Quique Hernandez said he was fined for dropping an F-bomb during a live broadcast after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
It could have been much worse.
According to Hernandez, it was originally planned to be a suspension.
Instead, the free agent utility player said in a recent interview with “The Shop” that by intervening on his behalf, he will be playing all six games in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets and the New York Mets. He said he was able to play in all five games of the World Series against. The York Yankees and Dodgers won their second championship in five years.
“I was fined for that,” Hernandez said on Fox’s Oct. 11 broadcast, saying he used profanity. “I thought I was going to get a bigger fine and a suspension, but having a good agent and the players’ association helped me because they were able to remove the suspension and lower the fine a little bit. That was good.”
Major League Baseball, MLB Players Association. The Wasserman Agency, which represents Hernandez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hernandez was one of the heroes in the Dodgers’ final series victory over the Padres, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to open the scoring in the eventual 2–0 victory. After the game, Hernandez was asked on air by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal what the difference was between this Dodgers team and his previous team.
Hernandez stopped and looked around for more than five seconds before asking, “Are you alive?”
After Rosenthal confirmed that the interview would be broadcast live, Hernandez immediately answered questions.
“The fact that we don’t do AF–” Hernandez said, flashing Rosenthal a toothy grin during a brief but awkward pause. Mr. Rosenthal then concluded the interview by thanking Mr. Hernandez.
The next day, Hernandez apologized via MLB.com, but told The Shop it was only half sincere.
“I had to apologize, but I would say it was 50-50 on the honesty part,” he said.
Hernandez explained why he chose to use adult language in front of a national television audience.
“What I answered was an honest answer from the bottom of my heart and I didn’t think there was any other way to describe the team,” Hernandez said. “And I felt like I was already taking my time thinking about my answer, because I didn’t want to answer like that. But I asked him if it was live, and he said yes, so I said, I thought there must be some kind of delay.
“There was no delay, and I was swearing on live TV, and there was a lot of criticism for that. I think it made our postseason run a little more epic because the fans accepted it.” I think they embraced that spirit and enjoyed it.”
Although the league has no specific rules regarding players using profanity on television, MLB Rule 21 states that the league does not allow players to engage in “any conduct, transaction, practice, or conduct that is not in the best interest of baseball.” stipulates that they can be punished.
The Federal Communications Commission has rules regarding the use of “grossly offensive” language during network TV broadcasts, but broadcasters are typically the ones who are penalized for violating these rules.
Fox Sports and the FCC did not respond to requests for comment. The Dodgers declined to comment.
Hernandez was also asked about where he plans to go after free agency.
“I wish I had known,” he said. “The No. 1 priority for me is probably going to be to get back. The Dodgers are in a very good position to go for extra points. … If not (the Dodgers), the team is in a position to make a deep run in October. It’s part of who I am. I’m obsessed with playoff baseball and I need it in my life. is.”
