The Most Hated Umpire Ever Isnโt Actually Bad
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
- ๐จโโ๏ธ Controversial Figure: Angel Hernandez is a polarizing figure in MLB, with many fans and players expressing dissatisfaction with his umpiring decisions.
- ๐ 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.
- ๐คฏ 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.
- ๐ 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.
- ๐ค 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.
- ๐ Hernandez's Decline: Angel Hernandez has seen a decline in his performance over the years, which may have contributed to his negative reputation.
- ๐ฏ 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.
- ๐ค 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.
- ๐ 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.
- ๐ 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
๐ 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.
๐ 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.
๐ค 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.
๐ 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.
๐ฏ 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.
๐ 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
๐กAngel Hernandez
๐กUmpire
๐กMLB
๐กStrike Zone
๐กAccuracy
๐กControversial Calls
๐กDiscrimination Lawsuit
๐กInstant Replay
๐กPublic Perception
๐กUmpire Evaluation
๐กTechnology in Umpiring
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
there are over 60 active petitions
organized by different people all trying
to get him fired Chipper Jones refuses
to watch any MLB game that is umpired by
him Bryce Harper screamed in his face
called him garbage and threw his helmet
into the crowd because of him Pedro
Martinez wanted him fired CCE zathia
wanted him fired in the middle of a
series and MLB themselves don't even
like him after he sued the league for
discriminating against him based on his
race earlier this season he called this
a strike wa the very next
pitch and oh my goodness then
immediately after
that you have got to be kidding me what
in the world this pitch was
6.78 in outside the worst Miss in the
history of umpire auditor who's been
tracking calls since 2014 and the
Baseball World Went Crazy Angel
Hernandez my God apparently they can't
do anything about it he sued MLB MLB
they're not touching him Angel
hernandz you Stak but what about the
other 18 umpires Who currently rank
worse than Angel Hernandez well people
are mad at them too this umpire screamed
at a player to get off the field the
player he screamed at was injured a
manager got ejected for arguing with an
Umpire even though he wasn't even the
person who said said it it was a fan
this was called a strike this was called
a ball and after a 3-hour rain delay
this was called a strike to end the game
not even close you got to be kidding me
and all of these incidents happened in
only 1 month from watching on TV you
should have a good idea on what the
strike zone is based on the Box on
screen when umpires miss a call by an
inch it is obvious but try making these
calls with no box from the umpire's
point of view was this a ball or a
strike if you said strike you were right
right down the middle what about this
pitch if you said strike you were right
again right on the outside corner what
about this
pitch if you said strike bad news you
just made one of the worst calls of the
season this ball is 3.48 in off the
plate out of over 27,000 calls on
lefties in the month of May 2023 you
just made the 11 th worst call of the
month it was worse than
99.9995% of calls that month what about
this
pitch if you said ball you were wrong
this hit the outside corner what about
this well according to the
Cardinals broadcast it was a ball
according to the Mets broadcast it was a
strike however according to mlb.com it
was actually a ball unfortunately
according to baseball vont it was really
a strike and according to the Umpire it
was a ball the difference between making
a good call and making one of the worst
calls ever is only a few inches and
balls that look like balls on TV are
sometimes actually strikes which is what
made what Pat hoberg did so impressive
in 2022 he called a perfect game out of
over 18,000 games tracked he is the only
umpire in history to achieve this he
made
129 balls and strike calls and every
single one of them was correct this
pitch was 24 Ines off the plate he
correctly called it a ball this pitch
was almost identical he correctly called
it a strike one ball is a strike the
other is a ball they were 1.24 in apart
and he called them both right when a
pitch is borderline that means it landed
in the Shadow Zone on average umpires
missed nine of these calls in the shadow
zone every game hoberg Saw 44 borderline
pitches in the shadow zone and called
all 44 correct he called this a strike
the automated Zone on screen thought it
was a ball turns out it actually scraped
the corner meaning Pat hoberg was
actually more accurate than the robot
calling the game right now he's known as
the Undisputed most accurate umpire in
baseball but some people still believe
he is quote horse that's what Alex cor
told him during this freak out after
after this pitch the Red Sox started
