The Most Hated Umpire Ever Isn’t Actually Bad

Baseball Doesn't Exist
26 May 202428:09

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the controversial career of Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire Angel Hernandez, who has faced public scrutiny, numerous petitions for dismissal, and even a lawsuit against MLB for racial discrimination. Despite his reputation for poor calls, data suggests Hernandez is more accurate than perceived, ranking higher than 28% of umpires. The video also explores the challenges and accuracy improvements in umpiring since the introduction of pitch tracking technology in 2008, highlighting the rigorous process umpires undergo to reach and maintain their positions in the MLB.

Takeaways

  • 👨‍⚖️ Controversial Figure: Angel Hernandez is a polarizing figure in MLB, with many fans and players expressing dissatisfaction with his umpiring decisions.
  • 📉 Public Discontent: There are numerous petitions to get Hernandez fired, and he has been the subject of public criticism from players like Bryce Harper and Chipper Jones.
  • 🤯 Outbursts and Incidents: Hernandez has been involved in several on-field incidents, including arguments with players and managers, which have contributed to his negative reputation.
  • 📊 Data vs. Perception: Despite a poor public perception, data from MLB and other sources suggest that Hernandez's performance is not as bad as commonly believed, and he has been ranked in the middle among umpires.
  • 🤖 Technology and Accuracy: The introduction of pitch tracking technology has allowed for more accurate evaluation of umpires, showing that some calls that appear incorrect to the naked eye are actually correct.
  • 📉 Hernandez's Decline: Angel Hernandez has seen a decline in his performance over the years, which may have contributed to his negative reputation.
  • 🎯 Accurate Umpires: There are examples of highly accurate umpires like Pat Hoberg, who has achieved a perfect game in terms of call accuracy, highlighting the skill involved in umpiring.
  • 🤝 Umpire Evaluation: MLB has a rigorous evaluation process for umpires, which includes a probation period and potential firing for those who do not meet accuracy standards.
  • 📈 Overall Improvement: Since the introduction of technology to evaluate umpire performance, the accuracy of calls has improved significantly, reducing the number of incorrect calls made by umpires.
  • 🛑 Legal Actions: Hernandez's lawsuit against MLB for racial discrimination has been unsuccessful, and it has further contributed to the controversy surrounding his career.

Q & A

  • Why has Angel Hernandez faced criticism and controversy throughout his career as an MLB umpire?

    -Angel Hernandez has faced criticism and controversy due to a series of high-profile bad calls, public disputes with players and managers, and a lawsuit against MLB for racial discrimination. His reputation has been further tarnished by incidents where he was perceived to have made incorrect calls that significantly impacted games.

  • What was the situation with the lawsuit Angel Hernandez filed against MLB?

    -Angel Hernandez sued MLB for racial discrimination, alleging that he was not promoted to crew chief because he was Latino. However, the courts ruled against him, and MLB claimed that his failure to receive certain assignments was due to his performance, not race.

  • How does the MLB evaluate the performance of its umpires?

    -MLB evaluates umpires based on their accuracy in making calls. They use technology to track every pitch and judge whether the call was correct or not. Umpires receive reports that grade their performance and highlight areas for improvement. Those who consistently perform below a certain threshold can face probation or even termination.

  • What is the process for becoming a Major League umpire?

    -Aspiring umpires must attend umpire school and graduate at the top of their class to be selected for rookie ball. They are then evaluated and promoted through various levels of minor leagues, from rookie ball to low-A, high-A, double-A, and eventually the major leagues. The process is highly competitive, with only a small fraction of umpire school graduates making it to the major leagues.

  • How has the introduction of technology impacted the evaluation and performance of MLB umpires?

    -The introduction of technology in 2008 allowed for more accurate tracking and evaluation of umpire performance. Since then, the accuracy of umpires has improved every season, with the percentage of incorrect calls being significantly reduced. This has led to a higher standard of umpiring across the board.

  • What is the significance of the 'shadow zone' in the context of umpire calls?

    -The 'shadow zone' refers to the area of the strike zone that is difficult to judge accurately due to its borderline location. Umpires who can consistently make correct calls in this area are considered particularly skilled. Pat Hoberg, for example, was noted for his exceptional accuracy in calling pitches in the shadow zone.

  • Why might the public perception of an umpire's performance differ from the actual statistics?

    -Public perception can be influenced by high-profile incidents and controversial calls that receive significant media attention. Additionally, the strike zone displayed on TV broadcasts may not accurately represent the actual strike zone used by umpires, leading to confusion and misconceptions about an umpire's performance.

  • What is the role of the Umpire Union in supporting MLB umpires?

    -The Umpire Union represents the interests of umpires and provides support in various situations, such as during public controversies or disputes with MLB. They can issue statements or take actions to defend the reputation and working conditions of their members.

  • How does the process of becoming a Major League umpire compare to becoming a Major League player in terms of difficulty?

