The craziest part to me is the complete lack of self awareness. Angel Hernandez had the audacity to sue MLB for racial discrimination rather than simply look at his horrific success rate on balls and strikes and realize that he’s the problem.
@Orphim even better than that. The US justice system found that he essentially is bad at his job as their ruling. The us government determined he was bad at his job in the hysterical irony
And this is why he is still in the MLB. 1. Has tenure 2. Will sue MLB if they try to get rid of him 3. MLB doesn't care because bad publicity is still people talking about the MLB. Would be nice if the bottom 10-20% of umpires based on call accuracy could get sent back down to the minors after every season. It might actually weed out the umpires late in their careers, like Angel, that just don't care anymore. Joe West was the same way towards the end, thought he was part of the show, instead of being invisible.
I can’t believe it took so long for the lawsuit to be dismissed. MLB could have gotten it dismissed immediately if they showed a video of his many bad calls.
I can’t imagine being an ump calling 105mph fastballs with movement with a catcher framing the pitch. Tough job. Most do amazingly well at it. Then there’s Angel.
It's not difficult to see a pitcher step off the rubber and get back on and immediately throw a pitch without coming set. It's not difficult to hear someone ask if they have a timeout and give the correct yes or no answer. Angel Hernandez is just an all around incompetent umpire who should not have a job at the Major League level. He thinks he should be umping more in the post season? Fine, let him umpire the Little League World Series. At least there, if he screws up, there will be an angry parent waiting in the parking lot for him to kick his face in.
Tennis really has been doing this for fifteen freaking years now. They had this technology before the MLB allowed replay review of ANYTHING. Heck, cricket even has microphones that can pick up their equivalent of a foul tip - not as valuable in baseball, but could be handy on a dropped 3rd strike play. When it comes to replay review, US sports are in the stone age.
This is a joke, just to cover my butt if somehow this actually happens. But if MLB made John Fisher disappear and framed Angel Hernandez for it it would kill two birds with one stone.
They don't need to frame Hernandez they just need to get rid of him. As for Fisher you can't get rid of him he has done nothing wrong except be a bad owner, not entirely his fault if MLB had a better labor deal and revenue sharing the A's would not be in the mess they are in.
That's a dumb reason. If you don't want refs or umps impacting sports, the only solution is to get rid of rules, and then refs and umps wouldn't be needed since there would be no rules.
Angel is literally trying to see how far he can push it now. "Fine, everyone thinks I suck? Haha fine I will suck even harder on purpose for the sheer joy of how much it pisses the rest of you off!". Its preeeety obvious.
No he isn't. Hes not that intelligent or self-aware. He's just screwing up. It's you all that, think there's some conspiracy behind this. Whats obvious is how clueless most babeball fans are. They're almost as clueless as the players. Just, look at Matt Antonelli. 🤦
*Push it to the limit* -I no chivato,mang! All I got is ma word...and ma balls. I'm Angel Hernandez,a political refugee from Cuba. And I want my rights as an umpire. Strike out? Say 'ello to ma littol friend! You're out!
As an umpire myself for about 1200-13 games from LL to travel baseball, high school and JC ball, I cannot believe what I see from Hernandez. Most organizations on the higher levels have reviews on a regular basis. How is he still employed? He wouldn't be a good high school umpire, much less a professional baseball ump. Insane!
Time for the players to take this into their own hands. There is PLENTY they can do to make it very clear that Angel Hernandez brings the game into disrepute.
You mean, the union. This is how they work. They protect the POS employees just like they protect the good ones. Unions are garbage in 99% of situations.
The MLB needs the ball/strike challenge system that they have in Triple A. It works great and it's fast. Why are they taking so long to implement it at the big league level?
Its ironic, cause the union is against it so much that by the time it does show up to the majors the players & fans will be so fed up by them they will probably get rid of the umpire all together
L.T. they besides Hernandez, get it right in the 90s, I did see it, it does work,your right, how about these primadonnas baseball players swing the freaking Pine, if it's close swing damit😅😅
The MLB needs to do something, not just about Hernandez, but about the strike zone in general. We have the technology to make it better. The home plate umpire ruined a great Mets/Royals game yesterday. It was a pitcher's duel, and he called a pretty good game for the first 7 innings, and then in the 8th with no score he just shrunk the zone so much that it resulted in four walks and 2 Mets runs that completely changed the game. The Royals pitcher struggled a little but was making some good pitches clearly in the zone that were called balls. Not making excuses for the Royals - they can't expect to win a game when they only score one run - but they had a chance to win that game and it was taken from them.
To address the Bad Angel problem right now is a must in MLB. My short term fix is take away his behind the plate assignments. Do not allow him to call balls and strikes Only work him on the basepaths. Embarass him publicly. And when he screws up on first or second and third. Put him in the outfield. Mock him into oblivion publicly.
I don't know that this is the case, but it may be written I to the contract that umpires rotate and are given games behind the plate. If it isn't in the contract, then yes. They should immediately take away the rest of his games at home plate and shift him elsewhere.
