Angel Hernandez is not Mick Jagger
Ben Godar
Have you ever gone out to the ballpark explicitly to see the umpires? I mean, instead of going to see Pedro Martinez pitch or something like that, have you ever picked up the morning paper and said to the wife, "honey, let's go to tonight's game, Joe West is umping."
It's a rhetorical question, because of course you haven't. But that doesn't stop Angel Hernandez, the worst umpire in the bigs, from walking onto the field night after night like he's the whole damn show.
Hernandez played his Vince McMahon routine again this week. From his position on the third base line, Hernandez ejected Dodgers coach Mariano Duncan, who was in the first base dugout at the time, for supposedly arguing a check-swing call. It was vintage Hernandez, stopping a game in the first inning to eject someone on the other side of the field.
A few moments of chaos ensued as nobody knew who Hernandez ejected or why. When Duncan understandably flipped his shit and tossed his hat on the field, Hernandez picked it up and gave it to a fan.
Can we please get this grandstanding douche off the field, permanently?
And let me make it clear, I'm not one of these guys who constantly bags on the boys in blue. Calling a game is a very imperfect science, but Major League umps come about as close to perfection as we can expect.
Hernandez has certainly blown his share of calls, and one study ranked him among the worst three umpires in consistency, temperament and respect for players. But what really makes this guy a blight on The Game is his repeated, ego-driven acts of madness.
Among the highlights of the Angel Hernandez Ego Tour was a 2001 Cubs game when he ejected former Chicago Bear and pro wrestler Steve McMichael for commenting on a blown call by Hernandez before singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
When Jose Lima accused Hernandez of not giving him the same strike zone as the opposing pitcher, Hernandez reportedly replied "you're no John Smoltz." In 1998, Hernandez ridiculously called Michael Tucker safe at the plate in the 11th inning of a Braves/Mets game. But what made it more than just a blown call was that players have reported hearing Hernandez remark earlier that he had "a plane to catch."
Have you ever been at a rock show when the guitar tech, instead of simply testing the levels before the headliner, plays a few Hendrix riffs? That is Angel Hernandez.
If a ball in play hits an umpire, the play continues, because the umpires are just considered part of the field. That's as it should be. The fact that we know Angel Hernandez by name, that we know his history of arrogance - that's a sign that we have a problem.
Blown calls are a part of the game. Angel Hernandez shouldn't be.
Have you ever gone out to the ballpark explicitly to see the umpires? I mean, instead of going to see Pedro Martinez pitch or something like that, have you ever picked up the morning paper and said to the wife, "honey, let's go to tonight's game, Joe West is umping."
It's a rhetorical question, because of course you haven't. But that doesn't stop Angel Hernandez, the worst umpire in the bigs, from walking onto the field night after night like he's the whole damn show.
Hernandez played his Vince McMahon routine again this week. From his position on the third base line, Hernandez ejected Dodgers coach Mariano Duncan, who was in the first base dugout at the time, for supposedly arguing a check-swing call. It was vintage Hernandez, stopping a game in the first inning to eject someone on the other side of the field.
A few moments of chaos ensued as nobody knew who Hernandez ejected or why. When Duncan understandably flipped his shit and tossed his hat on the field, Hernandez picked it up and gave it to a fan.
Can we please get this grandstanding douche off the field, permanently?
And let me make it clear, I'm not one of these guys who constantly bags on the boys in blue. Calling a game is a very imperfect science, but Major League umps come about as close to perfection as we can expect.
Hernandez has certainly blown his share of calls, and one study ranked him among the worst three umpires in consistency, temperament and respect for players. But what really makes this guy a blight on The Game is his repeated, ego-driven acts of madness.
Among the highlights of the Angel Hernandez Ego Tour was a 2001 Cubs game when he ejected former Chicago Bear and pro wrestler Steve McMichael for commenting on a blown call by Hernandez before singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
When Jose Lima accused Hernandez of not giving him the same strike zone as the opposing pitcher, Hernandez reportedly replied "you're no John Smoltz." In 1998, Hernandez ridiculously called Michael Tucker safe at the plate in the 11th inning of a Braves/Mets game. But what made it more than just a blown call was that players have reported hearing Hernandez remark earlier that he had "a plane to catch."
Have you ever been at a rock show when the guitar tech, instead of simply testing the levels before the headliner, plays a few Hendrix riffs? That is Angel Hernandez.
If a ball in play hits an umpire, the play continues, because the umpires are just considered part of the field. That's as it should be. The fact that we know Angel Hernandez by name, that we know his history of arrogance - that's a sign that we have a problem.
Blown calls are a part of the game. Angel Hernandez shouldn't be.
posted by Ben Godar at 7:50 AM
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