Baseball Nation and Angel Hernandez’s continuing struggles

As I mentioned elsewhere, my new favorite comedy duo -- you know, since Martin & Lewis broke up -- is Angel Hernandez and Hawk Harrelson. When those two crazy kids get together, you never know what might happen!

For example, Friday night. Bottom of the 10th, White Sox and Marlins tied up 3-3, White Sox have the bases juiced with just one out. All they need is something; Marlins need a strikeout or (even better!) a double play. And they’re playing at double-play depth.

It’s two days later, and people are still talking about an umpire screw-up. When a boner like this lasts more than four hours, you kind of feel like the umpire is seeking attention. Angel Hernandez was the only person in the world who thought Adam Rosales hit a double on Wednesday, and people won’t shut up about it. That’s a good sign that it was a really, really special screw-up.

And now there are theories about Hernandez’s willingness to overturn a home run. Peter Gammons told Dan Patrick that Hernandez doesn’t believe in replay, and that’s why he didn’t overturn the call. That would be a dismissible offense, I’d think. That decision isn’t up to Hernandez, and I’m a little skeptical he would be that awful.

Blew it so bad, in fact, that Major League Baseball’s Joe Torre has been forced to personally attend the matter, and issue this official statement:

Well, at least they’ve admitted the umpires blew it. That’s something, right? If small solace to the A’s.