Unfortunately there aren't outfield umps until the postseason. If anything, and I could be wrong about this, but I think they've taken away his postseason privileges. And those are 6 man crews for playoffs plus replay ump. They have to endure this for the 162 game season but MLB are well within their rights to block him from playoffs as those crews are meshed together. They're best of best that season. At least his baloney wouldn't affect an LCS game, or WS
I saw a AAA game this past weekend, and the ball/strike challenge system is fantastic. I was skeptical about the system because I didn’t realize it was a limited challenge system, like in football. Each team is allowed three incorrect ball/strike challenges per game. If you challenge and the call is overturned, you keep the challenges. I also really liked that the challenge had to come from the pitcher or batter (and possibly also the catcher?), and that it had to come IMMEDIATELY, like before the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. After seeing it in person, I am totally sold that MLB needs this immediately.
When someone like Angel Hernandez actively and carelessly blows strike calls, it shows how counterproductive it is to be part of a union. The man makes Scott Foster look impartial during a Chris Paul game.
I feel pretty secure about my job, but compared to Angel Hernandez, I am on the hot seat. And Angel doesn't even try to get things right, he is just trolling everyone.
Thanks Rich for putting focus on this and on baseball in your shows. NBA is so painful to watch for me anymore with how soft it is and how many weak fouls are called now. I’m at a point in my life where I prefer baseball games and news over NBA - even playoffs. This is a MASSIVE topic that baseball needs to discuss and has been for a while. However knowing baseball and the people in charge nothing will happen this this guy. He will keep making horrible calls because that’s what he’s always done
He called a strike on a pitch that hit Spencer Torkleson of the Detroit Tigers as he was trying to get out of the way. "Not reviewable - he swung at it" after first calling it a foul tip which is reviewable.
I just started umpiring youth baseball games and when i finish the coaches meeting I always say to the coaches, "I'm no professional so I might make a mistake in the game but I'm no Angel Hernandez and you can count on me to have a good consistent strike zone." They love it 😱
I umped for 10yrs: Little League, youth girls softball & high school baseball. It's a very fun job, the speeds kids are throwing it makes it tough sometimes... but I couldn't imagine doing college or professional ball
How can a dot and a 2-dimensional box accurately represent a three dimensional strike zone? And does the size of the box change depending on the size and stance of the batter? It alwas looks the same to me for each batter.
Rich, you are now officially my spirit animal. Angel MUST have pics or vids of the umpire’s union and MLB mgmt. It is the ONLY possible way that man is still employed. Sending him to the minors when his back was injured was the most pleasant time MLB has endured for umpiring games in a long time. Total incompetence, yet never accountable. It’s been time for the “tennis like” replay for years now. I wrote an op-Ed for the provincial paper’ website on this exact topic after Kyle Schwarber blew up two years ago. So yes, let’s make it happen next year. Let’s GO!
This is the one thing in sports where no one will argue that replay is a demerit(no pace of play delay, no split second bang bang plays, etc...) literally just watch the broadcast and you will know if its strike or ball.
One of the things that's happening in baseball is that the strike zone on the TV broadcast is at the front of the plate, and especially with breaking balls, the ump sees the ball as it passes over the front edge of the plate, not where it's caught. The TV commentators often rely on the caught position to make their critical comments. the distance between the front of the plate and the mitt is about 4 feet
Greg Maddox made the HOF getting those, way, outside strikes. Part of the reason why i dont watch baseball anymore. The game should not depend on the umpires.
In AAA the Pitcher, Catcher, or Batter can challenge the call, and it takes very little time to review. I witnessed this in Louisville at the Bats game and it worked great!!
International Cricket has the technology that MLB should use. They include a sound detector and infrared sensors to tell if the ball hit the bat or a batter, as well as computer models that accurately tell if the ball would’ve hit the wicket. The issue with the MLB K-zones is that they incorrectly show the height of the strike zone at home plate rather than at both knees of the batter.
I’ve been to two AAA games this year. If a strike is challenged and it’s a ball, the screen gives you a measurement as to how far outside of the strike zone it was.
@@user-bl6ne3hc6n It doesn’t slow the game down. Only the pitcher, catcher or the hitter can challenge a call. There are some games that the umpire makes the balls and strikes calls and you can challenge it. There are other games where the computer makes the calls and the umpire relays what the computer says. I don’t like when it’s computer only. AAA has gone to 6 game series against a team. They play 3 games with computer only and 3 with the umpire. On a side note, I don’t really like that they play a team for 6 games in a row.
