Ángel Hernández retired Monday night after over three decades of umpiring. The 62-year-old accepted a financial settlement to end his career. Hernández had a reputation as one of the worst umpires in baseball.
Ángel Hernández, known as one of the most controversial umpires in baseball history, has officially retired after more than 30 years in the major leagues. Hernández, 62, abruptly announced his retirement on Monday night, accepting a financial settlement to end his umpiring career.
Hernández, who was known for his frequent questionable calls, had amassed a reputation as one of the worst umpires in baseball. His performance came under increased scrutiny in recent years as instant replay and talk of an automated strike zone became more prevalent.
MLB insider Jeff Passan believes that Hernández's early retirement may have been influenced by the heightened scrutiny and criticism he faced on social media.
"It makes me wonder, like, what's my responsibility and what's my part in this?" Passan told "The Rich Eisen Show." "Because I think sometimes we take for granted what social media actually does and how it brings out the absolute worst in a lot of us."
Passan acknowledged that Hernández was "genuinely bad" at his job, but emphasized that the constant criticism on social media exacerbated the situation.
"And how every time he would do something wrong, it would get put out there. And then it would almost just compound upon itself. … You just had this echo chamber of Ángel Hernández awfulness that, I think, in the end, wound up being part of his undoing," Passan added.
Hernández, in his retirement statement, cited his desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his decision.
"Starting with my first Major League game in 1991, I have had the very good experience of living out my childhood dream of umpiring in the major leagues," Hernández's statement said. "There is nothing better than working at a profession that you enjoy. I treasured the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made along the way, including our locker room attendants in all the various cities."
Hernández's retirement brings an end to a tumultuous career marked by controversy and allegations of discrimination. He once accused the league of "manipulating the performance of Mr. Hernández and other minority umpires," which he claimed prevented more minority umpires from becoming crew chiefs.
Hernández lost a lawsuit against Major League Baseball in 2021 that alleged racial discrimination. In the lawsuit, filed in 2017, Hernández said he had been discriminated against because he had not been assigned to a World Series since 2005 and had not been made a crew chief.
Despite the criticism and allegations, Hernández's retirement marks the end of an era in Major League Baseball. He was known for his flamboyant style and confrontational demeanor, which often made him a polarizing figure in the game. Whether he will be remembered fondly or as a cautionary tale remains to be seen.