    -Becoming a Major League umpire is actually more difficult statistically than becoming a player. The chances of an umpire school graduate making it to the majors are much lower than the chances of a drafted player, highlighting the rigorous selection and evaluation process umpires must go through.

  • What are some of the challenges umpires face in making accurate calls during a game?

    -Umpires face challenges such as making split-second decisions without the benefit of multiple camera angles, dealing with the pressure of high-stakes games, and managing the expectations of players, coaches, and fans. They also have to contend with the limitations of the human eye and the physical constraints of their position on the field.

  • How has the perception of Angel Hernandez's umpiring skills evolved over time?

    -Despite his reputation as a notoriously bad umpire, data and studies have shown that Hernandez's performance is not as poor as public perception suggests. In fact, he has ranked above average in some evaluations, indicating that his skills may have been unfairly judged due to high-profile mistakes and controversies.

Outlines

00:00

👎 Controversial Umpire Angel Hernandez

The script discusses the contentious career of Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire Angel Hernandez, who has faced public scrutiny and numerous petitions calling for his dismissal. It details specific incidents where Hernandez made controversial calls, leading to player outbursts and fan backlash. The video also contrasts public perception with the actual data on umpire accuracy, highlighting that while Hernandez has a negative reputation, he has not been the worst umpire statistically. It emphasizes the difficulty of the umpire's job, the small margin of error in making calls, and the impressive feat of umpire Pat Hoberg, who called a perfect game with 100% accuracy.

05:02

📊 The Reality of Umpire Accuracy and Public Perception

This paragraph delves into the complexities of evaluating umpire performance, using Angel Hernandez as a case study. Despite a poor public reputation and high-profile incidents, data suggests that Hernandez has improved his accuracy over time and is not the worst umpire in the league. The script also discusses the broader issue of how fans and players perceive umpire performance, which can be skewed by high-profile mistakes. It mentions that MLB uses technology to track and analyze umpire calls, contributing to a significant improvement in accuracy over the years.

10:02

🤔 Angel Hernandez's Infamy and the Impact of Replay

The script recounts a pivotal moment in Angel Hernandez's career when a controversial call during a game between the Indians and the Athletics led to widespread criticism and debate about the use of instant replay in MLB. It explains how this incident, along with others, contributed to Hernandez's notoriety and the perception that he is one of the worst umpires. The video also touches on the technical limitations of the replay system at the time and how it affected umpires' ability to make accurate calls.

15:04

📘 The Legal Battle and Public Backlash

This paragraph covers Angel Hernandez's lawsuit against MLB for racial discrimination, which coincided with a series of high-profile errors and public backlash. The script outlines how these incidents, combined with his ongoing lawsuit, led to a significant decline in Hernandez's reputation among fans and players. It also discusses the repercussions of the lawsuit on his assignments and the public's perception of MLB's handling of umpire performance and diversity.

20:05

🎯 The Evolution of Umpire Evaluation and MLB's Grading System

The script explains the rigorous process of becoming an MLB umpire, from attending umpire school to gradually advancing through the minor leagues. It highlights the low probability of reaching the major leagues and the high standards of accuracy required at each level. The video also discusses MLB's grading system for umpires, which includes a buffer zone for calls and a probationary period for those who fall below a certain accuracy threshold, leading to potential dismissal.

25:05

📉 The Improvement of Umpire Accuracy Over Time

The final paragraph focuses on the significant improvement in umpire accuracy since MLB introduced technology to evaluate umpire performance in 2008. It presents statistics showing a reduction in incorrect calls and an overall increase in accuracy levels. The script challenges the perception that there are more bad calls now than in the past, suggesting that the visibility of errors on screen might be misleading and that the actual performance of umpires, including those like Angel Hernandez who are considered below average, has improved considerably.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Angel Hernandez

Angel Hernandez is a Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire who has become a central figure in the video's narrative. He is portrayed as a controversial figure due to numerous incidents and public opinions about his performance. The video discusses his reputation, lawsuits against MLB, and the perception of his umpiring skills, using him as a focal point to discuss broader issues of umpire accuracy and public perception.

💡Umpire

An umpire is an official who makes decisions on the rules and calls during a baseball game. In the context of the video, the role of an umpire is critical as it influences game outcomes and player reactions. The video explores the challenges umpires face, such as making accurate calls under pressure and dealing with public scrutiny, using Angel Hernandez's career as a case study.

💡MLB

MLB stands for Major League Baseball, which is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada. The video discusses the relationship between MLB and its umpires, including issues like discrimination lawsuits, performance evaluations, and the impact of technology on umpiring decisions.

💡Strike Zone

The strike zone in baseball is the area above home plate where a pitch must pass to be called a strike. The video emphasizes the importance of accurately identifying the strike zone, as it is central to an umpire's role. It also discusses how perceptions of the strike zone can vary between broadcasts, the rule book, and actual umpire calls.