My Angel Hernandez story: I was at a Colorado Rockies game - back in the day - SF Giants were in town - Barry Bonds was in the outfield. My Dad was able to get me some great seats right off third base - third row. A few innings in a simple hit and a quick out to end the inning. Angel Hernandez was the third base umpire. The player tosses the ball to Angel Hernandez as he heads back to the dugout. Angel Hernandez, ball in hand walks over to a Father and young son in the row infront of me. Angel Hernandez asks the kid if he plays baseball . Kid: yes, but I am not very good. Angel Hernandez: hands the kid the game ball and says "Well you could be an umpire ..." and started to walk back towards third base. At that moment I replied loud enough for Angel Hernandez to hear : "Of course he would have to be legally blind". Angel Hernandez turned and laughed. Half way through the inning I saw Angel Hernandez shoulders bouncing up and down... he turned and pointed at me laughing and shaking his head.
The root problem is obviously Angel Hernandez. There are two other parties that contribute to Hernandez’ incompetence: the MLB Umpires Union which represents Hernandez and promotes his inability to umpire. The other problem is the commissioner of MLB who doesn’t seem to care about the integrity of MLB and refuses to do anything about it.
It would be interesting to see the call accuracy on various counts. I think the strike zone expands and shrinks based on the count (and the score, and reputation of the pitcher and batter). On 3-0 counts, it seems impossible to throw a ball. On 0-2, hard to throw a strike.
When bad calls are made, we can live with and accept one or two may be made...it's been part of baseball forever. BUT, when it's this bad, when it is so far off the plate, soooo many times...it allows the possibility to consider Umpire may be on the take and changing outcomes in the sports betting world.
As someone who used to be an umpire for over a decade for Little League baseball games up through high school baseball games, we need electronic umpires. They realized this in tennis years ago, but for some reason baseball thinks they're above using technology. I did high school sectionals & regionals, I'm telling you it's _ridiculously_ hard to watch the ball at the speed the pitchers throw at that age... & that's usually only from 70mph to high 80s or occasionally low 90s. I couldn't imagine doing it for college or grown men in the majors throwing high 90s to low 100s
Most fans understand close calls and mistakes from umpires and referees... they don't understand COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE by both an umpire and an entire league that ignores it!!
There is a reason the USA is 1 of 3 nations that still uses inches instead of metric. The inability to change and do the correct thing is nothing short of stunning really
Except the TV strike zone isn't accurate @@richeisen. The TV strike zone assumes the exact same height ratio from the knees to the top of the zone. That being said they use computer software to review the umpires and they should fire those who don't meet a certain standard
I don't follow baseball that much but have been following the Angel Hernandez issue of missed calls on balls and strikes. I've come to the conclusion that if you are the pitcher then Angel is your best friend. Conversely if you are the batter then Angel is your worst enemy.
In the Ranger game, Angel wanted to go home and that's why he called those balls strikes. He's a sucker for catchers 'framing' pitches and that's why he calls balls strikes too. He's made bad calls all over the field, but his ego prevents him from doing right by the players. I think he's insecure and over compensates. He should be umpiring little league.
The great thing about the minor league review system is it gives the umpires near-instant feedback. What they “saw” can be confirmed or refuted on the spot, so they can adjust and make better calls *starting with the very next pitch.* What a great idea.
The question is, why is Major League baseball doing absolutely nothing about Hernandez? There HAS TO BE accountability. The collective bargaining agreement with the umpire association can't allow for such incompetency.
Hot take: I think he’s great for the MLB. He’s absolutely terrible and in a world where we’re all so divided we can all agree this guy sucks! He’s a great uniter and it’s entertaining watching everyone lose their minds.
When it comes to pitching, there’s absolutely no excuse to not have a robot umpire at this point. It’s not even so much about incompetence as it is about the fact that these balls are getting thrown filthier and filthier every year.
Consistency is key. If an ump calls the same pitches every game, then as a hitter or pitcher you know what to expect. Most pitchers know what they are going to get with many umpires. Same goes for hitters. That's where Angel comes in. You never know with him, other than if the pitch is down the middle, let it go. And if the pitch is in the dugout, you better be swinging.
If players make mistakes they get charged with errors. If a player can't tell the difference between a ball and a strike it will reflect in their stats, and potentially if a big enough problem they will end out of baseball.
We're talking about automating the calling of calls and strikes. It's like, "We can't stand the way THIS guy is screwing up the job, so we're going to make a change for every one." There's an easier way. The MLBUA steps up and says, "THIS guy is not allowed behind the plate anymore." He can ump, but he's going to be in other positions. And, if he can't handle that, help him, retire him or let him go. And then don't treat any other umpire differently. In baseball, as in everywhere else in life, hold folks responsible for their actions. "The machine did it." or "I'm just following orders." stopped being acceptable somewhere after second grade.
The game has suffered long enough. I hate the idea of a machine deciding strikes, it won't be perfect, but at least the batters and pitchers can depend on day-to-day consistency of the strike zone. That has always been the most important aspect of balls and strikes, just be consistent so it's fair to everyone. I hate the high inside and high outside strike getting called now, but hitters must adapt. And, pitchers may not get the outside corner extended with 2 strikes as they have forever, but they will adapt. I'm sick over what has happened to the game i loved as kid and played thru college.
