For decades, Angel Hernandez has been a constant target of baseball fans’ ire, with a reputation as one of the most questionable umpires in Major League Baseball history. And last Friday night, he reached new heights of absurdity.
A Night of Infamy: The Rangers-Astros Rematch
Hernandez took to the plate for the rematch of the 2023 ALCS between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. A clash filled not with brilliant plays, but with a bewildering spectacle of erroneous calls.
The Case of the Errant Sliders
Rookie Wyatt Langford found himself fanning three on consecutive sliders that missed the plate by a comical margin. The final strike, according to Umpire Auditor on X, strayed a staggering 6.78 inches from the catching zone – the widest by far among the previous 53,000 called third strikes.
Seven Inches Off, And Counting
Hernandez’s Night of Errors didn’t end there. He called a total of seven pitches as strikes that were three inches or more off the plate. According to Umpire Scorecards, he called 91% of strikes correctly, below the league average of 94%.
Overzealous Balls and Outrageous Zones
But his inability to spot balls outside the strike zone was even more baffling. Of the 55 strikes he called, 12 were actually balls, some glaringly obvious. This translated to a mere 78% accuracy, far below the average of 88%.
Baseball Fans Erupt in Dismay
The umpiring debacle did not go unnoticed by the baseball community. Fans and analysts alike took to social media to vent their frustrations and question Hernandez’s competence.
“Angel Hernandez just called strike 3 on a pitch that was in Narnia,” tweeted popular streamer Fuzzy.
“Not many legends are able to adapt across eras like that,” remarked Rodger Sherman, referring to Hernandez’s sustained infamy.
Robo Ump, the Inevitable Savior?
As clips of Hernandez’s questionable calls spread on social media, the debate over the implementation of a robotic umpiring system gained renewed momentum. “One ump alone [can] hasten the implementation,” wondered New York Post baseball writer Jon Heyman.
Hernandez’s History of Litigation
Hernandez has been no stranger to controversy off the field as well. In 2017, he filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball, alleging racial discrimination and accusing the league of preventing him from becoming a crew chief. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2021.
In the ongoing circus that is umpiring, Angel Hernandez remains a standout performer, captivating fans with his uncanny ability to turn the game into a comedy. But one can’t help but wonder, at what cost to the integrity of the sport?
Data sourced from: foxnews.com
