Angel Hernandez Attorney: 'He Was NOT Forced Out'

MLB first approached Hernandez about the possibility of retiring earlier this season, according a baseball source. The criticism had gotten louder, and Hernandez was amenable to moving on. He hasn’t umped a game since May 9, as the two sides worked out a financial agreement.

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“He was NOT forced out,” Hernandez’s lawyer, Kevin Murphy, told The Athletic via text message. His departure is expected to happen immediately.

Hernandez umped his first MLB game in 1991. Over the last decade, he’s been a constant source of controversy. From his large and inconsistent strike zone, to his quick ejections, to unsuccessfully suing MLB for discrimination in 2017, he’s created headlines in a profession where most prefer to not be noticed.

Ed Morrissey

Forced out? Perhaps not, but it sure seems like the league really wanted Hernandez out of the way, and were willing to pay to make it happen. 

I don't follow baseball much, but Twitter and Instagram had been drenched in criticism of Hernandez' work. It's tough to judge from just those examples, but the level of outrage -- and MLB's haste to get Hernandez to 'spend more time with his family' -- certainly suggests there was some fire behind all the smoke. 

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