NEW YORK — Oft-criticized umpire Angel Hernandez struck out Wednesday on his discrimination lawsuit against Major League Baseball.
The Cuban-American ump, who is widely considered the worst in the league, had claimed former Yankees skipper and current MLB executive Joe Torre denied him leadership roles during big games for discriminatory reasons.
But Judge Paul Oetken dismissed the case, writing in a 26-page Manhattan Federal Court ruling that there is ample evidence Torre did not promote Hernandez for reasons related to his ability to call balls and strikes.
“The evidence shows beyond genuine dispute that an umpire’s leadership and situation management carried the day in MLB’s promotion decisions. Torre testified that the candidates he appointed to crew chief instead of Hernandez ‘have not demonstrated the same pattern of issues and to the same extent that have manifested with Hernandez over the years,’ ” Oetken wrote, tossing the case.
“In Torre’s eyes, Hernandez was not as qualified as the umpires who were promoted.”
The judge noted that Torre’s decision-making process was not entirely clear. But there is nothing unlawful in subjective criteria, the judge wrote.
“To be sure, the record is not transparent about the weight Torre affords the criteria he uses in promotion decisions. But there is nothing suggesting that unlawful discrimination is a factor in those decisions,” Oetken wrote.
In 2014, Hernandez’s year-end evaluation included a note that “you need to be accountable and let things from the past go.”
The ump’s attorney, Kevin Murphy, said an appeal is “highly probable.” He emphasized that the MLB commissioner’s office has become more diverse since Hernandez sued.
“Changes have been made because of this suit and I think Angel Hernandez has been very courageous to pursue this,” Murphy said.
Hernandez claimed he’d been blocked from a promotion to crew chief or officiating the World Series due to his heritage. Torre, who oversees all umpires, unfairly labeled Hernandez a showboat, the suit stated.
Hernandez’s bad blood with Torre dated back to 2001, when he made a controversial call in a Yankees game, according to the suit.
MLB has acknowledged its umpires are not diverse enough. But Hernandez’s case was complicated by the fact that baseball players have been unusually outspoken in their criticism of his officiating. Former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia called him “absolutely terrible.” Now-retired second baseman Ian Kinsler didn’t hold back in 2017.
“I’m surprised at how bad an umpire he is,” said Kinsler, who at the time played for the Detroit Tigers. “I don’t know how, for as many years as he’s been in the league, that he can be that bad. He needs to reevaluate his career choice, he really does. Bottom line.”
