Very bad umpire Joe West, who is hated by many players, received an ejection of his own Tuesday, when MLB suspended him three games for calling out the Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre.
Joe West suspended 3 games after calling Adrian Beltre game's biggest complainer in USA Today, per WUA. Union strongly opposes suspension.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) August 9, 2017
Here’s the exchange from the USA Today piece on June 20:
Biggest complainer
“It’s got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “that ball is outside.’
“I told him, ‘You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.’’
(West later clarified to USA TODAY Sports that he and Beltre are on friendly terms).
Beltre later said that he thought West was joking.
This isn’t the first time West has gotten in trouble with MLB. He was suspended for one game after initiating contact with Jonathan Papelbon in a 2015 game.
West is mostly criticized for his inconsistent strike zone and turning games into the “Joe West Show”—that is, he makes calls and ejections over silly things. It’s unlikely too many players will miss West for the next three games.
ol Joe could disappear from the league today and I would never miss him.