MLB umpire Angel Hernandez has committed several notorious errors this season. On Friday night, Buck Showalter became the latest manager to express his displeasure with him.
The 57-year-old skipper yelled and gestured his way to an ejection in the top of the second inning.
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis clearly whiffed on an R.A. Dickey knuckleball, but Hernandez was the only one at Rogers Centre who didn’t know it. He initially called it a foul ball, despite glaring evidence to the contrary.
Noticing that catcher Josh Thole couldn’t get his glove on the third strike, Davis began sprinting down the baseline. He knew that there was no contact and understood that in such a scenario, a batter can reach first base by getting there before the throw does. Thole was under the same impression, so he hustled after the ball to record the out.
However, when Dickey’s offering struck Hernandez in the leg, the polarizing umpire concluded that the bat affected its path. In reality, it simply deflected off Thole’s mitt.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons raced onto the field first and convinced Hernandez to consult with his competent peers. It took them all of 30 seconds to overturn the missed call.
That’s when Showalter snapped.
Who can blame him? An official standing mere inches from the play ruled in his favor, only to defer to crew members positioned many yards away.
At least Hernandez was bailed out this time.
Take this opportunity to relive this botched safe/out call that denied the Chicago White Sox a game-winning fielder’s choice on May 24. Or how about on May 8, when he didn’t reward Adam Rosales a ninth-inning home run, even though the replay was definitive?
Stay tuned throughout 2013 for more horrible Hernandez calls and the animated reactions from whoever falls victim to his poor judgment.
*All video links courtesy of MLB.com.
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