2017, Hernández regained his number 5 for the 2018 season. In 1999 Hernández was ranked 31st out of 36 umpires in the
Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
survey. He was retained for the 2000 season ahead of 13 of his National League colleagues, which the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' termed one of the "surprises" of the 1999 purge. In 2006 and 2011 he was listed as the third-worst baseball umpire in ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' player polls. A 2010
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
survey showed that 22% of major league ballplayers asked identified Hernández as the worst umpire in the major leagues. In 2016, Hernández's lawsuit against MLB stated that MLB rated Hernández's accuracy behind the plate at 96.88 percent in 2016 (up from 92.19% in 2002), and said he did not miss any calls on the basepaths. During the
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, and
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
seasons, Hernández's calls at first base were overturned in 14 out of 18 video reviews, for a 78% overturn rate, exceeding the 60% overturn rate for all first-base calls by all umpires during that time period. On April 8, 2019,
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
published a study on 11 seasons of Major League Baseball data, almost 4 million pitches analyzed, to determine the accuracy of balls and strikes called. The study found that Hernández performed stronger in 2018 than his average for 2008–2018. He averaged 19 incorrect calls a game, or 2.2 per inning. Even with this high error rate, compared to his peers, he performed better than others, escaping the 2018 Bottom 10 MLB list. During
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
2019, Hernández claimed he gets four wrong calls per game. The BU study shows that his error rate is almost five times higher. In 2020, after a dozen umpires elected to sit out the season as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Hernandez was made an interim crew chief. ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' journalist Tom Gatto wrote in 2020 that Hernández "has earned a reputation for being one of MLB's worst umpires". Andrew Mahoney, writing for ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', reported that Hernández "has a reputation as one of baseball's worst umpires". Zach Braziller of ''
The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' wrote that he was the "worst umpire in baseball". In 2023, Hernandez worked a single game on April 3 before suffering a back injury. He remained sidelined until July 31, when he began a minor league rehab assignment. Despite working only ten MLB games in 2023, ''Sports Illustrated'' reported that Hernandez missed 161 calls, and his strike zone accuracy in the September 14 Pirates–Nationals game was the worst by any umpire in the last five years.


Notable games

Hernández was behind the plate for the final game at the original
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
on September 21, 2008. He was umpiring at third base when
Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th overall ...
threw a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
on May 2, 2012, and was also the third-base umpire on September 28, 2012, when
Homer Bailey David Dewitt "Homer" Bailey Jr. (born May 3, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds from 2007 through 2018, the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics in 2019 ...
of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
no-hit the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. On May 18, 2021, Hernandez was the home plate umpire for Spencer Turnbull's no-hitter against the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
, the only time that he has been the home plate umpire for a no-hitter.


Incidents

In 1998, Hernández was behind the plate for a game between the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
the day before the All-Star break. In the 11th inning, Braves runner Michael Tucker tagged up on a fly ball to left. Hernández ruled Tucker safe, but replays showed the throw to catcher
Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007, and is a member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. He intended ...
beat Tucker, and that Tucker had never touched home plate. After the game, Piazza said the call was the worst he had ever seen in his baseball career. Other Mets opined that Hernández may have been in a hurry to get the game over with so they could all start their break. On August 7, 2001, Hernández was the home plate umpire for a game between the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Hernández controversially called Cubs infielder
Ron Coomer Ronald Bryan Coomer (born November 18, 1966), nicknamed "Coom Dawg", is an American former first baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball and the current color analyst and play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs radio on WSCR 670 ...
out at the plate. Former
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
defensive tackle
Steve McMichael Stephen Douglas McMichael (October 17, 1957 – April 23, 2025), nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming", and "Ming the Merciless", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the Natio ...
, who was visiting the Cubs television booth and who was the guest singer for
Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 waltz song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game before writing the song. The song' ...
during the
seventh-inning stretch In baseball in the United States and Canada, the seventh-inning stretch (also known as the Lucky 7 in Japan and South Korea) is a long-standing tradition that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of a game. Fans generally stand up ...
, told those in attendance over the PA system that he would "have some speaks" with Hernández after the game, presumably because of Hernández's call against Coomer. A visibly angry Hernández was shown on camera glaring at McMichael from the field, muttering "son of a bitch." McMichael was subsequently ejected from the ballpark; it was initially thought that Hernández had ordered the ejection. It later emerged that crew chief Randy Marsh had ordered the ejection, threatening to stop the game unless McMichael was removed from the ballpark. Later, the umpires received an apology from then-Cubs general manager
Andy MacPhail Andrew Bowen MacPhail (born April 5, 1953) is an American baseball executive. He has previously served as general manager for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, and as president for the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. MacPhail i ...
for McMichael's conduct. On July 17, 2006, when Hernández served as the third-base umpire for a game between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, he ejected Dodgers' first-base coach
Mariano Duncan Mariano Duncan Nalasco (born March 13, 1963) is a Dominican former second baseman and shortstop who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and ...
. When Duncan came out of the dugout to argue the ejection, he tossed his cap to the ground in anger. After Duncan was removed from the field, Hernández picked up the cap and tossed it to a fan in the stands. The next day, Duncan taped his cap to his head before delivering the Dodgers' lineup to the umpires. Duncan was suspended for two games and fined by Major League Baseball as a result of the incident. On May 8, 2013, Hernández served as the crew chief for a game between the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
and the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. In the ninth inning, he and two other umpires ruled a long hit by the Athletics' Adam Rosales was a
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
following a video review, although the ball hit a railing above the top of the wall. Oakland's manager
Bob Melvin Robert Paul Melvin (born October 28, 1961) is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Melvin has been named Manager of the Year three times. S ...
argued the call and Hernández ejected him. The Athletics lost the game 4–3. MLB later acknowledged that the hit should have been called a
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
but said that it was too late to overturn it. Several umpires argued that the replay system did not provide clear enough pictures and the system was later changed. In August 2017, Detroit Tigers second baseman
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler (; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles A ...
was fined $10,000 by MLB for saying that Hernández was a bad umpire who "needs to find another job." On October 8, 2018, Hernández was the first-base umpire for Game 3 of the
2018 American League Division Series The 2018 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2018 postseason to determine the participating teams of the 2018 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, se ...
between the Yankees and Red Sox. Four out of five plays that he called at first base which were submitted for video review were overturned. TBS analyst and
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Pedro Martínez Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , for five teams—most notably the Boston Red Sox from to . As of 2023, M ...
said after the game: "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 there is." Pitcher
CC Sabathia Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees. Sabathia batted and th ...
said: "I don’t understand why he’s doing these games. ... He’s always bad. He’s a bad umpire." Hernández declined to comment after the game, a blowout win for the Red Sox, but MLB issued a statement through a spokesperson: "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." MLB removed Hernández as acting crew chief after accusing him of eavesdropping on an MLB investigative call in July 2019, which focused on Hernández's 20-minute game delay due to umpire confusion over league rules. Hernández did not hang up his phone when his interview ended, and instead continued listening to the subsequent questioning of another umpire that he knew was intended to be separate. Joe Torre, MLB's chief baseball officer, wrote him: "Simply put, we find your asserted justifications for remaining on the line to be implausible, internally inconsistent, premised on facts that are incorrect and not credible.... we have concluded that you remained on the line in an effort to intentionally and deceptively eavesdrop on a confidential conversation in order to hear what mpireHickox would say... This is an egregious offense." Hernández was also chastised for asking pitcher
Homer Bailey David Dewitt "Homer" Bailey Jr. (born May 3, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds from 2007 through 2018, the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics in 2019 ...
for 11 autographed baseballs after Bailey's no-hitter, for making three incorrect calls that were later overturned on the basis of video replay in the first four innings of Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS, and for angrily throwing his headset during a different game when his call was overturned by replay.


