Skip to main content

Tigers' Ian Kinsler: Umpire Hernandez 'Needs to Find Another Job'

Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler says umpire Angel Hernandez needs to stop 'messing with games' abd 'find another job.'

Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler said that veteran umpire Angel Hernandez should find another job, after he was tossed from Monday's game against the Texas Rangers.

In the fifth inning of that 5-2 loss, Kinsler questioned two pitches during his at-bat. The first one was called a strike and the second one was called a ball, which at that point, Kinsler turned to Hernandez and said, "What about that one?"

Kinsler was immediately tossed and when Tigers manager Brad Ausmus came out of the dugout to defend Kinsler he was run too by Hernandez, who has been a major league umpire for almost 25 years.

"This has to do with changing the game," Kinsler said. "He's changing the game. He needs to find another job. He really does. I'm not mad at him. He just needs to go away."

Kinsler said he has had issues with Hernandez for over a decade.

"But when it becomes blatant like this, there is a problem. ... What is he doing on the field? What is he doing out there? It's pretty obvious he needs to stop ruining baseball games," Kinsler added.

When told of Kinsler's comment, Hernandez said. "It doesn't matter."

"As a matter of fact, I don't even care what he said," Hernandez said. "What I care about is going out there and doing my job, to the best I can do."

The 55-year-old Hernandez filed a lawsuit last month against Major League Baseball and commissioner Rob Manfred alleging the league discriminates against minority umpires and keeps them from receiving high-profile positions,