Last week gifted us with a day that many baseball fans thought would never come.
Angel Hernandez, widely regarded as the worst umpire in Major League Baseball history, decided to abruptly retire.
Pulling back the curtain on his surprising (yet welcomed) decision, the 62-year-old Hernandez released a statement detailing 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,” Hernandez stated.
“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.”
“Needless to say, there have been many positive changes in the game of baseball since I first entered the profession.
“This includes the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud that I was able to be an active participant in that goal while being a Major League umpire,” Hernandez concluded.
Needless to say, baseball fans, players, managers, broadcasters, and just about every single human being globally celebrated Hernandez’s departure from the sport.
Leave it to ESPN’s Mike Greenberg to truly capture the enormity of Hernandez’s decision.
“I don’t think there has ever been a more universally disrespected or unrespected umpire in baseball history than Angel Hernandez,” Greenberg stated.
“The best thing (about the announcement) was to watch as people were just posting one after another, pitches that were six, seven, eight inches outside that he called a strike,” Greenberg continued.
“Ringing people up on the most ridiculous…he lived to call you out on strikes on a pitch that wasn’t close, more than anybody.”
His sentiments were echoed by his producer, Paul “Hembo” Hembekide, who branded Hernandez “objectively terrible” at umpiring and predicted his role in the eventual implementation of an automated strike zone in Major League Baseball.
Greenberg humorously suggested labeling the system the “Angel Machine.”
Addressing Hernandez’s impact on the game, Hemekide lamented the umpire’s tendency to divert attention away from the players.
Greenberg concurred, highlighting Hernandez’s lack of tolerance for dissent and his urge to always make the moment about him.
“In the old days when Earl Weaver would come out of the dugout and yell at umps, there was a give-and-take to it,” Greenberg recalled.
“Angel Hernandez was not to be questioned. He just gave. He would make like four terrible calls in a row, and the second somebody looked at him funny, he would throw them out.”
Despite a brief moment of reflection, Greenberg did not hold back in his assessment of Hernandez’s tenure.
“He was terrible at that job,” Greenberg said bluntly, “and the celebration was remarkable to watch.”
It might be hard for some people, but it’s very much possible to wish Hernandez all the very best in retirement, while still celebrating the fact that we no longer have to deal with him.
What are your thoughts on Hernandez’s decision to retire?
Is he indeed the single-worst umpire in baseball history???