💡Accuracy

Accuracy in this context refers to the correctness of an umpire's calls during a baseball game. The video highlights the improvement in umpire accuracy over the years and compares different systems for measuring it, such as the MLB's internal evaluations and external sources like umpire scorecard.org.

💡Controversial Calls

Controversial calls are decisions made by umpires that are widely debated or disputed by players, coaches, fans, and the media. The video provides several examples of such calls made by Angel Hernandez that have contributed to his notoriety and sparked discussions about the fairness and consistency of umpiring.

💡Discrimination Lawsuit

A discrimination lawsuit is a legal action taken by an individual or group claiming unfair treatment based on a protected characteristic, such as race. The video describes Angel Hernandez's lawsuit against MLB, alleging racial discrimination in promotions and assignments, which adds another layer to the controversy surrounding his career.

💡Instant Replay

Instant replay in baseball refers to the use of video technology to review and potentially overturn an umpire's call. The video discusses the impact of instant replay on umpiring, including the incident where Angel Hernandez's decision not to overturn a call led to significant controversy and criticism.

💡Public Perception

Public perception is the collective opinion or view held by the general public about a particular subject. The video examines how public perception of Angel Hernandez and umpiring in general has been shaped by high-profile incidents, media coverage, and the use of technology in evaluating calls.

💡Umpire Evaluation

Umpire evaluation is the process by which the performance of baseball umpires is assessed, typically based on the accuracy of their calls. The video explains the rigorous evaluation system used by MLB, which includes a probation period and potential firing for umpires who do not meet the required standards of accuracy.

💡Technology in Umpiring

Technology in umpiring refers to the use of advanced systems and tools to assist umpires in making accurate calls. The video discusses the introduction of pitch tracking systems like PITCHf/x and how they have revolutionized the evaluation of umpire performance and the training process for aspiring umpires.

Highlights

Over 60 active petitions have been organized to get an umpire fired due to his controversial calls.

Chipper Jones refuses to watch any MLB games umpired by Angel Hernandez due to his reputation.

Bryce Harper had a heated confrontation with an umpire, calling him garbage and throwing his helmet into the crowd.

Pedro Martinez and CCE Zathia have both publicly wanted an umpire to be fired for his performance.

MLB itself has had issues with the umpire who sued them for racial discrimination earlier in the season.

An umpire made a call that was considered the worst miss in the history of umpire auditing, sparking outrage in the baseball world.

Pat Hoberg is noted for calling a perfect game with 100% accuracy, a rare feat in umpiring history.

Umpires are graded on a system that includes a buffer zone, which can affect the perception of their accuracy.

Angel Hernandez has been the subject of controversy and has a poor reputation among players and fans.

Despite a poor reputation, data suggests that Angel Hernandez has been an above-average umpire.

Hernandez has faced backlash for controversial calls, including a game-changing decision that was widely criticized.

MLB umpires are selected for high-profile games based on merit, and Hernandez has been chosen for several key assignments.

The umpire evaluation process is rigorous, with a clear path for promotion and demotion based on accuracy.

Becoming a Major League umpire is statistically more difficult than becoming a player.

MLB uses technology to track and improve umpire accuracy, which has significantly increased since 2008.

Angel Hernandez's reputation suffered due to high-profile incidents and a publicized lawsuit against MLB.

Despite public perception, Hernandez has not been one of the worst umpires and has ranked higher than others in accuracy.

The strike zone can vary between broadcasts and the actual zone used by umpires, leading to confusion and debate.

Umpire evaluations are confidential, but low accuracy can lead to probation or even firing.

