In recent years, Major League Baseball umpire Ángel Hernández has become one of the most controversial and infamous umps in all of baseball for his numerous blown calls that have drawn the ire of fans across the nation, and he was at it again with a controversial call on Sunday afternoon.
During the very first batter of the New York Mets showdown against the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo hit a deep line drive to the wall for what looked like a leadoff triple. But Hernández had other ideas.
The home plate umpire for the game, Hernández called the play dead, declaring that the ball got stuck under the padding of the outfield wall calling it a ground-rule double.
The first batter of the game, and Angel Hernandez is already at it again
“I have never seen this call. It is a terrible call.” pic.twitter.com/C06xcYQy23
— Welcome to the Ump Show (@umpjob) September 11, 2022
The Mets broadcast crew was quite unimpressed by Hernández’s decision.
“That ball did not appear to be stuck,” one commentator said on the broadcast. “Usually, you have to stop, hold up your hands, and indicate to the umpire that the ball is stuck. Once you go and field the ball it usually is not ruled a ground-rule double.”
The other commentator was confused by the call at first, but once he realized Hernández made the call, it all made sense in his mind.
“Watch the home plate umpire. That’s Angel Hernandez,” he said. “He always is gonna… Ah, yes. He’s the furthest one away and he’s got to stick his nose in it.”
“There we go,” he added. “Now we understand.”
But it wasn’t just the commentators; the entire MLB world blasted Hernández’s call on Twitter.
Well, the #Mets have a runner on second instead of third because of a bad call from Angel Hernandez.
"It only took the six pitches to make the wrong call." -Ron Darling
"He's the farthest one away and he has to stick his nose in it." -Keith Hernandez
Would tend to agree.
— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) September 11, 2022
Honest to God, there is no excuse for umpire Angel Hernandez being admitted to a Major League Baseball game without a ticket. Just a) made the wrong call b) on a call that wasn't his to make and c) made it from behind the plate on a plate in deep RF 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) September 11, 2022
Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez going absolutely in on Angel Hernandez is quality television.
On who ejected Max Scherzer:
"I'll give you four guesses and it isn't the other three," says Darling. #Mets
— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) September 11, 2022
Trending topics are all NFL….. and Angel Hernandez.
— Eric Reinhold (@eric_theorange) September 11, 2022
I just…. 🙃🤡 https://t.co/iE69Me3kav
— 'Lights Out' Adrian Surge (@AdrianSurge) September 11, 2022
Angel Hernandez just making up rules now pic.twitter.com/kzSzeRc19F
— Starting 9 (@Starting9) September 11, 2022
The Mets overcame the bad call quickly, however, as the team scored seven runs across the next four innings.