The umpire union is to blame for this! They refuse to fire him for deriliction of duty, but it is coming to a MAJOR head, and MLB is facing severe backlash over his willing incompetance, that, if they refuse to act, players are going to refuse to play when he is on the field.
Someone just called Hernandez the biggest star in baseball, which is one more reason MLB is becoming a niche sport. The Indoor Football League takes officiating more seriously.
Strike zones are 3 dimensional. Those boxes superimposed over the plate are 2 dimensional. The "dot" is 1 dimensional, and I believe shows where the catcher caught the ball. A pitch could catch the very front outside corner of the plate, belt high. That would mean it was a strike. But due to the motion of the pitch, the catcher could be catching it maybe 3 inches outside of the plate, making it look like a ball. Any automated system would have to capture the ball from at least 2 angles. Directly above the plate to see if it crossed any part of the plate, and a side swing angle to see the position of the ball relative to the batter's stance. Because those are the components of the strike zone.
Based on the data, they need to force earlier retirement or at least have a promotion/relegation system for home plate umps based on accuracy performance. The best umps are under 40, the worst are over 50.
With the advent of online sports betting, this is a crime, in my opinion. Way too much money changing hands based on what???? Angel Hernandez being "honest" or "accurate"?! And MLB is supporting this "criminal activity"...
Speaking of tennis, when a serve is out of the box you hear that high pitched whine sound. Why can't we just do this for balls and strikes in baseball?
The craziest part to me is the complete lack of self awareness. Angel Hernandez had the audacity to sue MLB for racial discrimination rather than simply look at his horrific success rate on balls and strikes and realize that he’s the problem.
Better part was that he lost the lawsuit because the MLB basically had the receipts and said, "No, he's just bad."
It's the way of wokeness/liberalism first claim racism then take no accountability and last but not least make yourself the victim.
@Orphim even better than that. The US justice system found that he essentially is bad at his job as their ruling.
The us government determined he was bad at his job in the hysterical irony
@@bryanreilly4117 And yet the union can still protect him so he can't be fired...
And this is why he is still in the MLB.
1. Has tenure
2. Will sue MLB if they try to get rid of him
3. MLB doesn't care because bad publicity is still people talking about the MLB.
Would be nice if the bottom 10-20% of umpires based on call accuracy could get sent back down to the minors after every season. It might actually weed out the umpires late in their careers, like Angel, that just don't care anymore. Joe West was the same way towards the end, thought he was part of the show, instead of being invisible.
I can’t believe he lost his discrimination case, the blind should be protected by the ADA 😢
Exactly!!
I can’t believe it took so long for the lawsuit to be dismissed. MLB could have gotten it dismissed immediately if they showed a video of his many bad calls.
@danny6032 the footage was actually why he lost the case
I can’t imagine being an ump calling 105mph fastballs with movement with a catcher framing the pitch. Tough job. Most do amazingly well at it. Then there’s Angel.
There’s a handful of guys like Angel that make them all look bad. CB Bucknor, Laz Diaz, Brennan miller to name a few
It's not difficult to see a pitcher step off the rubber and get back on and immediately throw a pitch without coming set. It's not difficult to hear someone ask if they have a timeout and give the correct yes or no answer. Angel Hernandez is just an all around incompetent umpire who should not have a job at the Major League level. He thinks he should be umping more in the post season? Fine, let him umpire the Little League World Series. At least there, if he screws up, there will be an angry parent waiting in the parking lot for him to kick his face in.
As hard as umpiring is, try hitting a ball.
Use the technology. Nobody was throwing 100+ a hundred years ago. Time to move on.
@@CorePathwayhow fast a pitch is thrown is COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT to a pitch being called CORRECTLY!!!! I say that as someone who HAS BEEN AN UMPIRE!!!
Tennis really has been doing this for fifteen freaking years now. They had this technology before the MLB allowed replay review of ANYTHING. Heck, cricket even has microphones that can pick up their equivalent of a foul tip - not as valuable in baseball, but could be handy on a dropped 3rd strike play. When it comes to replay review, US sports are in the stone age.
Angel Hernandez doesn't need eclipse glasses when watching the solar eclipse.
he d call ball on the full eclipse!
Throws the moon outta the game.
Makes me think of King of the Hill about the guy who fried his brain staring at the sun: "Kind of a chicken-egg thing though."
He’d miss it anyway
This is a joke, just to cover my butt if somehow this actually happens. But if MLB made John Fisher disappear and framed Angel Hernandez for it it would kill two birds with one stone.
don't forget Phil Cuzzi
Nobody would complain, except maybe their families
They don't need to frame Hernandez they just need to get rid of him. As for Fisher you can't get rid of him he has done nothing wrong except be a bad owner, not entirely his fault if MLB had a better labor deal and revenue sharing the A's would not be in the mess they are in.
Rich been going off lately I love it
I agree ! :-) good stuff :-)
The mlbpa has to sue the umpires union. Not just Hernandez since he claims racism. Sue the entire union for impacting the outcome of the game.
