Controversial Major League Baseball umpire Ángel Hernández to retire after three decades

With a reputation among baseball players and fans as one of the worst umpires in the game, the baseball world will no longer have Ángel Hernández to kick around.

With a reputation among baseball players and fans as one of the worst umpires in the game, the baseball world will no longer have Ángel Hernández to kick around. The umpire that fans and players loved to hate – one of the more controversial figures in the game – has retired after more than three decades. “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,” Hernández said in a statement Monday night. “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.” During his career, Hernández was an unpopular figure – often skewered by irate fans, players and managers for suspect ball and strike calls and other controversial on-field decisions. His highlights and lowlights live forever on replay and the internet, becoming a bit of a punching bag on social media platforms. In 2023, as a third base umpire, Hernández called Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper out on a questionable checked swing on a full count – three balls and two strikes. Harper argued the call and was ejected.