Controversial MLB umpire Angel Hernandez retires after three decades

• He is a Cuban-American Major League Baseball umpire
• He has retired after three decades in his career
• He is one of the most controversial figures in MLB history

Controversial MLB umpire Angel Hernandez has retired from MSL after three decades of criticism in the sport, starting in the National League in 1991 before moving to MLB full-time nine years later.

He was one of the most criticized umpires in baseball history with fans, players, and coaches frequently questioning his calls. His controversies prevented him from being promoted to a full-time crew chief position.

His retirement can be based on a personal decision having stated MLB saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and it could also be a mutual agreement with the MLB because there was a financial settlement.

Angel Hernandez’s career highlight

Born in Cuba, his passion for baseball evolved at a young age, and he began in the minor leagues and then worked his way up through the Florida State League and other circuits before reaching the National League in 1991.

Angel Hernandez MLB umpire retires after three decades. Photo/Larry Brown Sports

He first came in as a substitute umpire in the National League and after his call-up, he moved through the National League in the 90s. In 2000, he secured a full-time position in Major League Baseball officiating games across both the National League and the American League. Hernandez controversies in his MLB career

Though he spent over two decades as an MLB umpire, it was not a smooth ride for him as he faced several challenges in his career. He often faced scrutiny of the strike zone and this was his major challenge.

Coaches, players and even fans kept criticizing the accuracy and consistency of his strike zone calls and statistics often showed a higher deviation from the “true zone”, as compared to other umpires. This affected his confidence and decision-making.

The scrutiny of the strike zone issue resulted in verbal abuse from players and coaches who disagreed with his calls and this frustrated him since it was sometimes done in the presence of the fans.

He often struggled with communication skills to explain his calls and control the game,  leading to ejections and this brought conflicts surrounding his calls. With advanced technology, things were becoming difficult for him since he was not used to it even if they got an interpretation of the pitch.

Why was Hernandez not promoted to crew chief?

There is no specific reason as to why he was not promoted to a full-time crew chief position, even having played in MLB for over two decades. However, we can have several suggestions based on the circumstances that surrounded him at MLB.

Hernandez filed a lawsuit against MLB with allegations of racial discrimination, claiming that his ethnicity was a reason for not being promoted to crew chief. However, the case was dismissed by the courts.

MLB’s promotions are based on merit and evaluations and this was one of their justification in the lawsuit against them. This was clear that Hernandez was not up to the task, since he did not meet the needed credentials for that task.

Being one of the most criticized for his accuracy and consistency, the MLB could also have weighed that option in their decision to promote him to a crew chief. This makes him one of the most scrutinized umpires in MLB history.

Angel Hernandez most controversial MLB umpire. Photo/ESPN

He struggled with confrontations and ejections which raised eyebrows on his leadership abilities. This could have barred his promotion since crew chiefs have the mandate to manage a team of umpires and also maintain  order and communication during games.

Angel Hernandez retirement

Angel Hernandez expressed his desire to retire, to spend more time with his family in a statement released through MLB. His career comes to an end after serving as an umpire for more than three decades.

According to the statement released, the retirement suggests to be voluntary but according to Yahoo Sports, there were reports of negotiations between MLB and the umpire, hinting at a potential “forced retirement” with a compensation agreement.