Jul 13, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Crew chief umpire Angel Hernandez (left) and first base umpire Chris Guccione (right) review a play during the fourth inning between the Colorado Rockies and the Minnesota Twins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Angel Hernandez
Just typing that name sent a shiver down my spine. Angel Hernandez, the umpire that even the most casual baseball fan can recognize by name. Angel has a knack for being involved in whatever the biggest blown call of the week is in any given park. Unfortunately for the Athletics, we had a string of those pretty close together with Mr. Hernandez.
Whether he’s stealing home runs from your team or handing them to your opposition, Angel Hernandez is sure to get more boos than any other “blue” on the field in O.co. Every call will be questioned from the stands, Melvin will add a little extra dirt to his shoes for when he storms out of the dugout to kick it, pitchers will shrug their shoulders after every ball down the middle and strike in the dirt.
Angel may be the most confounding part of baseball in 2015 and if the Oakland Athletics can make it to the World Series this year, he’ll probably be the crew chief just to mess with us.