The most controversial umpire in baseball is ending his profession. Angel Hernandez, who has been criticized by many in the game for many years, will retire.

According to a baseball source, MLB first approached Hernandez a couple of possible retirement earlier this season. Criticism grew louder and Hernandez was able to move on. He hasn't refereed a game since May 9, because the two sides reached a financial agreement.

“He was NOT forced to resign,” Hernandez's attorney Kevin Murphy said via text message. His departure is anticipated to be immediate.

Hernandez refereed his first MLB game in 1991. Over the past decade, he has courted controversy. From his large and inconsistent strike zone to his quick dismissals to his unsuccessful lawsuit against MLB for discrimination in 2017, he has made headlines in a career where most prefer to remain out of the highlight.

USA today announced his resignation for the primary timeShortly after the news broke Monday night, MLB released a press release from Hernandez confirming his retirement.

“Since my first major league game in 1991, I have had the very positive experience of realizing my childhood dream of working as a major league umpire,” the statement said. “There is nothing better than doing a job that you enjoy. I have greatly appreciated the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made over time, including those of our locker room staff in different cities.”

“I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my family. Needless to say, there have been many positive changes since I entered the sport of baseball. This includes the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud to have been able to play an active role in this goal as a Major League umpire.”

Aside from what Hernandez said in his statement, it’s unclear what prompted his decision, but it surely is feasible that the vitriol directed at him played a job.

“What hurts him most,” Murphy said in a recent profile, “is the pain his two daughters and his wife go through knowing that (the criticism) is so incredibly unjustified.”

One of the explanations the league turned to Hernandez was the constant distraction he caused. Players within the gaming industry have long been calling for Hernandez to depart the industry.

“Every year. It's the same story,” Bryce Harper said last season. “Same thing.”

“He needs to find another job,” Ian Kinsler said in 2017.

“I don’t understand why he makes these plays,” CC Sabathia said in 2018.

Even MLB criticized Hernandez, although most of that criticism got here through court filings, saying his decision-making and handling of conflict prevented him from being promoted to full-time crew chief.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred alluded to the umpires' retirement process while talking to reporters at MLB's owners' meetings last week, but didn’t mention Hernandez directly.

“Managing referees is … a physically demanding job,” Manfred said. “It goes beyond just evaluation, training and discipline. It also involves things like their career path, how long they should be on the job. And that also impacts things like your retirement plan.”

Required reading

NEW YORK – Longtime umpire Ángel Hernández, who unsuccessfully sued Major League Baseball for racial discrimination, is retiring effective immediately.

Over the course of a profession that spanned greater than three a long time, the 62-year-old Hernández was often despised by players, coaches and fans for missed decisions and quick dismissals – a few of them in spectacular situations.

Hernández issued an announcement via MLB on Monday night, saying he decided he desired to spend more time together with his family.

“Since my first major league game in 1991, I have realized my childhood dream of being a major league umpire. There is nothing better than doing a job that you enjoy. I value the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made over time, including those of our locker room staff in different cities,” said Hernández.

“It goes without saying that there have been many positive changes in baseball since I entered the sport, including the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud to have been able to play an active role in this goal as a major league umpire.”

Last summer, Hernández lost his racial discrimination lawsuit against MLB for the second time when a federal appeals court declined to retry his case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit affirmed a 2021 district court decision granting summary judgment to MLB.

Hernández filed suit in 2017, claiming he was discriminated against because he had not been assigned to the World Series since 2005 and was omitted for the crew chief position. He served as interim crew chief from 2011 to 2016.

“Hernández failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the promotion rates of white and minority umpires,” the 2nd Circuit said in an 11-page decision. “MLB presented compelling expert evidence showing that, in the years at issue, the difference in crew chief promotion rates between white and minority umpires was not statistically significant.”

“Hernández offers no explanation for why MLB's statistical evidence is unreliable.”

Born in Cuba, Hernández was hired as a serious league umpire in 1993. He has worked two World Series (2002, 2005), three All-Star Games (1999, 2009, 2017) and eight League Championship Series, together with his last task within the LCS in 2016.

In Game 3 of the 2018 AL Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, video replays overturned three calls by Hernández at first base.