Transcripts

00:00

there are over 60 active petitions

00:02

organized by different people all trying

00:04

to get him fired Chipper Jones refuses

00:06

to watch any MLB game that is umpired by

00:10

him Bryce Harper screamed in his face

00:12

called him garbage and threw his helmet

00:14

into the crowd because of him Pedro

00:16

Martinez wanted him fired CCE zathia

00:19

wanted him fired in the middle of a

00:20

series and MLB themselves don't even

00:23

like him after he sued the league for

00:26

discriminating against him based on his

00:29

race earlier this season he called this

00:32

a strike wa the very next

00:35

pitch and oh my goodness then

00:38

immediately after

00:40

that you have got to be kidding me what

00:44

in the world this pitch was

00:47

6.78 in outside the worst Miss in the

00:50

history of umpire auditor who's been

00:52

tracking calls since 2014 and the

00:56

Baseball World Went Crazy Angel

00:58

Hernandez my God apparently they can't

01:00

do anything about it he sued MLB MLB

01:04

they're not touching him Angel

01:06

hernandz you Stak but what about the

01:10

other 18 umpires Who currently rank

01:14

worse than Angel Hernandez well people

01:17

are mad at them too this umpire screamed

01:20

at a player to get off the field the

01:21

player he screamed at was injured a

01:24

manager got ejected for arguing with an

01:26

Umpire even though he wasn't even the

01:29

person who said said it it was a fan

01:31

this was called a strike this was called

01:33

a ball and after a 3-hour rain delay

01:36

this was called a strike to end the game

01:39

not even close you got to be kidding me

01:41

and all of these incidents happened in

01:44

only 1 month from watching on TV you

01:46

should have a good idea on what the

01:48

strike zone is based on the Box on

01:50

screen when umpires miss a call by an

01:52

inch it is obvious but try making these

01:55

calls with no box from the umpire's

01:58

point of view was this a ball or a

02:01

strike if you said strike you were right

02:04

right down the middle what about this

02:08

pitch if you said strike you were right

02:10

again right on the outside corner what

02:12

about this

02:14

pitch if you said strike bad news you

02:17

just made one of the worst calls of the

02:20

season this ball is 3.48 in off the

02:23

plate out of over 27,000 calls on

02:26

lefties in the month of May 2023 you

02:28

just made the 11 th worst call of the

02:31

month it was worse than

02:35

99.9995% of calls that month what about

02:38

this

02:41

pitch if you said ball you were wrong

02:44

this hit the outside corner what about

02:46

this well according to the

02:48

Cardinals broadcast it was a ball

02:50

according to the Mets broadcast it was a

02:53

strike however according to mlb.com it

02:56

was actually a ball unfortunately

02:58

according to baseball vont it was really

03:01

a strike and according to the Umpire it

03:03

was a ball the difference between making

03:05

a good call and making one of the worst

03:08

calls ever is only a few inches and

03:11

balls that look like balls on TV are

03:13

sometimes actually strikes which is what

03:16

made what Pat hoberg did so impressive

03:19

in 2022 he called a perfect game out of

03:23

over 18,000 games tracked he is the only

03:26

umpire in history to achieve this he

03:29

made

03:30

129 balls and strike calls and every

03:33

single one of them was correct this

03:35

pitch was 24 Ines off the plate he

03:39

correctly called it a ball this pitch

03:41

was almost identical he correctly called

03:43

it a strike one ball is a strike the

03:46

other is a ball they were 1.24 in apart

03:50

and he called them both right when a

03:52

pitch is borderline that means it landed

03:54

in the Shadow Zone on average umpires

03:57

missed nine of these calls in the shadow

03:59

zone every game hoberg Saw 44 borderline

04:03

pitches in the shadow zone and called

04:05

all 44 correct he called this a strike

04:08

the automated Zone on screen thought it

04:10

was a ball turns out it actually scraped

04:12

the corner meaning Pat hoberg was

04:14

actually more accurate than the robot

04:17

calling the game right now he's known as

04:19

the Undisputed most accurate umpire in

04:21

baseball but some people still believe

04:24

he is quote horse that's what Alex cor

04:28

told him during this freak out after

04:29

after this pitch the Red Sox started

04:31

talking trash to hoberg from The Dugout

04:33

he ended up ejecting Alex Verdugo who

04:36

was upset about this call earlier in the

04:39

game according to Alex Kora the Red Sox

04:41

were upset about this strike three call

04:44

in the third then got even more upset

04:46

when Justin Turner got called out again

04:49

on this pitch they finally boiled over

04:51

in the seventh they were trying to pitch

04:54

Alex bregman outside they hit the corner

04:56

on the first pitch hit it on the second

04:58

Pitch then threw four straight balls

05:01

Kora thinking at least one of these was

05:03

a strike screamed at him from The Dugout

05:05

and got into his face called him

05:07

terrible started kicking the dirt to

05:09

show he was missing calls in the outside

05:11

corner got ejected and left extremely

05:14

upset but looking back at the tape every

05:16

single call hoberg made that upset the

05:19

Red Sox was 100% accurate even this

05:22

pitch that the TV thought was a ball the

05:25

actual Strike Zone had as a strike

05:27

meaning hoberg was more accurate than a

05:29

