3 Ejected as MLB's Most Controversial Umpire Continues To Stoke Anger
Angel Hernandez — long considered by many to be one of the worst umpires in Major League Baseball — was involved in three ejections that took place during the Texas Rangers’ 9-5 win over the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
The first centered around an at-bat by Red Sox right fielder Andrew Benintendi in the bottom of the fifth. Benintendi grounded out to first, but that wasn’t what he was upset about.
Benintendi said some choice words as he looked back toward the home plate umpire, Hernandez, on his walk back to the dugout.
First base umpire Vic Carapazzo heard those words and immediately tossed him.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Benintendi said after the game, the Boston Herald reported. “I’m walking back to the dugout and he throws me out walking back. I didn’t know until I was halfway through the dugout.”
Andrew Benintendi got thrown out of a Major League Baseball game for … being mad at himself for grounding out? pic.twitter.com/MrRCJiChLn
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) June 12, 2019
Benintendi said he was mad about a borderline strike call earlier in that at-bat.
“I thought it was off the plate, but I didn’t say anything to Angel,” he said, the Herald reported. “I grounded out and I was frustrated and all I said was, ‘You suck.’ Angel didn’t even know I was thrown out until I went back out there. Obviously he didn’t hear that and I’m 100 feet away. Vic throws me out walking back.”
Benintendi is really angry..Ump doesn’t care. pic.twitter.com/H2fG8y6MF4
— Chad Amaral (@Chad_Amaral) June 12, 2019
“If you’re getting thrown out for saying ‘you suck,’ there should be multiple ejections each game,” Benintendi said.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora stormed on to the field to argue the ejection and he was tossed by Carapazza.
Cora and Benintendi were ejected… for something.https://t.co/1xoofF8wA9
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) June 12, 2019
“I’ve got to go out there and defend my player,” Cora said, the Herald reported. “I didn’t agree with that. It’s not like he’s at the plate screaming at Angel. That’s not the first time somebody disagrees and screams from afar at the umpire.”
After the game, Hernandez told reporters that Benintendi “violated the rules of the game. I’m not at liberty to discuss anything until I submit the report tomorrow.”
Then, in the top of the sixth, Hernandez ejected Rangers manager Chris Woodward for arguing a call where Asdrubal Cabrera was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.
Second base umpire Jordan Baker initially called Cabrera safe, but then changed his ruling to out.
Here’s the footage of Angel Hernandez ejecting Rangers manager Chris Woodward. Near the middle of the video is the clip of the wild safe/out call at second base. pic.twitter.com/ayumQ05ErQ
— Andersen Pickard (@andersenreports) June 12, 2019
Woodward went after Hernandez, complaining that he wasn’t given enough time to challenge the call.
“I just want consistency — that’s all — from the umpires,” Woodward said, ESPN reported. “They have a hard job to do. But most umpires give you the ultimatum when it comes down to the 30 seconds. I don’t have a 30-second clock in my head. I’m not that gifted.”
Hernandez said he told Woodward the clock was running on the challenge, but Woodward didn’t hear him.
“We were not going to review the play once time expired,” Hernandez said, ESPN reported. “These are rules. It’s my job to enforce them.”
In addition to three ejections, the game also featured an inside-the-park home run by Hunter Pence.
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