Polarizing MLB Umpire Ángel Hernández Retiring After Over 30 Years Behind the Plate

Veteran MLB umpire Ángel Hernández has officially announced his retirement after a career often filled with controversial incidents.

Hernández, 62, and MLB have been in talks over his financial retirement settlement for the past two weeks and reached an agreement over the recent holiday weekend, according to NOW TODAY.

Confirming his retirement after more than 30 years as an MLB umpire, Hernández issued a statement to the newspaper. “Starting with my first major league game in 1991, I had the very good experience of living out my childhood dream of umpiring in the major leagues. I appreciated the friendship of my colleagues and the friendships I made along the way,” he said. “I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family.”

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He continued, adding, “There have been many positive changes in the game of baseball since I first started working in the profession. This includes the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud that I could be an active participant in this cause while I was a referee in the first league.”

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Angel Hernandez.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Hernández, who began his professional MLB career in 1991, marked his last official game as an umpire on May 9, a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians.

Hernández has been a polarizing figure in the world of professional baseball, between his long and notorious history with fans for controversial calls, consistent social media backlash from online critics and his 2017 racial discrimination lawsuit against MLB.

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He was often a popular topic on Xu, formerly known as Twitter, due to his questionable calls that often angered fans. Hernández’s calls were overturned by video review at a relatively high rate compared to other referees, ESPN reported.

In Hernández’s 2017 lawsuit, he claimed that he was repeatedly passed over calling playoff games because of racism. He hasn’t refereed a World Cup game since 2005, and his last playoff appearance came in 2016. However, the lawsuit was dismissed by a district court judge, and that decision was upheld by an appeals court in 2023, according to ESPN.

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Source: HIS Education