Joe West
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Joseph Henry West (born October 31, 1952 in Asheville, North Carolina) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League in 1976 and from 1978 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2002. He is a crew chief. Nicknamed "Cowboy Joe", he is also known for being a singer/songwriter. He has umpired in the World Series in 1992, 1997, and 2005, serving as crew chief on the last occasion. He also umpired in the All-Star Game in 1987 and 2005, calling balls and strikes the second time. He has officiated in 7 League Championship Series (NL: 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1996; AL 2003, 2004) and 3 Division Series (NL 1995; AL 2002 and 2005). He wears number 22.
His crew in 2006 includes Ed Rapuano, Tony Randazzo, and Jim Wolf.
[edit] Background
Like fellow umpire Ron Luciano, West played collegiate football. He played at East Carolina University as a freshman and was a three-year starting quarterback at Elon College, winning the MVP award in 1973 there when Elon was ranked number two in NAIA Division I. He still holds three passing records and was inducted into the Elon College Sports Hall of Fame.
Starting in minor league umpiring, West worked in the Western Carolinas League (1974; inducted into the Western Carolina League Hall of Fame in 2002), Carolina League (1975), Florida Instructional League (1974-1976), Southern League (1975-76), American Association (1976-77), and Puerto Rican Winter League (1977).
When he broke into major league umpiring on September 13, 1976, he was only 23. Five years later, West worked in the 1981 NLCS at the age of 28, the youngest umpire to ever work in the NLCS. He worked in several after that, and also two World Series. During the 1999 season, West retired as part of a controversial union strategy which backfired; however, he was rehired in February 2002.
West is slightly famous outside of umpiring as a singer/songwriter and has performed with such artists as Merle Haggard, Bonnie Owens, Bobby Mackey, Box Car Willie, Mickey Gilley, T.G. Sheppard, Charlie McCoy and the Hee Haw Band, and others. His band is known as The Texas Cookin' Band. West said, "I don't want to quit umpiring, which has probably helped my music. If I were just a new singer, nobody'd listen. But "Joe West, NL umpire," that gets their attention."
West appeared in one of The Naked Gun movies as an umpire also. He also designed and patented today's most commonly used chest protector, which is often referred to as the "West Vest", now marketed by Wilson Sporting Goods.
[edit] Career highlights
- May 9, 1984: West ejected two television cameramen from Shea Stadium when they allowed the Mets to view replays of a controversial play at the plate in which Hubie Brooks was called out. The Mets won the game against Atlanta 3–1, with Ron Darling getting the win.
- July 23, 1991: After Cincinnati pitcher Rob Dibble threw a ball at Cub Doug Dascenzo and was thrown out of the game, West was bumped by Cubs Andre Dawson; Dawson was suspended for one game and fined $1000.
- 1990: NL president Bill White was prepared to suspend umpire Joe West for slamming Philadelphia pitcher Dennis Cook to the field, but commissioner Fay Vincent intervened and no discipline was imposed.
