Home Run Derby: Ohtani and Judge Duel Required!

## The Game on the Edge: How Ángel Hernández's Dire Mistakes Put MLB at a Crossroads With over 150 years of history, Major League Baseball (MLB) is not just a sports organization but an integral part of American culture. However, this established structure has recently been confronted with an unprecedented threat: a crisis of credibility. At the center of this crisis is a single name: Ángel Hernández. Known for his notoriety, Hernández's scandalous decisions, coupled with the legalization of sports betting and the presence of a global superstar like Shohei Ohtani, have turned into an issue MLB cannot overlook. The problem is no longer merely about a few incorrect decisions; it's about the game's integrity, the billion-dollar industry, and fan trust being at stake. What happened in the past weeks during a Texas Rangers-Houston Astros game, aired on national television, was the last straw. Serving as the home plate umpire, Ángel Hernández made unbelievable mistakes against both teams throughout the game. Videos that instantly spread across social media and were replayed endlessly on analysis programs clearly showed Hernández calling "strikes" on pitches that were completely off the strike zone. This not only drew reactions from millions of watching fans but also raised serious questions about the sports' integrity. ## Portrait of a Notorious Umpire: Ángel Hernández It is impossible to fully grasp MLB’s current predicament without understanding Ángel Hernández. Serving as an umpire in MLB since 1993, the Cuban-American has consistently been marked by players, managers, and fans as one of the league's worst umpires. In anonymous surveys conducted among players, he has persistently ranked among the most disliked and error-prone umpires. Games officiated by him tend to turn into minefields because of his unpredictable and inconsistent decisions. Hernández's notoriety is not limited to on-field actions. In 2017, he made headlines by filing a racial discrimination lawsuit against MLB, claiming that he was deliberately barred from key roles like the World Series due to his Cuban origin. However, the court rejected the case citing MLB's performance evaluation reports and analyses of his on-field decisions, emphasizing that his lack of promotions was not due to ethnicity but his deficiencies in leadership and decision-making. This case further tarnished his already controversial image, cementing his place at the center of criticism. ## Changing Game: The Rise of Sports Betting and Its Effects The most significant reason Ángel Hernández’s mistakes have led to such a major crisis today is the dizzying rise of the sports betting industry in America. Following a 2018 Supreme Court decision, states opened the door to legalizing sports betting. Since then, dozens of states have made regulations to get their share of the pie, creating a multi-billion-dollar market. All major sports leagues, including MLB, swung the gates wide open to this new income stream, forming official betting partnerships. However, this new setting comes hand-in-hand with a colossal responsibility: absolute transparency and integrity of the game. Now a mistaken umpire decision does not merely affect the match score but also determines the fate of thousands, if not millions, of dollars wagered by bettors relying on that decision. A blatant erroneous "strike" call from Hernández could cause a bettor to lose their entire investment. This inevitably brings about the question, "Is there match-fixing involved?" Although there is no evidence, such poor and inconsistent officiating lays ground for conspiracy theories and casts a shadow of doubt over the league. While benefiting from betting revenues, MLB cannot tolerate the slightest doubt about the fairness of the product these bets rely upon. Hernández's presence fundamentally shakes this delicate balance. ## The Ohtani Phenomenon and a Fragile Image Another critical piece of the equation is Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani, with his effective pitches and powerful hits, is an unprecedented talent in baseball's last 100 years. He is not just an athlete; he’s a global icon connecting the American and Asian markets. MLB spends millions marketing Ohtani as the new face of the league, attracting new generations of fans filling stadiums to watch him. In this context, having this global superstar fall victim to Ángel Hernández’s evident mistakes is a PR disaster for MLB. When Ohtani steps up to bat and Hernández capriciously interprets the strike zone to issue an unjust "strike" call, it echoes internationally—not merely as a baseball error but as a reputational hazard. Shared millions of times on social media, these moments foster an image of unprofessionalism and undermined seriousness about the league. Especially with the wounds of the betting scandal involving Ohtani's former translator still raw, even the potential taint on the league's biggest star due to an umpire's error is a nightmare scenario for Commissioner Rob Manfred and his team. ## Technology Awaits: The Automated Umpire (Robo-Ump) Debate So what’s the solution? The answer lies in a technology discussed for years but yet fully implemented: the Automated Ball-Strike System, popularly known as "Robo-Ump." This system uses high-speed cameras and radar technology to determine millimetrically whether a pitch crosses the strike zone, immediately communicating the decision to the umpire. The system is already being successfully tested in MLB’s minor leagues and holds potential to eliminate human error. Of course, there is a traditionalist faction opposed to the technology. This group claims the "human element" of the umpire is part of the game, that the art of "pitch framing" by pitchers and catchers would be lost, and that the game’s spirit would vanish. But as seen from the Ángel Hernández saga, the "human element" now harms the game's integrity and the league's multi-billion-dollar brand value. A single umpire's bad day or inadequacy is no longer an acceptable excuse. In a high-risk environment generated by sports betting and global stars, accuracy and consistency outweigh romantic traditions. MLB stands at a crossroads: it can either continue with figures like Ángel Hernández, risking fan trust and the game’s integrity, or embrace the technological leap required by the 21st century and put an end to these controversies. Hernández’s recent performance may offer an opportunity rather than a problem. It could be a signal for MLB to finally accept the inevitable and initiate the "Robo-Ump" revolution to protect the future of baseball. Otherwise, with every erroneous call, millions of fans and bettors will continue to echo a single question: Is the game we're watching fair?