We Won't Have Angel Hernandez To Kick Around Anymore

Last night came word that longtime MLB umpire Angel Hernandez would be "retiring".

It would be more accurate to say that MLB is paying Angel Hernandez not to umpire. 

Hernandez's ineptitude at the job he held for more than 30 years made him one of the most well-known and reviled people in all of baseball. The fact that he missed nearly all of last season due to a back injury and hadn't umpired a game this season for nearly three weeks didn't abate the derision. 

Even among casual fans Hernandez would become well known for all the times he trended on Twitter for "Missed Calls". When someone retires, one usually is treated to their highlights. In Hernandez's case, his lowlights were his highlights. Hernandez didn't help his own cause when he sued MLB for racial discrimination. All MLB had to do was show his work or lack thereof. I will always remember when Hernandez had three calls overturned via instant replay in Game 4 of the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. 

A good umpire is someone you don't notice. Mind you, even good umpires don't get every call right. But Hernandez would turn bad situations worse and provoked confrontations with players, coaches and managers. Simply put, Angel Hernandez did Major League Baseball more harm than good. 

So we won't have Angel Hernandez to kick around anymore. His banishment doesn't erase the fact there is plenty wrong with baseball. But Angel Hernandez left a black mark on the game. Simply put, Angel Hernandez did Major League Baseball more harm than good. Angel Hernandez should have been shown the door long ago, but he probably would have missed it by a mile.