Former MLB star Will Clark narrates hilarious Angel Hernandez bribery story involving free beer

Cuban-American umpire Angel Hernandez might be the most controversial MLB official of all time. He has been a lightning rod for controversy since he began calling games back in 1991.

However, one of the most damning stories about Angel Hernandez was recently recounted by six-time All-Star and former San Francisco Giants star Will Clark. Clark said that after a hard day at the plate where he felt Hernandez was using a huge strike zone, he ran into the umpire at a local bar.

According to Will Clark, he called the waitress over and told her that he would pay for Angel Hernandez's $20 bar tap. Clark then remembered telling Hernandez, "Hey man, I’ll see you at the ballpark tomorrow," before leaving the bar. Evidently, the overture drastically improved Clark's numbers with Hernandez:

“The rest of my career, every time I had Angel Hernandez behind home plate, my strike zone was f****** that big [makes a small hole with his hands] right there. All because of $20 worth of beer.”

Born in Cuba but raised in Florida, Hernandez began officiating minor league games in Florida and Carolina in the 1980s. He began officiating NL games in 1991 and moved to league-wide action in 2000. His firebrand on-field persona and colorful ejections have earned him much notoriety and infamy throughout his career.

One of his most high-profile blown calls occurred in 2013 during a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins wherein he clearly called the runner out in a do-or-die situation in the dying innings of the game.

"In honor of Angel Hernandez blowing every call at first base tonight, let’s take a look back at this beauty from 2013." - Sox on 35th

He has gotten several high-profile calls wrong. A 2022 poll showed that 22% of active players in the MLB identified him as the worst umpire. He even attempted to sue the league in 2017 on the grounds of "racial discrimination."

Clark's story about Angel Hernandez is just another nail in the coffin of his reputation

As an umpire with over 30 years of experience, Hernandez is entitled to a $430,000 salary from the league. While getting calls wrong is subjective and, arguably, part of the game, having allegations of accepting bribes in the form of beer certainly does not help paint a positive picture of Hernandez.