That's a dumb reason. If you don't want refs or umps impacting sports, the only solution is to get rid of rules, and then refs and umps wouldn't be needed since there would be no rules.
@@siegmund87You: calls a reason dumb.
Also you: has one of the dumbest sports takes of all time
How about next contract you just get rid of the unions itself, besides this fool, they get it right about 90 percent of the time, that's pretty good,
You're not a lawyer by profession, are you?
Just a reminder; "Unions are a good thing."
Angel is literally trying to see how far he can push it now. "Fine, everyone thinks I suck? Haha fine I will suck even harder on purpose for the sheer joy of how much it pisses the rest of you off!".
Its preeeety obvious.
I have not yet begun to suck.
No he isn't. Hes not that intelligent or self-aware. He's just screwing up. It's you all that, think there's some conspiracy behind this.
Whats obvious is how clueless most babeball fans are. They're almost as clueless as the players. Just, look at Matt Antonelli. 🤦
*Push it to the limit*
-I no chivato,mang! All I got is ma word...and ma balls. I'm Angel Hernandez,a political refugee from Cuba. And I want my rights as an umpire. Strike out? Say 'ello to ma littol friend! You're out!
The funny part is that the Umpires Union keeps protecting Devil Hernandez while his actions are eventually going to lead to the extinction of umpires.
As an umpire myself for about 1200-13 games from LL to travel baseball, high school and JC ball, I cannot believe what I see from Hernandez. Most organizations on the higher levels have reviews on a regular basis. How is he still employed? He wouldn't be a good high school umpire, much less a professional baseball ump. Insane!
I have to believe there are 5-6 AA-AAA Umpires who are more competent than Angel and ready for a move to the Majors.
Hey!!.... It's Enrico Palazzo!
Love this!
You win three whole internets for best comment in a story about bad officiating ever. Congrats!
as long as Angel Hernandez has a job in the majors the commissioner deserves equal blame
Except the commissioner can’t fire him. So hard to blame him.
the commissioner doesn't run the umpires union
Nope, this is the Union.
Time for the players to take this into their own hands. There is PLENTY they can do to make it very clear that Angel Hernandez brings the game into disrepute.
You mean, the union. This is how they work. They protect the POS employees just like they protect the good ones. Unions are garbage in 99% of situations.
Dunning Kruger comes to mind when discussing Angel
The MLB needs the ball/strike challenge system that they have in Triple A. It works great and it's fast. Why are they taking so long to implement it at the big league level?
Union
Its ironic, cause the union is against it so much that by the time it does show up to the majors the players & fans will be so fed up by them they will probably get rid of the umpire all together
Apparently it’s happening in 25, 26 at the latest. But it can’t happen soon enough
@@lightingbolt8148yeah the ball/ strike challenge could be here next year but it’s not official yet
L.T. they besides Hernandez, get it right in the 90s, I did see it, it does work,your right, how about these primadonnas baseball players swing the freaking Pine, if it's close swing damit😅😅
The MLB needs to do something, not just about Hernandez, but about the strike zone in general. We have the technology to make it better. The home plate umpire ruined a great Mets/Royals game yesterday. It was a pitcher's duel, and he called a pretty good game for the first 7 innings, and then in the 8th with no score he just shrunk the zone so much that it resulted in four walks and 2 Mets runs that completely changed the game. The Royals pitcher struggled a little but was making some good pitches clearly in the zone that were called balls. Not making excuses for the Royals - they can't expect to win a game when they only score one run - but they had a chance to win that game and it was taken from them.
It's not the strike zone. It's the graphic on TV that's wrong.
Jomboy exposed him, he closes his eyes when the pitch comes in. He’s a flincher! 😂
Flincher, funny. it reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld, 😊😊
To address the Bad Angel problem right now is a must in MLB. My short term fix is take away his behind the plate assignments. Do not allow him to call balls and strikes
Only work him on the basepaths. Embarass him publicly. And when he screws up on first or second and third. Put him in the outfield. Mock him into oblivion publicly.
Welcome to Unions. This is how they work, even at places like Teamsters. Losing your job even when you're mega bad is nearly impossible
I don't know that this is the case, but it may be written I to the contract that umpires rotate and are given games behind the plate. If it isn't in the contract, then yes. They should immediately take away the rest of his games at home plate and shift him elsewhere.
Unfortunately there aren't outfield umps until the postseason. If anything, and I could be wrong about this, but I think they've taken away his postseason privileges. And those are 6 man crews for playoffs plus replay ump. They have to endure this for the 162 game season but MLB are well within their rights to block him from playoffs as those crews are meshed together. They're best of best that season. At least his baloney wouldn't affect an LCS game, or WS
why not just fire him like any other freaking job?
I get the union, but why allow a employee that is terrible and is embarrassing you
I saw a AAA game this past weekend, and the ball/strike challenge system is fantastic. I was skeptical about the system because I didn’t realize it was a limited challenge system, like in football. Each team is allowed three incorrect ball/strike challenges per game. If you challenge and the call is overturned, you keep the challenges. I also really liked that the challenge had to come from the pitcher or batter (and possibly also the catcher?), and that it had to come IMMEDIATELY, like before the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher. After seeing it in person, I am totally sold that MLB needs this immediately.
