Longtime umpire Joe West to retire after 2021 postseason
from Chelena Goldman, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
*****Infamous MLB umpire Joe West has officially informed the league he will retire following the 2021 postseason, ESPN reported Monday.*****
It’s been rumored that West would call it a career ever since he broke the record for most games umpired back in May. The 68-year-old has been calling games since 1976.
“Breaking the record was the goal,” West told ESPN. “I thought I would do it last year but the season got a little messed up and I don’t think it was right to work until the point of the record then just quit.”
West enters the postseason having umped 10 league championship series and six World Series. He will reportedly be behind the dish for Wednesday’s/Tonight’s NL wild-card matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.
“These one games to determine who moves on are going to be the toughest games you’ll ever going to have,” West said of the wild-card one-and-done format.
Although West is regarded by many within the game as one of the best, he has long been a controversial figure for fans and pundits. Last month, he sent social media into a tizzy for a called strike three on Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu that fans and baseball analysts alike couldn’t believe.
West set Twitter ablaze again this past weekend while he oversaw the Giants’ season-ending series against the Padres and made another questionable third-strike call.
West recently made headlines for off-the-diamond activities as well when he sued former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca for defamation after Lo Duca claimed West had been bribed by former pitcher Billy Wagner to adjust his strike zone. West won the lawsuit and was awarded $500,000.
++++++++++Joe West is also the former starting quarterback, for the Elon College Fighting Christians…..++++++++++