literal robot and still got accused of

05:33

being a terrible umpire when it comes to

05:35

officiating opinions get skewed based on

05:38

the amount of controversial calls this

05:39

season alone it seems like MLB umping is

05:42

worse than ever yet likely they're about

05:45

to have their most accurate season in

05:47

history for the 17th year in a row even

05:50

Angel Hernandez himself has become

05:53

increasingly more accurate every season

05:55

and believe it or not he's not even

05:57

close to being the worst ire in baseball

06:00

yet when you ask who's the worst umpire

06:02

in baseball everyone will almost always

06:06

say can't get in oh no no he was safe at

06:13

no

06:14

no and another blown call by Hernandez

06:18

Angel Hernandez's poor reputation dates

06:20

back decades most likely because of

06:22

incidents like these perhaps the first

06:24

controversial call in his young career

06:26

Angel Hernandez called this Runner safe

06:29

in the bottom of the 11th inning of a

06:31

tie game the Braves won the game and the

06:33

Mets got pissed things got physical

06:36

Bobby Valentine lost his mind Mike Piaza

06:39

stuck the ball in Angel's face then

06:41

spiked It On The Ground saying after the

06:43

game it was the worst call he'd ever

06:45

seen in his entire 20year baseball

06:47

career a few years later Mariano Duncan

06:51

got suspended for a similar freak out

06:54

angel had called multiple check swings

06:56

swings the Dodgers didn't think they

06:58

were swings so Mariano Duncan charged

07:01

out of the Dugout screamed at Angel and

07:04

eventually threw his hat at him Angel

07:07

ended up picking up the hat and giving

07:09

it away to a lucky fan the next game

07:13

Duncan came onto the field with his hat

07:16

taped to his head but this is the

07:18

incident that really put Angel Hernandez

07:20

on the map and don't worry I'll have a

07:22

I'll have some speaks for that home PL

07:24

umpire after the game

07:30

this is Steve McMichael former

07:32

tackle for the Chicago Bears he was in

07:35

attendance when Angel made this call at

07:37

home Cubs fans thinking the runner was

07:40

safe were upset mck Michael happened to

07:43

be tasked with singing Take Me Out to

07:44

the Ball Game during the seventh inning

07:46

stretch and before he started he called

07:49

out Angel Hernandez booed him and told

07:52

the crowd he would talk to him after the

07:54

game Hernandez obviously upset by this

07:57

stared down McMichael from the field and

08:00

when McMichael finished singing Take Me

08:02

Out to the Ball Game he was ejected from

08:05

the game even though Hernandez's partner

08:07

Randy Marsh was the one who ejected

08:10

McMichael for saying this this clip has

08:12

become infamous it's racked up millions

08:14

of views and most people to this day

08:16

think Angel was the one who ejected him

08:19

it's hard to blame them for thinking

08:20

this because it looks like Angel also

08:23

probably wanted to eject McMichael back

08:25

then Hernandez wasn't known for being a

08:28

bad umpire the public didn't even know

08:30

who he was however within baseball

08:33

players had already ranked him 31st out

08:36

of 36 NL umpires in 1999 in 2006 players

08:42

voted him the third worst umpire in the

08:45

league in an Umpire Scouting Report

08:48

published in 2010 he was already known

08:51

as quote one of the most vilified

08:52

umpires in Major League Baseball but

08:55

this is just based on players opinions

08:57

MLB seemed to think he was an average to

09:01

an above average umpire in 1999 57 out

09:05

of 68 umpires resigned at the same time

09:10

essentially going on strike but it

09:12

backfired M Mo used this as an

09:14

opportunity to just accept the

09:17

resignations of all the umpires who they

09:20

thought were bad umpires MLB fired

09:24

32% of umpires Angel Hernandez wasn't

09:28

one of them MLB decid Ed he was good

09:30

enough and kept him around from 1997 to

09:33

2017 MLB selected him to umpire nine

09:36

divisional series seven League

09:38

Championship Series three All-Star games

09:41

and two World Series umpires are

09:42

selected for these games based on Merit

09:45

so MLB clearly thought Angel Hernandez

09:48

was an above average umpire the players

09:51

did not but what did the data say angel

09:54

was nowhere close to the villain he has

09:56

become in the Public's eyes today but by

09:58

2008 there was already an anti- Angel

10:00

Hernandez website and there was enough

10:02

hate against him for fangraphs to

10:04

address his poor reputation writing

10:06

quote if everyone thinks that Hernandez

10:08

is a poor umpire then we now should be

10:11

able to verify or refute this they

10:14

analyzed his Strike Zone in 2008 using

10:17

an early version of pitch tracking

10:18

called pitch FX that analyzed each and

10:21

every ball and strike call he made in

10:23

2008 and found despite his reputation he

10:27

quote grades out as an above average

10:29

umpire no matter how you slice it

10:31

Hernandez is a quality umpire among an

10:35

already amazing group so the data said

10:38

he was good the league thought he was

10:39

good was giving him great posies and

10:41

assignments and fans really didn't know

10:43

who he was but in

10:45

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10:49

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12:02

game that might have changed Angel

12:04

Hernandez's life forever the Indians

12:06

faced the Athletics the Athletics got