Fans should never know the name of an umpire.
Many TV broadcasts show ump crews. But in general yes
@@mbdg6810 it's the ideology that if they do their jobs well enough, you won't care who it is.
Other than when they're introduced before the game you're 1000% correct
@@mbdg6810 Yeah, they show the name of the opposing teams short stop 20 times in a weekend, but I can’t remember his name.
Bs. Every job needs accountability
When someone like Angel Hernandez actively and carelessly blows strike calls, it shows how counterproductive it is to be part of a union. The man makes Scott Foster look impartial during a Chris Paul game.
That's one of the best videos I've watched on TH-cam lately. Epic summary of the situation with him.
The late Eric Gregg would be enjoying the hell out of this.
I feel pretty secure about my job, but compared to Angel Hernandez, I am on the hot seat. And Angel doesn't even try to get things right, he is just trolling everyone.
He is also horrible on check swings when he's at 1st or 3rd, he's an all around shitty umpire...
We now live in a country, where nothing can be done about the obvious, because of backlash. Not just sports. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!
Angel Hernandez and John Fisher have tarnished MLB's reputation more than Pete Rose ever did.
Hernandez is bad Rose is scum.
Do yall see how often he closes his eyes when the ball comes across homeplate. 😑
Thanks Rich for putting focus on this and on baseball in your shows. NBA is so painful to watch for me anymore with how soft it is and how many weak fouls are called now. I’m at a point in my life where I prefer baseball games and news over NBA - even playoffs. This is a MASSIVE topic that baseball needs to discuss and has been for a while. However knowing baseball and the people in charge nothing will happen this this guy. He will keep making horrible calls because that’s what he’s always done
It’s the umpires union that keeps bad umps around unfortunately.
He called a strike on a pitch that hit Spencer Torkleson of the Detroit Tigers as he was trying to get out of the way. "Not reviewable - he swung at it" after first calling it a foul tip which is reviewable.
Go with an automated strike zone. The technology is there, use it. I want accurate ball/strike calls.
Can you imagine if the NFL had a chief umpire like this? It would be trending #1 until they got rid of him.
NFL officials are just as bad
I just started umpiring youth baseball games and when i finish the coaches meeting I always say to the coaches, "I'm no professional so I might make a mistake in the game but I'm no Angel Hernandez and you can count on me to have a good consistent strike zone." They love it 😱
I umped for 10yrs: Little League, youth girls softball & high school baseball. It's a very fun job, the speeds kids are throwing it makes it tough sometimes... but I couldn't imagine doing college or professional ball
How can a dot and a 2-dimensional box accurately represent a three dimensional strike zone? And does the size of the box change depending on the size and stance of the batter? It alwas looks the same to me for each batter.
Tennis transitioned to Cyclops with no issue. Baseball needs to move forward like this as well...
Players should start making that signal when they would challenge a call. Get enough of those and the league could actually take notice.
Is there a challenge limit?
Rich, you are now officially my spirit animal. Angel MUST have pics or vids of the umpire’s union and MLB mgmt. It is the ONLY possible way that man is still employed. Sending him to the minors when his back was injured was the most pleasant time MLB has endured for umpiring games in a long time. Total incompetence, yet never accountable. It’s been time for the “tennis like” replay for years now. I wrote an op-Ed for the provincial paper’ website on this exact topic after Kyle Schwarber blew up two years ago.
So yes, let’s make it happen next year. Let’s GO!
5:50 it was Torres, and what’s worse is it was strike 3 as well.
This is the one thing in sports where no one will argue that replay is a demerit(no pace of play delay, no split second bang bang plays, etc...) literally just watch the broadcast and you will know if its strike or ball.
Call me crazy but I actually make it a point to see a game if Angel is behind home plate.
Either that or there's collusion with gambling.
I don’t want a machine, I just don’t want the Angel Hernandez among the umpires gone from baseball
What would happen if both teams just walked off the field and refused to play when he is on the field as an umpire?
This is what I have been thinking. Boycott if he is on the crew. They can't declare a forfeit if both teans refuse. Force the issue!
Angel Hernandez has been a plague for years. The guy has to go.
I wish I had an union like these umpires that stick up for me even if I'm the most horrific incompetent employee
I think they should fine the commissioner for blown calls. If it came out of the commissioner's paycheck they would fix it. True for the NFL too.
One of the things that's happening in baseball is that the strike zone on the TV broadcast is at the front of the plate, and especially with breaking balls, the ump sees the ball as it passes over the front edge of the plate, not where it's caught. The TV commentators often rely on the caught position to make their critical comments. the distance between the front of the plate and the mitt is about 4 feet
Greg Maddox made the HOF getting those, way, outside strikes. Part of the reason why i dont watch baseball anymore. The game should not depend on the umpires.