talking trash to hoberg from The Dugout
he ended up ejecting Alex Verdugo who
was upset about this call earlier in the
game according to Alex Kora the Red Sox
were upset about this strike three call
in the third then got even more upset
when Justin Turner got called out again
on this pitch they finally boiled over
in the seventh they were trying to pitch
Alex bregman outside they hit the corner
on the first pitch hit it on the second
Pitch then threw four straight balls
Kora thinking at least one of these was
a strike screamed at him from The Dugout
and got into his face called him
terrible started kicking the dirt to
show he was missing calls in the outside
corner got ejected and left extremely
upset but looking back at the tape every
single call hoberg made that upset the
Red Sox was 100% accurate even this
pitch that the TV thought was a ball the
actual Strike Zone had as a strike
meaning hoberg was more accurate than a
literal robot and still got accused of
being a terrible umpire when it comes to
officiating opinions get skewed based on
the amount of controversial calls this
season alone it seems like MLB umping is
worse than ever yet likely they're about
to have their most accurate season in
history for the 17th year in a row even
Angel Hernandez himself has become
increasingly more accurate every season
and believe it or not he's not even
close to being the worst ire in baseball
yet when you ask who's the worst umpire
in baseball everyone will almost always
say can't get in oh no no he was safe at
no
no and another blown call by Hernandez
Angel Hernandez's poor reputation dates
back decades most likely because of
incidents like these perhaps the first
controversial call in his young career
Angel Hernandez called this Runner safe
in the bottom of the 11th inning of a
tie game the Braves won the game and the
Mets got pissed things got physical
Bobby Valentine lost his mind Mike Piaza
stuck the ball in Angel's face then
spiked It On The Ground saying after the
game it was the worst call he'd ever
seen in his entire 20year baseball
career a few years later Mariano Duncan
got suspended for a similar freak out
angel had called multiple check swings
swings the Dodgers didn't think they
were swings so Mariano Duncan charged
out of the Dugout screamed at Angel and
eventually threw his hat at him Angel
ended up picking up the hat and giving
it away to a lucky fan the next game
Duncan came onto the field with his hat
taped to his head but this is the
incident that really put Angel Hernandez
on the map and don't worry I'll have a
I'll have some speaks for that home PL
umpire after the game
this is Steve McMichael former
tackle for the Chicago Bears he was in
attendance when Angel made this call at
home Cubs fans thinking the runner was
safe were upset mck Michael happened to
be tasked with singing Take Me Out to
the Ball Game during the seventh inning
stretch and before he started he called
out Angel Hernandez booed him and told
the crowd he would talk to him after the
game Hernandez obviously upset by this
stared down McMichael from the field and
when McMichael finished singing Take Me
Out to the Ball Game he was ejected from
the game even though Hernandez's partner
Randy Marsh was the one who ejected
McMichael for saying this this clip has
become infamous it's racked up millions
of views and most people to this day
think Angel was the one who ejected him
it's hard to blame them for thinking
this because it looks like Angel also
probably wanted to eject McMichael back
then Hernandez wasn't known for being a
bad umpire the public didn't even know
who he was however within baseball
players had already ranked him 31st out
of 36 NL umpires in 1999 in 2006 players
voted him the third worst umpire in the
league in an Umpire Scouting Report
published in 2010 he was already known
as quote one of the most vilified
umpires in Major League Baseball but
this is just based on players opinions
MLB seemed to think he was an average to
an above average umpire in 1999 57 out
of 68 umpires resigned at the same time
essentially going on strike but it
backfired M Mo used this as an
opportunity to just accept the
resignations of all the umpires who they
thought were bad umpires MLB fired
32% of umpires Angel Hernandez wasn't
one of them MLB decid Ed he was good
enough and kept him around from 1997 to
2017 MLB selected him to umpire nine
divisional series seven League
Championship Series three All-Star games
and two World Series umpires are
selected for these games based on Merit
so MLB clearly thought Angel Hernandez
was an above average umpire the players
did not but what did the data say angel
was nowhere close to the villain he has
become in the Public's eyes today but by
2008 there was already an anti- Angel
Hernandez website and there was enough
hate against him for fangraphs to
address his poor reputation writing
quote if everyone thinks that Hernandez
is a poor umpire then we now should be
able to verify or refute this they
analyzed his Strike Zone in 2008 using
an early version of pitch tracking
called pitch FX that analyzed each and
every ball and strike call he made in
2008 and found despite his reputation he
quote grades out as an above average
