Baseball’s most controversial umpire is calling it a career. Angel Hernandez, who has been criticized by many in the game for decades, will retire, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Hernandez umped his first MLB game in 1991. Over the last decade, he’s been a constant source of controversy. From his large and inconsistent strike zone, to his quick ejections, to unsuccessfully suing MLB for discrimination in 2017, he’s created headlines in a profession where most prefer to not be noticed.
Hernandez, nor the league, has confirmed this decision. USA Today first reported his retirement.
It is unclear what led Hernandez’s decision, though it’s possible the vitriol directed his way played a role.
“What hurts him the most,” his lawyer Kevin Murphy told The Athletic in a recent profile, “is the pain that his two daughters and his wife go through when they know (the criticism) is so unbelievably undeserved.”
His departure is expected to happen immediately. USA Today reported that the league and Hernandez have spent the last two weeks negotiating a financial settlement. The 62-year-old hasn’t umped a game since May 9.
Players around the game have long called for Hernandez to leave the industry.
“Every year. It’s the same story,” Bryce Harper said last season. “Same thing.”
“He needs to find another job,” Ian Kinsler said in 2017.
“I don’t understand why he’s doing these games,” C.C. Sabathia said in 2018.
Even MLB was critical of Hernandez, though that criticism largely came through court filings. They stated that his decision making and handling of conflicts prevented him from getting promoted to a full-time crew chief position.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred alluded to the retirement process for umpires while speaking to reporters at MLB’s owners meetings last week, though he didn’t directly mention Hernandez.
“The management of umpires is … a physically demanding job,” Manfred said. “It goes beyond just the evaluation, training and discipline. It also goes to things like thinking about their career path, how long should they be out there? And that implicates things like your retirement program.”
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