Agreed Rich. Bring on the challenge system next season or after the All-Star break if possible
Watched baseball for 40 years and never heard an umpires' name. Seems like a long time ago now.
In AAA the Pitcher, Catcher, or Batter can challenge the call, and it takes very little time to review. I witnessed this in Louisville at the Bats game and it worked great!!
International Cricket has the technology that MLB should use. They include a sound detector and infrared sensors to tell if the ball hit the bat or a batter, as well as computer models that accurately tell if the ball would’ve hit the wicket. The issue with the MLB K-zones is that they incorrectly show the height of the strike zone at home plate rather than at both knees of the batter.
I’ve been to two AAA games this year. If a strike is challenged and it’s a ball, the screen gives you a measurement as to how far outside of the strike zone it was.
So do you like the challenge,?? Does it slow down the game,
@@user-bl6ne3hc6n It doesn’t slow the game down. Only the pitcher, catcher or the hitter can challenge a call. There are some games that the umpire makes the balls and strikes calls and you can challenge it. There are other games where the computer makes the calls and the umpire relays what the computer says. I don’t like when it’s computer only. AAA has gone to 6 game series against a team. They play 3 games with computer only and 3 with the umpire. On a side note, I don’t really like that they play a team for 6 games in a row.
My Angel Hernandez story: I was at a Colorado Rockies game - back in the day - SF Giants were in town - Barry Bonds was in the outfield.
My Dad was able to get me some great seats right off third base - third row. A few innings in a simple hit and a quick out to end the inning. Angel Hernandez was the third base umpire. The player tosses the ball to Angel Hernandez as he heads back to the dugout.
Angel Hernandez, ball in hand walks over to a Father and young son in the row infront of me. Angel Hernandez asks the kid if he plays baseball . Kid: yes, but I am not very good. Angel Hernandez: hands the kid the game ball and says "Well you could be an umpire ..." and started to walk back towards third base. At that moment I replied loud enough for Angel Hernandez to hear : "Of course he would have to be legally blind". Angel Hernandez turned and laughed. Half way through the inning I saw Angel Hernandez shoulders bouncing up and down... he turned and pointed at me laughing and shaking his head.
Besides Hernandez incompetence, how about we swing the freaking pine!!!!!
When you are universally acknowledged to be so bad but you still show up to work really says a lot about what kind of personality you have
The root problem is obviously Angel Hernandez. There are two other parties that contribute to Hernandez’ incompetence: the MLB Umpires Union which represents Hernandez and promotes his inability to umpire. The other problem is the commissioner of MLB who doesn’t seem to care about the integrity of MLB and refuses to do anything about it.
Why has MLB tolerated Angel’s poor judgment?
He must have something on them, he knows he is not doing a good job, doesn't care, his job is secure
It would be interesting to see the call accuracy on various counts. I think the strike zone expands and shrinks based on the count (and the score, and reputation of the pitcher and batter). On 3-0 counts, it seems impossible to throw a ball. On 0-2, hard to throw a strike.
At this point, Angel is just trolling all of us.
This is why we need an automatic strike zone now! Why is it taking so long?
When bad calls are made, we can live with and accept one or two may be made...it's been part of baseball forever. BUT, when it's this bad, when it is so far off the plate, soooo many times...it allows the possibility to consider Umpire may be on the take and changing outcomes in the sports betting world.
As someone who used to be an umpire for over a decade for Little League baseball games up through high school baseball games, we need electronic umpires. They realized this in tennis years ago, but for some reason baseball thinks they're above using technology. I did high school sectionals & regionals, I'm telling you it's _ridiculously_ hard to watch the ball at the speed the pitchers throw at that age... & that's usually only from 70mph to high 80s or occasionally low 90s. I couldn't imagine doing it for college or grown men in the majors throwing high 90s to low 100s
If he has to be an umpire stick Hernandez in the outfield and never let him behind HP again.
Angel lost his lawsuit against the MLB and has consistantly gotten worse ever since. This IS NOT COINCIDENTAL!
I think Angel Hernandez should file a federal lawsuit if mlb try’s to reprimand him yall are abusing him
Most fans understand close calls and mistakes from umpires and referees... they don't understand COMPLETE INCOMPETENCE by both an umpire and an entire league that ignores it!!
Rich Eisen has perfected the art of calling out bull crap in sport. He’s done it again.
Pay him off, buy out his contract, give him an office job, get him off the field. This is not an unsolvable problem.
What's to prevent the two teams scheduled to play refuse to take the field if Hernandez shows up? Show a backbone!!!!
There is a reason the USA is 1 of 3 nations that still uses inches instead of metric. The inability to change and do the correct thing is nothing short of stunning really
Except the TV strike zone isn't accurate @@richeisen. The TV strike zone assumes the exact same height ratio from the knees to the top of the zone. That being said they use computer software to review the umpires and they should fire those who don't meet a certain standard
I don't follow baseball that much but have been following the Angel Hernandez issue of missed calls on balls and strikes. I've come to the conclusion that if you are the pitcher then Angel is your best friend. Conversely if you are the batter then Angel is your worst enemy.