umpire no matter how you slice it
Hernandez is a quality umpire among an
already amazing group so the data said
he was good the league thought he was
good was giving him great posies and
assignments and fans really didn't know
who he was but in
2013 this one play may have changed all
of that but before we get to that a
quick word from today's sponsor we all
wish we could have things both ways we
want an ace pitcher who could also hit
bombs we want an ace starter who throws
100 and never gets Tommy John and we
want nice sharp looking clothes that are
also comfortable to wear well actually
Mac Welden makes those they make
Timeless apparel but use Modern
Performance Fabrics they look like
regular clothes but they feel like the
softest most comfortable thing you've
ever worn the t-shirt and sweatshirts I
have from Mech Welden get worn multiple
times a week because they're that good
they make clothes for home clothes for
gym clothes for work for the golf course
and even some of the most comfortable
underwear you'll ever wear in your life
I won't show a picture but they are the
best pair I own they're not flashy just
classic Always In Style and made from
the most comfortable materials ever if
you want to check them out click the
link in the description or go to
mackweldon.com and get 20% off your
first order with promo code bde that's
mackweldon.com
promo code BD e do it right now in a
game that might have changed Angel
Hernandez's life forever the Indians
faced the Athletics the Athletics got
out to a 3 to zero lead but the Indians
immediately answered they scored a
couple runs in the fifth and took the
lead all the way to the ninth the
Athletics were down to their final out
when Adam Rosales hit this Fly ball and
M the game by an inch however if you
look closely it did go over the wall go
it did BL up you're right the Athletics
challenged and everybody watching the
game thought the exact same thing it's a
home run there's no question about it if
they don't rule it a home
run they have made a huge mistake but
moments later after watching the replay
in a video room Angel Hernandez decided
this was a double a double are you
kidding me no idea what replay they saw
the game tying home run didn't count the
Athletics manager lost to mind Angel
ejected him the A's went on to lose and
this call ended up being a massive deal
the Athletics players went to Twitter
immediately calling out Hernandez for
the Miss call it became a top story and
sparked debate across baseball about
instant replay which was still only a
few years old at the time writer Peter
gammons believed that Angel Hernandez
like many other umpires didn't believe
in instant replay so to protest the
system refuse to reverse the call Angel
says this wasn't the case he blamed the
angles he was given today when a play is
challenged a group of people in a
control room in New York decide the call
with about a 100 different angles on a
100 different monitors but in 2013
umpires themselves were responsible for
viewing calls on a single 19in monitor
in a closet next to the clubhouse Angel
basically said the angles he was given
to make this call weren't clear he
couldn't tell with 100% accuracy it was
a homer so he had to keep the call the
same as it was on the field and this
really pissed MLB off Angel was making
MLB look bad by blaming the replay
equipment they typically do not comment
on Miss calls but this time they not
only publicly stated that angel got the
call wrong but emphasized that he had
plenty of good angles and enough
evidence to overturn this call on replay
That season for the first time in years
Angel wasn't selected to up the World
Series All-Star game or any playoff game
in 2014 once again MLB did not select
him 3 years later upset of his lack of
playoff assignments and M Mo not
promoting him to crew chief he sued MLB
for racial
discrimination and based on Google
Trends this is around the time Angel
Hernandez became Infamous it seemed like
every time there was an issue involving
an Umpire Angel was involved he ejected
Ian Kinsler after he was arguing balls
and Strikes Kinsler after the game said
Angel is always messing with games
blatantly and should quote find a new
job this wouldn't have been a big deal
whatsoever except when MLB decided to
find Kinsler instead of suspend him
umpires across baseball decided to ban
together and wear white wristbands to
protest quote growing umpire abuse the
public unsympathetic to umpire abuse saw
this as somewhat of a joke MLB made the
Empire stop wearing the wristbands and
even though it wasn't Angel's idea since
it was his call who spurred the protest
he took most of the public heat a year
later with his discrimination lawsuit
still in court Angel was selected to
umpire the playoffs in a closed play at
first he made this call the Red Sox
challenged and the call was reversed the
next inning he made this call the
Yankees challenged and it turns out
Angel was wrong again later in the game
he made this call and the Yan he's
challenged again and once again Angel
Hernandez was wrong he became just the
fourth umpire in MLB history to have
three calls overturned in one game it
happening in the playoffs made things
even worse we all know how bad Angel
