ARLINGTON, Texas – He had plenty of time to think, a night's worth of sleep, and when Detroit veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler sat at his locker Tuesday, he said exactly what he thought:
In short, Angel Hernandez is a bad umpire. Also, a career change could serve Hernandez well. But the salient point of Kinsler's candid conversation was that Major League Baseball needs to implement a system to hold their umpires accountable for on-field performance.
"He needs to find another job, he really does," the 35-year-old Kinsler said.
Monday, Kinsler was ejected in the top of the fifth inning of the Tigers' 6-2 loss to Texas for arguing balls and strikes. Of the many pitches Hernandez missed in the game, the particular pitch that drew Kinsler's ire was a first-pitch strike that sailed low and inside.
After the next pitch went far wide, he asked Hernandez, "What about that one?" and was thrown out.
"I didn't even cuss at him," Kinsler said. "I said, 'You need to re-evaluate your life, man. Just go home right now. Get out of the game. Just leave the game alone. Please.' "
Kinsler spoke without any regard for a fine or suspension. "If I get fined for saying the truth, then so be it," he said. "He's messing with baseball games, blatantly."
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