Controversial MLB referee Angel Hernandez is retiring immediately

Baseball’s most controversial umpire is calling it a career. Angel Hernandez, who has been criticized by many in the sport for decades, is retiring.

According to a baseball source, MLB first approached Hernandez about the possibility of retiring earlier this season. The criticism had grown louder and Hernandez was ready to move on. He has not played a match since May 9 as the two sides reached a financial agreement.

“He was NOT forced to leave,” Hernandez’s attorney, Kevin Murphy, said The Athletics via text message. His departure is expected to take place immediately.

Hernandez played his first MLB game in 1991. Over the past decade, he has been a constant source of controversy. From his large and inconsistent strike zone to his quick ejections and unsuccessfully suing the MLB for discrimination in 2017, he has made headlines in a profession where most would rather remain unnoticed.

USA today first reported his retirement. Shortly after the news broke Monday night, MLB released a statement from Hernandez confirming his retirement.

“From my first Major League game in 1991, I have had the very good experience of fulfilling my childhood dream of being a referee in the major leagues,” the statement said. “Nothing is better than working in a profession that you enjoy. I cherished the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I made along the way, including our locker room attendants in all the different cities.

“I have decided that I want to spend more time with my family. Needless to say, there have been many positive changes in the game of baseball since I first entered the profession. This includes the expansion and advancement of minorities. I am proud that as a Major League referee I have been able to be an active participant in that goal.”

Beyond what Hernandez referenced in his statement, it is unclear what prompted Hernandez’s decision, although it is possible that the vitriol directed his way played a role.

“What hurts him the most,” Murphy said The Athletics in a recent profile: “is the pain his two daughters and his wife go through knowing that (the criticism) is so incredibly undeserved.”

Part of the reason the league approached Hernandez was the constant distraction he caused. Players in the game have long called for Hernandez to leave the industry.

“Every year. It’s the same story,” Bryce Harper said last season. “Same.”

“He needs to get another job,” Ian Kinsler said in 2017.

“I don’t understand why he’s doing these games,” CC Sabathia said in 2018.

Even MLB was critical of Hernandez, though much of that criticism came through court filings. They stated that his decision-making and handling of conflict prevented him from being promoted to a full-time crew chief position.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred alluded to the retirement process for umpires when he spoke to reporters at MLB’s owners meetings last week, though he did not mention Hernandez directly.

“The management of referees is … a physically demanding job,” Manfred said. “It goes beyond evaluation, training and discipline. It’s also about things like thinking about their career path: how long should they stay there? And that implies things like your retirement program.”

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(Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)