Everyone’s got a favorite Angel Hernandez call … err, blunder.
Hernandez, MLB’s most disliked umpire, announced his retirement Monday, and the news was met with universal celebration across the baseball world.
Families reunited. People danced in the streets. Folks called out of work to celebrate.
OK, maybe that’s all an exaggeration, but you can be sure they took to social media to remember their favorite palm-to-the-face moments from Hernandez’s 33 years of blown calls.
Think of it as the reverse “One Shining Moment.”
Crossing Broad, a Philadelphia sports blog, posted a clip of one of Hernandez’s most infamous screw-ups, his comically large strike zone during a Phillies-Brewers game in 2022.
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber eviscerated Hernandez for his awful zone all game long after being rung up on a pitch off the plate in the ninth inning.
“Angel Hernandez is retiring,” the account posted. “Never forget when Kyle Schwarber ripped him to shreds after a blown strike call.”
The @BaseballQuotes1 X account posted an anti-highlight reel of Hernandez, 62, just whiffing on balls and strikes throughout the years, dumbfounding announcers along the way.
Hernandez had some notable entries from this season, even with a limited sample size.
One account highlighted Hernandez ruling Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson swung at a pitch against the Mets during an early April game when he clearly did not.
The @FiresideYankees account featured Hernandez’s horrendous ruling during an early Yankees-Blue Jays game when Toronto’s Bowden Francis clearly stepped off and then missed the zone with a 3-2 pitch, yet Hernandez still called out Gleyber Torres on the pitch, much to Torres’ dismay.
Taking the cake was Hernandez striking out Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford earlier this year on a pitch against the Astros that was so far off the plate that it may as well have landed in San Antonio.
“In honour of Ángel Hernández’s retirement, here is his worst call of the season,” tweeted @TJStats. “A strike 3 call against Wyatt Langford, 8″ outside.”
Some focused on funny clips of announcers just roasting Hernandez for his terribleness.
The @just_mets posted a clip of Gary Cohen and Ron Darling shredding Hernandez for a call that went the Mets’ way during a game against the Marlins in 2021.
“It’s not an official game until Angel plays a big part in it,” Darling said.
Cohen followed: “Angel, devil, that’s a hard one to call.”
Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina posted a clip of legendary former White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson reacting to an epic Hernandez error during a game against the Marlins with the caption: “Never forget that Angel Hernandez once damn near gave Hawk Harrelson a stroke.”
The clip showed a White Sox player hitting a slow grounder to short with the bases loaded in the 10th inning of game, and Harrelson screamed, “Can’t get him,” referring to the batter likely beating the throw to first win the game, before Hernandez incorrectly called the runner out at first to end the threat.
Harrelson followed with: “Oh no! No! No! No! … He is safe and another blown call by Hernandez.”
All the missed calls made for a fun trip down memory lane — even if these calls may not have been so easy to laugh at in the moment.
Credit: Source link
