Ian Kinsler says ump Angel Hernandez should consider a new career
You’ll have to enjoy these comments from Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler while you can, because you probably won’t be able to enjoy his play the next few days. After getting ejected by umpire Angel Hernandez during Monday’s game, Kinsler did not hold back when asked about the ump Tuesday.
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Kinsler met with the media prior to Tuesday’s game, and had quite a bit to say about Hernandez.
Kinsler was asked if he was surprised how quickly he was ejected: "No, I'm surprised at how bad of an umpire he is." Angel Hernandez
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) August 15, 2017
Yep, and that was just the start of it.
Though, before we go on, we should explain the how and why behind Kinsler’s ejection. The episode took place in the fifth inning of Monday night’s game against the Texas Rangers. On an 0-1 pitch, Martin Perez threw a ball low and way outside the zone.
Though it was called a ball, Kinsler looked back at Hernandez. He was ejected almost immediately. It’s unclear whether Kinsler said anything to get ejected, or if Hernandez simply sent him to the showers for looking at him after the pitch.
Kinsler was still pretty upset nearly 24 hours after the contest, and continued to rail against Hernandez.
Ian Kinsler said he hasn't heard from MLB about getting tossed last night. He then said Angel Hernandez needs to re-evaluate his career.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 15, 2017
Kinsler: "It has to do with changing the game. He's changing the game. He needs to find another job. He really does."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 15, 2017
OK, That’s pretty harsh and direct. Kinsler seemed to express the opinion that Hernandez should look for a different job a number of times. But just to be certain, let’s make sure his comments aren’t being blown out of proportion.
Kinsler: "I'm just saying it's pretty obvious that he needs to stop ruining baseball games."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 15, 2017
Yeah, that seems pretty definitive. Kinsler tripled-down on the sentiment that Hernandez needs to go.
While it’s unlikely he’ll get a ton of public support from other players, it wouldn’t be surprising if most privately agreed. You’re probably already familiar with Hernandez’s name, which isn’t a good thing for an umpire. The best umpires tend to toil in obscurity. If you don’t notice them, they probably aren’t making terrible calls. If they are well known like Hernandez … you can figure out where we’re going here.
We’re afraid to say anything more just in case Major League Baseball decides to suspend us. That’s what we can expect to happen to Kinsler here, right? MLB doesn’t usually like players or coaches openly ripping umpires like this, so we imagine Kinsler will either have to pay a hefty fine, or sit out a game or two for publicly going after Hernandez.
No matter what the outcome, we’re guessing Kinsler won’t mind. He knew what to expect the instant he started talking, and made no attempt to backtrack on his comments. We expect Kinsler to fight whatever punishment the league issues, but even if it leads to a suspension, we’re guessing he doesn’t regret what he said.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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