Adam Rosales stood at second base, fully aware of what crew chief umpire Angel Hernandez should have known on May 8, 2013. The fans watching on TV and the ticket holders in the left-field bleachers were also in the know. This game marked a turning point in Hernandez’s career, establishing him as baseball’s most notorious umpire.
Rosales, a journeyman infielder for the A’s, hit a game-tying solo homer with two outs in the ninth in Cleveland. Despite the ball clearly ricocheting off a barrier above the yellow line, it was mistakenly ruled as in play. The homer was evident in replays, and Rosales’s teammates, along with manager Bob Melvin, knew it was a homer.
Back in 2013, there was no instant replay for an official ruling. The umpires, led by Hernandez, huddled and then exited the field to check it themselves. After a brief inspection, Hernandez pointed towards second base, indicating the call stood, leaving Rosales and the A’s without the tying run.
This moment encapsulates the conflicting viewpoints of Angel Hernandez, the game’s most polarizing and controversial umpire. Some, including Hernandez and his supporters, blame the limitations of the replay system and the lack of corrections from other umpires in the review. Others argue that as a crew chief, Hernandez should have seen the obvious home run and corrected the decision.
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Angel Hernandez is perhaps the best-known umpire in Major League Baseball — and the most criticized. (Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
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Criticism comes with the job, but players haven been particular vocal in expressing their issues with Hernandez (right, with the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber in 2022). (Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports)
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