Hernandez is Pedro Martinez came out
saying MLB needed to do something and
that angel was quote as bad as it gets
Angel was behind the plate the next game
and CC Sabathia not pleased with his
Zone called him out publicly saying that
he should not be umpiring playoff games
this particular gentleman has sued
baseball for discrimination because he
says they would not make him recru Chief
because he was Latino this doesn't help
no by this point he had been in enough
incidents and enough players had come
out against him for fans to also believe
he was the worst umpire in baseball
Angel Hernandez you stin and I don't
like you this is the Philly Captain who
camped near the player's parking lot
just to confront angel Hernandez after
this notorious game in 2022 he called
this strike three on Omar navarez he
called this pitch a ball and with the
Bases Loaded in a tie game he called
this a strike against Jean zura then in
the bottom of the ninth down by one in a
3-2 count he called Kyle schwarber out
on this pitch schwarber threw his Bat
threw his helmet got an angel's face
told him he missed Call's outside missed
Call's inside missed them high missed
them for the Brewers missed them for the
Phillies and was overall terrible Angel
Hernandez plus all these rules equals
unwatchable equals click why would I
want to sit there and watch that
according to umpire scorecard an
automated Twitter account who tracks
umpires Angel Hernandez missed 16 calls
on called strikes he was wrong
23% of the time was this the worst
umpired game in MLB that year nope not
even close yet this tweet got
23,000 likes and this briefly became the
number one story in baseball here's why
Angel Hernandez has not won any part of
his lawsuit a leag baseball doesn't care
what color he is or where he's from they
care that he sucks when he returned to
Philly the next season Angel
Hernandez you
stink this was after he said Bryce
Harper swung at this pitch Harper didn't
think he swung he confronted an angel
after the game saying with Angel it's
quote the same story every year and once
again this call became a story around
baseball absolute check swing I mean
there's no way he went through how many
times is baseball going to let this man
screw it up what made this even worse
for Angel was all of these incidents
happened while he was actively suing MLB
for racial discrimination chances are
the first time you heard about Angel
Hernandez was because of one of these
highly publicized bad calls you watch
the bad call and red a players say he
was the worst umpire ever you concluded
he's probably a pretty bad umpire then
immediately read he was accusing MLB for
not promoting him because he was Latino
most people made the conclusion that
Angel Hernandez wasn't being punished
based on race but because he was a bad
umpire and the courts agreed Angel
eventually lost the suit in which MLB
had to publicly back him to prove they
weren't discriminating against him
according to MLB Angel messing up this
call and blaming the replay system
instead of taking responsibility is why
he stopped getting posies and
assignments in 2013 they even claimed he
was likely going to be selected for the
World Series in 2018 until he messed up
these calls in the ALDS that year they
also exposed him in the lawsuit for
getting Homer Bailey to sign 11
autographs for him after he umpired a
game where Bailey threw a no hitter
Angel says that that was common practice
amongst umpires at the time but it's
also somewhat of a conflict of interest
this becoming public added even more
fuel to the fire by the time the lawsuit
concluded in 2023 Angel Hernandez had
become the only umpire who gets booed
when their name is announced before game
Ang fans are constantly heckling him
like this guy come on hey minut
what is it what is it with you you want
to get on ESPN Tonight I ain't going to
do
it their backlash was so bad the Umpire
Union had to make a tweet saying they
quote stand behind Angel Hernandez
umpire Ted Barrett felt so bad for Angel
he felt the need to go to Instagram
calling him quote one of the kindest men
he knows if he posted every kind thing
Angel did he could make a new post every
day for the rest of his life and that he
even saw him save a woman from quote
doing something tragic but the knock on
Angel Hernandez was never that he was a
bad person it was that he was a bad
umpire however he's not even close to as
bad as what people make him out to be
according to the Washington Post in 2022
he ranked 54 out of 68 umpires meaning
he wasn't even in the bottom 20% Boston
University took 11 years of data and
released a study analyzing the skill of
umpires they compiled a list of the 10
best umps as well as the worst 10 umps
Angel Hernandez did not make that list
and if you trust umpires
scorecard.org
Jo Hernandez in terms of accuracy they
track every single pitch and judge
whether the call was right they've
analyed 6.2 million pitches since they
began tracking in 2015 since then there
are 33 umpires worse than Angel
Hernandez so essentially During the
period where Angel Hernandez had the
reputation as being the hands- down
worst ump in baseball he was actually
better than 28% of umpires these scores