12:08

out to a 3 to zero lead but the Indians

12:11

immediately answered they scored a

12:12

couple runs in the fifth and took the

12:14

lead all the way to the ninth the

12:17

Athletics were down to their final out

12:19

when Adam Rosales hit this Fly ball and

12:23

M the game by an inch however if you

12:27

look closely it did go over the wall go

12:30

it did BL up you're right the Athletics

12:32

challenged and everybody watching the

12:34

game thought the exact same thing it's a

12:37

home run there's no question about it if

12:39

they don't rule it a home

12:41

run they have made a huge mistake but

12:44

moments later after watching the replay

12:46

in a video room Angel Hernandez decided

12:49

this was a double a double are you

12:52

kidding me no idea what replay they saw

12:55

the game tying home run didn't count the

12:57

Athletics manager lost to mind Angel

13:00

ejected him the A's went on to lose and

13:02

this call ended up being a massive deal

13:05

the Athletics players went to Twitter

13:07

immediately calling out Hernandez for

13:09

the Miss call it became a top story and

13:11

sparked debate across baseball about

13:14

instant replay which was still only a

13:16

few years old at the time writer Peter

13:19

gammons believed that Angel Hernandez

13:22

like many other umpires didn't believe

13:24

in instant replay so to protest the

13:27

system refuse to reverse the call Angel

13:31

says this wasn't the case he blamed the

13:34

angles he was given today when a play is

13:36

challenged a group of people in a

13:38

control room in New York decide the call

13:41

with about a 100 different angles on a

13:44

100 different monitors but in 2013

13:47

umpires themselves were responsible for

13:49

viewing calls on a single 19in monitor

13:53

in a closet next to the clubhouse Angel

13:56

basically said the angles he was given

13:58

to make this call weren't clear he

14:00

couldn't tell with 100% accuracy it was

14:03

a homer so he had to keep the call the

14:05

same as it was on the field and this

14:09

really pissed MLB off Angel was making

14:11

MLB look bad by blaming the replay

14:14

equipment they typically do not comment

14:16

on Miss calls but this time they not

14:18

only publicly stated that angel got the

14:20

call wrong but emphasized that he had

14:23

plenty of good angles and enough

14:25

evidence to overturn this call on replay

14:27

That season for the first time in years

14:30

Angel wasn't selected to up the World

14:32

Series All-Star game or any playoff game

14:34

in 2014 once again MLB did not select

14:38

him 3 years later upset of his lack of

14:41

playoff assignments and M Mo not

14:43

promoting him to crew chief he sued MLB

14:46

for racial

14:48

discrimination and based on Google

14:50

Trends this is around the time Angel

14:53

Hernandez became Infamous it seemed like

14:55

every time there was an issue involving

14:57

an Umpire Angel was involved he ejected

14:59

Ian Kinsler after he was arguing balls

15:02

and Strikes Kinsler after the game said

15:04

Angel is always messing with games

15:06

blatantly and should quote find a new

15:08

job this wouldn't have been a big deal

15:11

whatsoever except when MLB decided to

15:13

find Kinsler instead of suspend him

15:16

umpires across baseball decided to ban

15:19

together and wear white wristbands to

15:22

protest quote growing umpire abuse the

15:26

public unsympathetic to umpire abuse saw

15:29

this as somewhat of a joke MLB made the

15:32

Empire stop wearing the wristbands and

15:34

even though it wasn't Angel's idea since

15:36

it was his call who spurred the protest

15:39

he took most of the public heat a year

15:41

later with his discrimination lawsuit

15:43

still in court Angel was selected to

15:45

umpire the playoffs in a closed play at

15:47

first he made this call the Red Sox

15:49

challenged and the call was reversed the

15:51

next inning he made this call the

15:52

Yankees challenged and it turns out

15:55

Angel was wrong again later in the game

15:57

he made this call and the Yan he's

15:59

challenged again and once again Angel

16:01

Hernandez was wrong he became just the

16:03

fourth umpire in MLB history to have

16:07

three calls overturned in one game it

16:10

happening in the playoffs made things

16:12

even worse we all know how bad Angel

16:15

Hernandez is Pedro Martinez came out

16:18

saying MLB needed to do something and

16:20

that angel was quote as bad as it gets

16:23

Angel was behind the plate the next game

16:25

and CC Sabathia not pleased with his

16:27

Zone called him out publicly saying that

16:30

he should not be umpiring playoff games

16:33

this particular gentleman has sued

16:34

baseball for discrimination because he

16:36

says they would not make him recru Chief

16:38

because he was Latino this doesn't help

16:41

no by this point he had been in enough

16:43

incidents and enough players had come

16:45

out against him for fans to also believe

16:48

he was the worst umpire in baseball

16:50

Angel Hernandez you stin and I don't

16:53

like you this is the Philly Captain who

16:56

camped near the player's parking lot

16:57

just to confront angel Hernandez after

17:00

this notorious game in 2022 he called

17:03

this strike three on Omar navarez he

17:05

called this pitch a ball and with the

17:08

Bases Loaded in a tie game he called

17:11

this a strike against Jean zura then in

17:14

the bottom of the ninth down by one in a

17:17

3-2 count he called Kyle schwarber out

