Ángel Hernández retires: Eight of the controversial MLB umpire’s worst calls, including disastrous 2018 ALDS

Last Monday night, the much maligned referee Ángel Hernández announced his retirement, with immediate effect. He entered the league in 1991 and became a full-time referee in 1993. Hernández refereed his last game on May 9.

“I decided I want to spend more time with my family” Hernández said in a statement. “It goes without saying that there have been many positive changes in the game of baseball since I entered the profession. This includes the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud to have been an active participant in that goal while also being an umpire in the league main.”

To say that Hernández was unpopular with fans and players alike would be an understatement. He has long been publicly considered the worst umpire in baseball, although data shows he is merely below average rather than the worst in the game. Hernández tended to be combative, however, and to escalate things when his role was to de-escalate. The man liked to exercise his authority.

Although the data says he wasn’t the worst referee, Hernández had a talent for extremely bad decisions. It’s not that he made more bad decisions than other referees. It’s just that the bad decisions he made were really, really bad. Watch these attacks on Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford on April 13. This is the worst that can happen:

Here are some of the most egregious miscalls during Hernández’s career, listed chronologically.

1. July 5, 1998: Tucker misses home plate

We can go back to the last century to see Hernández’s antics. In the bottom of the 11th inning against the Mets, Braves shortstop Walt Weiss lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Michael Tucker for the game-winning run. The only problem? Tucker never touched the plate. His foot was elevated when the tag was applied. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza appropriately lost it.

“Anyone who wants to see the replay or anyone who saw it live knows what happened,” Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. “All I know is I have more injuries on an already injured catcher – five-inch-deep marks on the leg – and another game we lost. That’s all I know. And it’s a joke.”

2. August 7, 2001: McMichael calls out Hernández

The Rockies were visiting the Cubs and both teams had issues with Hernández’s strike zone. Additionally, Hernández called upon Ron Coomer on a play at the plate that would have tied the game in the sixth inning. Replays showed Coomer was safe.

Later, Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael called out Hernández while in the booth to sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” at Wrigley Field. “I’m going to talk to the home plate umpire after the game,” McMichael said to applause. He then blew a kiss to Hernández.

At the time, it was reported that Hernández ejected McMichael – yes, referees can eject fans – although Hernández and crew chief Randy Marsh later confirmed that McMichael was never played.

3. May 8, 2013: Rosales misses a game-tying home run

With two outs in the ninth inning against Cleveland closer Chris Perez, track utility Adam Rosales lifted what should have been a game-tying solo home run to left field. The ball hit the fence above the yellow line at Progressive Field. Hernández, the team manager, considered it a double on the field. A’s coach Bob Melvin called for a replay review and Hernández scored a double anyway. You can see the piece here. The next day, MLB admitted that the “incorrect call” was made.

“By rule, the decision to reverse a call using instant replay is at the sole discretion of the team manager,” MLB executive Joe Torre said in a statement. “… It was a judgment and as such it is final.”

Instead of being credited with a game-tying home run, Rosales had to settle for a double. He was stuck at second and the A’s lost the game.

4. May 24, 2013: Hernández robs Rios of a walk

With the score tied 3-3, the White Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth inning against the Marlins when Alex Rios hit a weak ground ball to short. The Marlins turned the double play around at 6-4-3, but they really didn’t. Replays showed that Hernández botched the call and Rios hit the throw at first base, meaning the winning run should have scored. Iconic ChiSox announcer Hawk Harrelson summed it up like this: “Oh no! No! No! No! He’s safe and another missed call from Hernández!”

At the time, instant replay was only used for home runs. Replay was not expanded until 2014, so Hernández’s decision was final.

5. October 8, 2018: Three missed calls in ALDS Game 3

In Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS between the Yankees and Red Sox, Hernández made a three – three! – calls overturned by replay at first base (a fourth call was challenged and upheld). Here are the pieces that were voided:

After the game, an MLB spokesperson said, “There were several very difficult throws at first base tonight and we are happy that instant replay allowed the officiating team to achieve the proper outcome on all of them.”

Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, who works as a studio analyst for TBS, was less diplomatic. “Ángel was horrible. Don’t make me continue with Ángel now,” he said. “Major League Baseball needs to do something about Ángel. It doesn’t matter how many times he sues Major League Baseball. He’s as bad as there is.”

6. April 24, 2022: Schwarber goes crazy

This wasn’t Hernández’s worst bad decision, but it certainly led to his most memorable speech. After being thrown in the ninth inning of a one-run game, Kyle Schwarber slammed his bat and helmet and fired a shot at Hernández. This is one of the great ejections of all time.

Josh Hader’s face after elimination really says it all.

7. September 28, 2023: Harper’s expulsion

A year after Schwarber’s speech, Hernández ejected Bryce Harper for discussing a check swing call – it wasn’t particularly close to a swing – and Harper let him keep it. For action footage:

“Ángel is in the middle of something again. It’s every year, the same story, the same thing,” Harper said after the game. “I’ll probably get fined for being right again.”

8. March 8, 2024: Lynn spring training ejections

Sometimes the temperature can rise in spring training. In March of this year, Hernández ejected Lance Lynn for arguing balls and strikes during a Grapefruit League game. Lynn went down to the bullpen afterward to throw his pitches, and Hernández kicked him out of the bullpen as well.

“(Hernández) started chirping in the dugout and I told him, ‘They know it was a strike.’ He told me: ‘Let’s go!’ And I told him, ‘I have five seconds on the field clock and I’ll start whenever I want,’” Lynn said after the game. “I threw the next pitch and thought, ‘There’s a strike!’ And then it was ‘see you later’. I went and got 20 more pitches out of the bullpen, so I’m in a good position, I think I got kicked out of the game too, technically.”