Bobby V on Angel Hernandez's Retirement: 'The Spotlight's Been Unfair'

Former MLB player and manager Bobby Valentine discusses the criticism Angel Hernandez faced during his umpiring career, arguing that the scrutiny was often unwarranted.

Former MLB player and manager Bobby Valentine has weighed in on the retirement of controversial umpire Angel Hernandez, expressing his belief that Hernandez has often been unfairly criticized.

"Angel was scrutinized, but I had the opportunity to go out with four Italian umpires… all who were on the same crew… when they were here in LA about a month ago, and I asked that. ‘Hey how about Angel? Do you guys get a lot of flack because of Angel's situation?' They went on to say that Angel is just one of those really good guys, the guy who would pick up the tab, the guy who would give to the charity that was needed, the guy to go out of his way to do good things. So the spotlight that's been on him is probably unfair, just like all the spotlights that get on people because they get trendy if you will," Valentine said on OutKick's "Hot Mic" show.

Valentine acknowledged that Hernandez has had his fair share of bad days, but he emphasized that the umpire's overall character has been unjustly maligned.

"That being said, Angel had a bad day or two for sure," Valentine admitted.

Hernandez, who spent three decades as a MLB umpire, announced his retirement earlier this month after filing a lawsuit against the league in 2017. The lawsuit, which accused the MLB of racial discrimination, was eventually dismissed by a district court judge.

Despite the lawsuit, Valentine believes that Hernandez still holds a deep love for the game of baseball.

"Starting with my first Major League game in 1991, I have had the very good experience of living out my childhood dream of umpiring in the major leagues," Hernandez said in a statement announcing his retirement. "There is nothing better than working at a profession that you enjoy. I treasured the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made along the way, including our locker room attendants in all the various cities."

Valentine, who finished his managerial career with 1,186 regular season wins, also shared his thoughts on the importance of building a strong clubhouse culture within a team.

"There's always the question… what comes first, the clubhouse culture or the team winning?" Valentine said on "Hot Mic." 

"When the team winning, the guys at the end of the bench can't b----h because everything's going good and you'll be sounding like it's sour grapes. But when the team's not winning, then it's really easy for the guys who are down at the end of the bench to b----h and once that happens then you have bad clubhouse culture. I think it's something that comes from the result of the play on the field."

Valentine's insights into the challenges faced by umpires and the importance of building a positive team culture provide valuable perspectives on the ever-evolving world of baseball.