17:20

on this pitch schwarber threw his Bat

17:23

threw his helmet got an angel's face

17:25

told him he missed Call's outside missed

17:27

Call's inside missed them high missed

17:30

them for the Brewers missed them for the

17:32

Phillies and was overall terrible Angel

17:35

Hernandez plus all these rules equals

17:38

unwatchable equals click why would I

17:41

want to sit there and watch that

17:42

according to umpire scorecard an

17:44

automated Twitter account who tracks

17:46

umpires Angel Hernandez missed 16 calls

17:48

on called strikes he was wrong

17:51

23% of the time was this the worst

17:54

umpired game in MLB that year nope not

17:57

even close yet this tweet got

18:01

23,000 likes and this briefly became the

18:04

number one story in baseball here's why

18:06

Angel Hernandez has not won any part of

18:08

his lawsuit a leag baseball doesn't care

18:11

what color he is or where he's from they

18:13

care that he sucks when he returned to

18:16

Philly the next season Angel

18:19

Hernandez you

18:22

stink this was after he said Bryce

18:24

Harper swung at this pitch Harper didn't

18:26

think he swung he confronted an angel

18:29

after the game saying with Angel it's

18:31

quote the same story every year and once

18:34

again this call became a story around

18:37

baseball absolute check swing I mean

18:39

there's no way he went through how many

18:41

times is baseball going to let this man

18:45

screw it up what made this even worse

18:47

for Angel was all of these incidents

18:49

happened while he was actively suing MLB

18:52

for racial discrimination chances are

18:55

the first time you heard about Angel

18:56

Hernandez was because of one of these

18:58

highly publicized bad calls you watch

19:01

the bad call and red a players say he

19:03

was the worst umpire ever you concluded

19:06

he's probably a pretty bad umpire then

19:09

immediately read he was accusing MLB for

19:12

not promoting him because he was Latino

19:15

most people made the conclusion that

19:16

Angel Hernandez wasn't being punished

19:18

based on race but because he was a bad

19:22

umpire and the courts agreed Angel

19:24

eventually lost the suit in which MLB

19:27

had to publicly back him to prove they

19:30

weren't discriminating against him

19:32

according to MLB Angel messing up this

19:34

call and blaming the replay system

19:37

instead of taking responsibility is why

19:39

he stopped getting posies and

19:40

assignments in 2013 they even claimed he

19:43

was likely going to be selected for the

19:45

World Series in 2018 until he messed up

19:48

these calls in the ALDS that year they

19:51

also exposed him in the lawsuit for

19:53

getting Homer Bailey to sign 11

19:56

autographs for him after he umpired a

19:58

game where Bailey threw a no hitter

20:00

Angel says that that was common practice

20:03

amongst umpires at the time but it's

20:05

also somewhat of a conflict of interest

20:07

this becoming public added even more

20:10

fuel to the fire by the time the lawsuit

20:12

concluded in 2023 Angel Hernandez had

20:14

become the only umpire who gets booed

20:17

when their name is announced before game

20:22

Ang fans are constantly heckling him

20:25

like this guy come on hey minut

20:29

what is it what is it with you you want

20:31

to get on ESPN Tonight I ain't going to

20:33

do

20:34

it their backlash was so bad the Umpire

20:37

Union had to make a tweet saying they

20:39

quote stand behind Angel Hernandez

20:43

umpire Ted Barrett felt so bad for Angel

20:45

he felt the need to go to Instagram

20:47

calling him quote one of the kindest men

20:49

he knows if he posted every kind thing

20:52

Angel did he could make a new post every

20:55

day for the rest of his life and that he

20:58

even saw him save a woman from quote

21:01

doing something tragic but the knock on

21:04

Angel Hernandez was never that he was a

21:06

bad person it was that he was a bad

21:09

umpire however he's not even close to as

21:12

bad as what people make him out to be

21:14

according to the Washington Post in 2022

21:16

he ranked 54 out of 68 umpires meaning

21:20

he wasn't even in the bottom 20% Boston

21:23

University took 11 years of data and

21:26

released a study analyzing the skill of

21:29

umpires they compiled a list of the 10

21:31

best umps as well as the worst 10 umps

21:34

Angel Hernandez did not make that list

21:36

and if you trust umpires

21:43

scorecard.org

21:45

Jo Hernandez in terms of accuracy they

21:48

track every single pitch and judge

21:51

whether the call was right they've

21:52

analyed 6.2 million pitches since they

21:56

began tracking in 2015 since then there

21:59

are 33 umpires worse than Angel

22:03

Hernandez so essentially During the

22:05

period where Angel Hernandez had the

22:07

reputation as being the hands- down

22:09

worst ump in baseball he was actually

22:12

better than 28% of umpires these scores

22:15

are based on a system where a computer

22:17

takes what an Umpire called in a game

22:19

that matches it up with the kzone data

22:21

and determines whether the call was

22:23

correct or not MLB does this exact same

22:26

things themselves for for every single

22:29

game they create an Umpire report and

22:31

send that report to each umpire the

22:33

report grades then gives them a score

22:35

goes over their Mis calls and tells them

22:37

what they can do better next time on

22:39

this Infamous game against the Phillies

22:41

which was called the worst called game

22:43