are based on a system where a computer
takes what an Umpire called in a game
that matches it up with the kzone data
and determines whether the call was
correct or not MLB does this exact same
things themselves for for every single
game they create an Umpire report and
send that report to each umpire the
report grades then gives them a score
goes over their Mis calls and tells them
what they can do better next time on
this Infamous game against the Phillies
which was called the worst called game
of the season the MLB umpire report
claimed Angel Hernandez was
96% accurate the Umpire scorecard said
it was 88% accurate it's not always
obvious which one of these reports is
more accurate but the strike zone on TV
is even less accurate this pitch looks 3
in high it was actually a strike this
pitch also looks High turns out it
scraped the top of the zone you can
watch the same game on two different
broadcasts and often see two completely
different size strike zones and this
Strike Zone was 40 ft tall according to
the rule book the strike zone is quote
the area over home plate from the
midpoint between the batter's shoulders
and the top of the uniform pants and the
bottom of the zone is just below the
kneecap but this is not the actual
Strike Zone Mo goes against their own
rule book and when grining umps sets the
top of the strike zone at wherever their
belt line is when they set up in the
batter's box all the way down to the
hollow of the back of their knee they
also add 2 in on both sides of the plate
as a buffer zone so if the ball is an
inch outside and the Umpire calls it a
strike B considers that acceptable and
doesn't count it as a mistake that is
the reason Angel Hernandez scored 96% in
the eyes of MLB many people saw this 96%
accuracy score after this poor game and
concluded MLB is way too easy on umps
grading them on a strike zone that is
way too big so they can be as bad as
they want and never be fired but that's
not the case MLB's reports are
essentially grading on a curve a 96% on
up scorecards who grades without MLB's
buffer zone would make you the third
most accurate ump in baseball but with
MLB's grading system
96% makes you the worst umpire in
baseball every umpire from Rookie ball
to ml gets graded by this system just to
make it to rookie ball you first have to
go to umpire school if you finish at the
top of your class then you get selected
to go to rookie ball every umpire is
evaluated at the end of the year if you
have an elite evaluation and compared to
the other umson rookie ball you get
promoted to Lowa if you have an elite
evaluation compared to other Lowa
umpires you get to go to High a if you
get another Elite evaluation you get to
go to double a and that process
continues all the way to the major
leagues however if at any point during
this process you don't get an elite
evaluation and fail to finish at the top
of your league and accuracy 3 years in a
row you either have to go back to umpire
school and start all the way over from
Rookie ball or retire each umpire school
class has around 150 students on average
only one ump out of this class makes it
to the major leagues meaning you have a
67 chance to make it to the majors it
takes you at least 10 years of being in
the miners where you get paid between
122 to
225,000 a year and you only have A6
chance to make it players who get
drafted have a 177% chance to make the
majors meaning depending on how you look
at it becoming a Major League umpire is
actually harder than becoming a player
many people believe the Umpire Union
makes it so that firing umpires is
impossible in reality M Mo ums are also
evaluated if their score drops below a
certain level they enter a probation
period where if their scores don't
improve during that period they get
fired ums can also get suspended for
messing up calls on the field and it
happens every year however unlike mob
players this isn't public information so
we really don't know how often getting
fired also happens but is rare because
sense umps have to prove they have Elite
accuracy through every single level of
the miners pretty much any ump who ends
up becoming a full-time Major League up
has no problem staying above the
accuracy threshold set by MLB this
frustrates people because ums like Angel
Hernandez who the public thinks suck
never get fired however the system is is
actually working surprisingly well M Mo
got the technology that made this
evaluation process possible in 2008 in
the 15 years since umpire accuracy has
improved every single season in 2008
they missed 6.8% of calls on the margins
today that number has been cut in half
to only
3.2% their accuracy went from
81.3% to 92 .4% so it may seem like
there's more Miss balls and strike calls
than ever but that's probably just
because there's a box on screen that
makes misses obvious in reality since
2008 incorrect calls have been cut by
almost 60% so even an ump like Angel
Hernandez who grades below average would
be elite at every single level of the
miners the balls you see and Miss on TV
a lot of times aren't even ball s and if
you put him in MLB in 2008 he'd likely
be the most accurate ump in baseball
angel I love you bro God bless buddy
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
