Umpire Joe West got his big league start in 1976 and remained at baseball’s highest level for 45 years. By the time he retired in 2021 he worked a major league record 5,460 contests.
During his career West saw many memorable moment and called many big games. His impact on the game cannot be ignored. West worked multiple no-hitters including Felix Hernandez’s 2012 perfect game. The arbiter has six World Series, three All Star Games, and ten League Championship Series to his credit. Most professional baseball umpires today wear the “West vest” that he designed and patented. Late in his career he served as the president of the Major League Baseball Umpires Association.
West valued his integrity over everything else in his professional life. In 2017 he shared his advice to colleagues with the New York Times, “You have three responsibilities. Your first is to the game of baseball, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the commissioner’s office. Your second is to your profession, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the union, it means the profession. And the third responsibility is to do in your heart what you know is honest, moral and correct. And if you keep ’em in that order, nothing that you do will be wrong.”
That philosophy served him well.
Many believe West’s record warrants a plaque in Cooperstown. Indeed, West appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in his first year of eligibility. Though he fell short of the required 75% for election, West’s appearance on the ballot is certainly a tip of the cap.
Shown here is a 5×8 stat card that highlights West’s career. The umpire signed it in the bottom right corner.