Lawsuit

In July 2017, Hernández filed a federal lawsuit against MLB, alleging that racial discrimination led to his being overlooked for World Series games and crew chief promotions. He also cited a longstanding feud with Chief Baseball Officer
Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre Jr. (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball Senior management, executive and former player, Manager (baseball), manager, and television color commentator. He has served as a special assistant to the Commiss ...
, dating back to Torre's managerial career. Hernández asserted that before Torre's arrival in 2011, Hernández's evaluations were consistently positive, but since then evaluations had turned neutral or negative. Nearly a week after he filed the suit, Hernández was named to the 2017 All-Star Game; he was also selected as first-base umpire for the
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
and
2018 American League Division Series The 2018 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2018 postseason to determine the participating teams of the 2018 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, se ...
. In September 2018, the case was moved from the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties—everything from the Columbus, Oh ...
to the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...
in New York City, where Major League Baseball is headquartered. In March 2021,
United States District Judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
J. Paul Oetken James Paul Oetken ( ; born October 1, 1965), known professionally as J. Paul Oetken, is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is the first openly gay man to be confirmed as ...
granted a summary judgment in MLB's favor, writing, "The court concludes that no reasonable juror could find that MLB's stated explanation is a pretext for discriminatory motive", and "The evidence shows beyond genuine dispute that an umpire's leadership and situation management carried the day in MLB's promotion decisions." In August 2023, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected Hernández's appeal.Major League Baseball Umpire Loses Appeal of Discrimination Lawsuit
/ref>


Retirement

On May 27, 2024, Hernández announced his retirement after he reached a financial settlement with MLB. He umpired his final game on May 9.


Personal life

Hernández is the father of two daughters with his wife, Maria. In 2015, Hernández returned to Cuba for the first time since he left to spread the ashes of his father. A few months later, he returned to umpire the first game in the country involving an MLB team since 1999. Hernández does charity work for disabled children, including hosting a celebrity golf tournament every year. He lives in
Loxahatchee, Florida Loxahatchee is an unincorporated community in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located north of Wellington, and west and northwest of Royal Palm Beach, approximately west of West Palm Beach. Loxahatchee is under the zip code of 33470 ...
.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball umpires (disambiguation) Lists of Major League Baseball umpires include: * List of Major League Baseball umpires (A–F) * List of Major League Baseball umpires (G–M) * List of Major League Baseball umpires (N–Z) See also * List of Major League Baseball umpiring ...


References


Further reading

*


External links


Major league profile


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Angel 1961 births American sportspeople of Cuban descent Living people Sportspeople from Havana Sportspeople from Hialeah, Florida Major League Baseball umpires National League umpires Cuban emigrants to the United States Major League Baseball controversies 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen 20th-century Cuban people 21st-century Cuban people