of the season the MLB umpire report

22:46

claimed Angel Hernandez was

22:49

96% accurate the Umpire scorecard said

22:53

it was 88% accurate it's not always

22:56

obvious which one of these reports is

22:58

more accurate but the strike zone on TV

23:01

is even less accurate this pitch looks 3

23:04

in high it was actually a strike this

23:07

pitch also looks High turns out it

23:09

scraped the top of the zone you can

23:11

watch the same game on two different

23:13

broadcasts and often see two completely

23:16

different size strike zones and this

23:18

Strike Zone was 40 ft tall according to

23:21

the rule book the strike zone is quote

23:24

the area over home plate from the

23:26

midpoint between the batter's shoulders

23:28

and the top of the uniform pants and the

23:31

bottom of the zone is just below the

23:33

kneecap but this is not the actual

23:37

Strike Zone Mo goes against their own

23:39

rule book and when grining umps sets the

23:41

top of the strike zone at wherever their

23:44

belt line is when they set up in the

23:46

batter's box all the way down to the

23:48

hollow of the back of their knee they

23:50

also add 2 in on both sides of the plate

23:53

as a buffer zone so if the ball is an

23:55

inch outside and the Umpire calls it a

23:57

strike B considers that acceptable and

24:00

doesn't count it as a mistake that is

24:03

the reason Angel Hernandez scored 96% in

24:06

the eyes of MLB many people saw this 96%

24:10

accuracy score after this poor game and

24:12

concluded MLB is way too easy on umps

24:15

grading them on a strike zone that is

24:17

way too big so they can be as bad as

24:19

they want and never be fired but that's

24:21

not the case MLB's reports are

24:23

essentially grading on a curve a 96% on

24:27

up scorecards who grades without MLB's

24:29

buffer zone would make you the third

24:31

most accurate ump in baseball but with

24:33

MLB's grading system

24:36

96% makes you the worst umpire in

24:39

baseball every umpire from Rookie ball

24:41

to ml gets graded by this system just to

24:44

make it to rookie ball you first have to

24:46

go to umpire school if you finish at the

24:48

top of your class then you get selected

24:51

to go to rookie ball every umpire is

24:53

evaluated at the end of the year if you

24:55

have an elite evaluation and compared to

24:58

the other umson rookie ball you get

25:00

promoted to Lowa if you have an elite

25:03

evaluation compared to other Lowa

25:05

umpires you get to go to High a if you

25:08

get another Elite evaluation you get to

25:10

go to double a and that process

25:12

continues all the way to the major

25:14

leagues however if at any point during

25:17

this process you don't get an elite

25:19

evaluation and fail to finish at the top

25:21

of your league and accuracy 3 years in a

25:24

row you either have to go back to umpire

25:27

school and start all the way over from

25:28

Rookie ball or retire each umpire school

25:32

class has around 150 students on average

25:35

only one ump out of this class makes it

25:38

to the major leagues meaning you have a

25:41

67 chance to make it to the majors it

25:43

takes you at least 10 years of being in

25:45

the miners where you get paid between

25:47

122 to

25:49

225,000 a year and you only have A6

25:53

chance to make it players who get

25:55

drafted have a 177% chance to make the

25:57

majors meaning depending on how you look

25:59

at it becoming a Major League umpire is

26:02

actually harder than becoming a player

26:05

many people believe the Umpire Union

26:07

makes it so that firing umpires is

26:09

impossible in reality M Mo ums are also

26:13

evaluated if their score drops below a

26:15

certain level they enter a probation

26:17

period where if their scores don't

26:19

improve during that period they get

26:21

fired ums can also get suspended for

26:23

messing up calls on the field and it

26:25

happens every year however unlike mob

26:27

players this isn't public information so

26:30

we really don't know how often getting

26:32

fired also happens but is rare because

26:35

sense umps have to prove they have Elite

26:37

accuracy through every single level of

26:40

the miners pretty much any ump who ends

26:43

up becoming a full-time Major League up

26:45

has no problem staying above the

26:47

accuracy threshold set by MLB this

26:51

frustrates people because ums like Angel

26:53

Hernandez who the public thinks suck

26:55

never get fired however the system is is

26:58

actually working surprisingly well M Mo

27:01

got the technology that made this

27:03

evaluation process possible in 2008 in

27:06

the 15 years since umpire accuracy has

27:10

improved every single season in 2008

27:14

they missed 6.8% of calls on the margins

27:17

today that number has been cut in half

27:20

to only

27:22

3.2% their accuracy went from

27:25

81.3% to 92 .4% so it may seem like

27:31

there's more Miss balls and strike calls

27:32

than ever but that's probably just

27:35

because there's a box on screen that

27:37

makes misses obvious in reality since

27:40

2008 incorrect calls have been cut by

27:44

almost 60% so even an ump like Angel

27:47

Hernandez who grades below average would

27:50

be elite at every single level of the

27:53

miners the balls you see and Miss on TV

27:56

a lot of times aren't even ball s and if

27:59

you put him in MLB in 2008 he'd likely

28:02

be the most accurate ump in baseball

28:05

angel I love you bro God bless buddy

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