By all accounts, Ángel Hernández is a nice guy.
Despite his reputation as Major League Baseball’s most-despised umpire, Hernández, who confirmed reports of his retirement on Monday afternoon, was supposedly a pleasant presence on the diamond. Players describe him as an eager conversationalist, affable and outgoing, qualities that are far from given in the high-stakes world of big league umpiring.
Though Hernández was far from beloved when it came to players — no amount of “how’s the family?” can overcome his laundry list of blown calls — many big leaguers made note of his personable nature when asked for their thoughts on the outgoing ump.