Hernandez loses lawsuit against MLB
Umpire Angel Hernandez lost his lawsuit against Major League Baseball alleging racial discrimination.
The Cuba-born Hernandez sued in 2017 in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, a case later moved to New York. Hired as a big league umpire in 1993, he alleged he was discriminated against because he had not been assigned to the World Series since 2005 and had been passed over for crew chief. Hernandez was made an interim crew chief last July at the start of the pandemic-delayed shortened season after a dozen umps decided to sit out.
“The court concludes that no reasonable juror could find that MLB’s stated explanation is a pretext for discriminatory motive,” U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken wrote Wednesday in granting MLB’s motion for a summary judgment.
Oetken wrote that MLB picking Alfonso Marquez to work the World Series in 2011 and 2015 was “a promotion that seemingly would not have been made were MLB discriminating on the basis of race or national identity.”
Hernandez claimed Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre had animus toward him dating to 2001 and that Torre bypassed Hernandez for crew chief and World Series assignments. Hernandez cited generally positive Field Evaluation Forms he had received.
“MLB has established beyond genuine dispute seniority and FEF ratings were considered as two of many factors in umpire promotions and were not decisive on their own,” Oetken wrote. “In multiple seasons, Torre rejected white crew chief candidates who had more seniority than the white umpires he promoted.”
Manfred optimistic: Fans return to major league stadiums for openers on Thursday amid pandemic attendance restrictions in most places, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred can envision filled ballparks by midseason.
Capacity will be limited to about 12% at the season’s start in Boston and Washington. Twelve teams are at 20%, Colorado at about 43% and Houston at 50%. The only team higher is Texas, at 100%.
“I hope by midsummer that we have ballparks that are unrestricted and we have full fan access,” Manfred said Wednesday during an interview with AP.
Last season fans, were allowed back only for the NL Championship Series and World Series, and then in limited numbers for games moved to a neutral site in Arlington, Texas.
Virus issues with Nats: A Nationals player tested positive for COVID-19, and four teammates and a staff member have been quarantined after contact tracing on the eve of the regular season’s start, general manager Mike Rizzo said.
Rizzo did not identify any of the six members of the organization who are involved.
“We’re still in the process of finding out exactly what their status is,” Rizzo said. “They’re certainly out [Thursday].”
The 2019 World Series champions — who finished tied for last in the NL East in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season — are scheduled to host the Mets on Thursday, with Max Scherzer facing Jacob deGrom in a matchup between pitchers who own a total of five Cy Young Awards.
Extra innings: The Indians will start with the season with a closer-by-committee situation as manager Terry Francona will utilize a combination of hard-throwing James Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase and Nick Wittgren . ... The Mariners placed CF Kyle Lewis on the 10-day injured list due to a bone bruise in his right knee, sidelining the reigning AL Rookie of the Year for opening day . ... The Royals placed SS Adalberto Mondesi (right oblique strain) on the 10-day injured list and recalled INF Nicky Lopez . ... The Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with C Tony Wolters and designated RHP James Norwood for assignment.