A generationally bad umpiring performance by Ángel Hernández cost the veteran umpire a chance to be involved with the 2018 World Series.
That's at least what Major League Baseball is arguing in response to Hernández's latest attempt to sue the league over alleged discrimination. It's Hernández's contention that MLB kept him out of high-profile assignments as a result of racial discrimination.
In a 58-page briefing Wednesday as shared by The Associated Press, MLB revealed Hernández was in line to umpire the 2018 World Series. However, he lost that chance after an absolutely brutal showing in Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Red Sox and Yankees. Hernández blew three calls at first base, all three of which were overturned by review.
Hernández was widely mocked for the performance -- one that ultimately was overshadowed by Brock Holt hitting for the cycle in a 16-1 Red Sox win.
Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez lit him up during the postgame show on TBS.
"Ángel was horrible," Martinez said on the postgame show. "Don't get me going on Ángel now. Major League Baseball needs to do something about Ángel. It doesn't matter how many times he sues Major League Baseball. He's as bad as there is."
In hindsight, it's obviously the right call. Hernández is widely considered one of the worst umpires in baseball, which essentially has been the league's argument all along anyway. To turn around and then give him a high-profile assignment in the most important games of the season would have been questionable, to say the least.
Also buried in MLB's filing per the AP, is this gem: "Hernández' has not presented, and the record does not contain, a scintilla of evidence that MLB's actions were based on his race or national origin."
Scintilla!
Somewhere, Kyle Schwarber smiles in approval.
