Umpire Ángel Hernández has retired from MLB, he announced Monday night.
Hernández, who had been working in the big leagues since 1991, was long considered to be one of baseball’s most inconsistent and frustrating umpires. Still, he stuck around for over 30 years, racking up assignments in the World Series, ALCS, NLCS, All-Star Game and World Baseball Classic.
In conjunction with MLB, Hernández released a statement detailed why he decided to call it quits two months into the 2024 regular season.
“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 the statement. “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. I have decided that I want to spend more time with my family. 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.”
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported that Hernández was retiring, a few hours before the veteran umpire made things official.
Hernández missed the first half of the 2023 season with a back injury, then returned and was pegged as MLB’s worst-rated umpire by year’s end.
That was nothing new for Hernández, who was constantly reviled by fans, players and managers alike. The “Incidents” section on his Wikipedia page is disproportionally long, detailing a handful of his errant ejections, critical missed calls and personal beefs.