In the Ranger game, Angel wanted to go home and that's why he called those balls strikes. He's a sucker for catchers 'framing' pitches and that's why he calls balls strikes too. He's made bad calls all over the field, but his ego prevents him from doing right by the players. I think he's insecure and over compensates. He should be umpiring little league.
I've never met a umpire who wasn't arrogant. I think it's a job requirement.
The great thing about the minor league review system is it gives the umpires near-instant feedback. What they “saw” can be confirmed or refuted on the spot, so they can adjust and make better calls *starting with the very next pitch.* What a great idea.
The question is, why is Major League baseball doing absolutely nothing about Hernandez? There HAS TO BE accountability. The collective bargaining agreement with the umpire association can't allow for such incompetency.
Hot take: I think he’s great for the MLB. He’s absolutely terrible and in a world where we’re all so divided we can all agree this guy sucks! He’s a great uniter and it’s entertaining watching everyone lose their minds.
Get the PIO for the Umpire's union on the show. Have them explain why Angel still has a job.
If he wasn't a minority, he would have been out of there ages ago. They fire him, he'll file a lawsuit and the league doesn't want that.
Saddest part is, Angel Hernandez has been an MLB ump since 1991. That's 33 years of royally sucking . . . and MLB doing nothing about it.
Adding tech wont change anything. The problem isnt him not knowing whats a ball and whats a strike, the whole timeout fiasco proves that
When it comes to pitching, there’s absolutely no excuse to not have a robot umpire at this point. It’s not even so much about incompetence as it is about the fact that these balls are getting thrown filthier and filthier every year.
Consistency is key. If an ump calls the same pitches every game, then as a hitter or pitcher you know what to expect. Most pitchers know what they are going to get with many umpires. Same goes for hitters. That's where Angel comes in. You never know with him, other than if the pitch is down the middle, let it go. And if the pitch is in the dugout, you better be swinging.
If players make mistakes they get charged with errors. If a player can't tell the difference between a ball and a strike it will reflect in their stats, and potentially if a big enough problem they will end out of baseball.
The first one was a strike. 2nd one wasn't but wasn't terribly far outside. 3rd one was absolutely awful.
We're talking about automating the calling of calls and strikes. It's like, "We can't stand the way THIS guy is screwing up the job, so we're going to make a change for every one." There's an easier way. The MLBUA steps up and says, "THIS guy is not allowed behind the plate anymore." He can ump, but he's going to be in other positions. And, if he can't handle that, help him, retire him or let him go. And then don't treat any other umpire differently. In baseball, as in everywhere else in life, hold folks responsible for their actions. "The machine did it." or "I'm just following orders." stopped being acceptable somewhere after second grade.
Technology has deleted the usefulness of umpires.
The game has suffered long enough. I hate the idea of a machine deciding strikes, it won't be perfect, but at least the batters and pitchers can depend on day-to-day consistency of the strike zone. That has always been the most important aspect of balls and strikes, just be consistent so it's fair to everyone. I hate the high inside and high outside strike getting called now, but hitters must adapt. And, pitchers may not get the outside corner extended with 2 strikes as they have forever, but they will adapt. I'm sick over what has happened to the game i loved as kid and played thru college.
The umpire union is to blame for this! They refuse to fire him for deriliction of duty, but it is coming to a MAJOR head, and MLB is facing severe backlash over his willing incompetance, that, if they refuse to act, players are going to refuse to play when he is on the field.
Someone just called Hernandez the biggest star in baseball, which is one more reason MLB is becoming a niche sport. The Indoor Football League takes officiating more seriously.
Can the hitter challenge a pitch?
Strike zones are 3 dimensional. Those boxes superimposed over the plate are 2 dimensional. The "dot" is 1 dimensional, and I believe shows where the catcher caught the ball.
A pitch could catch the very front outside corner of the plate, belt high. That would mean it was a strike. But due to the motion of the pitch, the catcher could be catching it maybe 3 inches outside of the plate, making it look like a ball.
Any automated system would have to capture the ball from at least 2 angles. Directly above the plate to see if it crossed any part of the plate, and a side swing angle to see the position of the ball relative to the batter's stance. Because those are the components of the strike zone.
Umpires have become the best advocates for not having umpires
That Wyatt Langford atrocity should have been the last straw.
Based on the data, they need to force earlier retirement or at least have a promotion/relegation system for home plate umps based on accuracy performance. The best umps are under 40, the worst are over 50.
With the advent of online sports betting, this is a crime, in my opinion. Way too much money changing hands based on what???? Angel Hernandez being "honest" or "accurate"?! And MLB is supporting this "criminal activity"...
Speaking of tennis, when a serve is out of the box you hear that high pitched whine sound. Why can't we just do this for balls and strikes in baseball?
Why can't the home plate umpire wear VR glasses that show him that information?