NEWSLETTER
Angel Hernández long ago – roughly around the time Joe West hung ’em up – became the face of Bad Umpiring in Major League Baseball. We can debate the degree to which that kind of title is deserved, but Hernández seems to show up enough in the news (for the wrong reasons) that it is probably fair to say he is not roundly regarded as exceptional at his job.
And now, reportedly, he’s giving up that job:
According to USA Today, after reaching a financial agreement with MLB, Hernández will retire as of tomorrow. I wonder if everyone saw this as the best outcome at this point, and/or whether MLB was nudging it along (hence the financial agreement).
It’s an abrupt end to a persistent and percussive story that pops up throughout each season.
More is coming, I’m sure, but it’ll be wild to see Major League Baseball without Angel Hernández to suck up so much of the oxygen with his unique take on the game and the strike zone. So many memories. So many memories. An umpire should not conjure this many memories.
