Joe West

[thedaymen]

So I was flipping between Baseball Tonight and Mets Classics waiting for a Cubs' final score last night, when I saw the highlights of Joe West throwing an Astros pitcher out of the game for plunking Bonds. Classic Joe West, take an innocouse situation and throw gasoline on it, then throw a bunch of people out. All that was missing was the blown call.

 

Then, on a flip back to Mets Classic (the 86 Mets were playing the Cubs...weird to see a young Eck in a Cubs' uni) the 80's Mets announcers were ragging on the "veteran" umpire behind the plate with the inconsitant strike zone. Sure enough, that umpire was Country Joe West (now Cowboy Joe West)....which led me to think...how many games has this guy mangled over the years? How many times has he butchered the rules, the strike zone, let his ego get in the way of the game, or just plain old ignored the rulebook and he's still umpiring?

[Jimy is a misspell]

He was on the radio here in Houston before the game yesterday. I think he thinks pretty highly of himself.

[louisvillecub]

Isn't Joe West the ump with a vendetta against Andre Dawson? I seem to remember (vaguely) some situations that the Hawk uncharacteristically blew his top because of some Joe West calls.

[thedaymen]

Isn't Joe West the ump with a vendetta against Andre Dawson? I seem to remember (vaguely) some situations that the Hawk uncharacteristically blew his top because of some Joe West calls.

 

Are you referring to when Dawson threw bats at him on the field? I love Dawson...it was that situation that burned the Joe West name into my head. I've seen/heard him screw up a million times since then.

 

He's like a "bad guy" WWF referee.

[louisvillecub]

Isn't Joe West the ump with a vendetta against Andre Dawson? I seem to remember (vaguely) some situations that the Hawk uncharacteristically blew his top because of some Joe West calls.

 

Are you referring to when Dawson threw bats at him on the field? I love Dawson...it was that situation that burned the Joe West name into my head. I've seen/heard him screw up a million times since then.

 

He's like a "bad guy" WWF referee.

 

Yes, that's it! I'd never seen Dawson blow up like that...I seem to remember back then that the announcers said that West and Dawson had a "history"

[badgercub]

So I was flipping between Baseball Tonight and Mets Classics waiting for a Cubs' final score last night, when I saw the highlights of Joe West throwing an Astros pitcher out of the game for plunking Bonds. Classic Joe West, take an innocouse situation and throw gasoline on it, then throw a bunch of people out. All that was missing was the blown call.

 

Then, on a flip back to Mets Classic (the 86 Mets were playing the Cubs...weird to see a young Eck in a Cubs' uni) the 80's Mets announcers were ragging on the "veteran" umpire behind the plate with the inconsitant strike zone. Sure enough, that umpire was Country Joe West (now Cowboy Joe West)....which led me to think...how many games has this guy mangled over the years? How many times has he butchered the rules, the strike zone, let his ego get in the way of the game, or just plain old ignored the rulebook and he's still umpiring?

 

I believe the Houston pitcher threw at Bonds like 5 times before actually hitting him, so it wasn't like the guy didn't deserve to get thrown out of the game. If anything you can blame West for not issuing warnings after he missed hitting him the first few times.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

So I was flipping between Baseball Tonight and Mets Classics waiting for a Cubs' final score last night, when I saw the highlights of Joe West throwing an Astros pitcher out of the game for plunking Bonds. Classic Joe West, take an innocouse situation and throw gasoline on it, then throw a bunch of people out. All that was missing was the blown call.

 

Then, on a flip back to Mets Classic (the 86 Mets were playing the Cubs...weird to see a young Eck in a Cubs' uni) the 80's Mets announcers were ragging on the "veteran" umpire behind the plate with the inconsitant strike zone. Sure enough, that umpire was Country Joe West (now Cowboy Joe West)....which led me to think...how many games has this guy mangled over the years? How many times has he butchered the rules, the strike zone, let his ego get in the way of the game, or just plain old ignored the rulebook and he's still umpiring?

 

I believe the Houston pitcher threw at Bonds like 5 times before actually hitting him, so it wasn't like the guy didn't deserve to get thrown out of the game. If anything you can blame West for not issuing warnings after he missed hitting him the first few times.

 

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

[WindyCity]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

[NorthsideAvenger]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

 

Springer threw a SLIDER on said pitch, Wind City. Take it from a former pitcher, if you are TRYING to hit a batter, you don't try to hit the batter with an "offspeed pitch", you use the "Good ol'e #1", the fastball. The warning on the first pitch was BOGUS. Now, any pitch leading up to the HBP---exlcuding the first pitch---I would agree on the warning. But to instantly issue a warning on a SLIDER, is plain stupid.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

 

Springer threw a SLIDER on said pitch, Wind City. Take it from a former pitcher, if you are TRYING to hit a batter, you don't try to hit the batter with an "offspeed pitch", you use the "Good ol'e #1", the fastball. The warning on the first pitch was BOGUS. Now, any pitch leading up to the HBP---exlcuding the first pitch---I would agree on the warning. But to instantly issue a warning on a SLIDER, is plain stupid.

 

That's not stupid at all. Any pitch thrown behind a batter, especially batters with the reputation of Barry Bonds, should be assumed to be deliberately thrown. Nip it in the bud.

[thedaymen]

If it was so obvious that he was throwing at him...he should have been tossed after the second time he "threw at him."

[rocket]

If those same pitches were thrown at Derrek Lee there wouldn't even be any debate that it was intentional, and we'd all be calling for ridiculous suspensions of Russ Springer.

 

But since it's Bonds, it's ok!

[goonys evil twin]

 

But since it's Bonds, it's ok!

 

That's true.

[SeldomSeen]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

 

Springer threw a SLIDER on said pitch, Wind City. Take it from a former pitcher, if you are TRYING to hit a batter, you don't try to hit the batter with an "offspeed pitch", you use the "Good ol'e #1", the fastball. The warning on the first pitch was BOGUS. Now, any pitch leading up to the HBP---exlcuding the first pitch---I would agree on the warning. But to instantly issue a warning on a SLIDER, is plain stupid.

 

I hit guys with "sliders" a couple of times in college. It happens more often than you would think, because it gives you a built in excuse.

[jjgman21]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

 

Springer threw a SLIDER on said pitch, Wind City. Take it from a former pitcher, if you are TRYING to hit a batter, you don't try to hit the batter with an "offspeed pitch", you use the "Good ol'e #1", the fastball. The warning on the first pitch was BOGUS. Now, any pitch leading up to the HBP---exlcuding the first pitch---I would agree on the warning. But to instantly issue a warning on a SLIDER, is plain stupid.

 

I hit guys with "sliders" a couple of times in college. It happens more often than you would think, because it gives you a built in excuse.

 

I hate umpires more than probably anyone else on this board, but West knew the situation and that there was a history between Springer and Bonds, hence the warning. if anything, Springer should have been tossed long before he was. after receiving a warning on the first pitch, he threw up and in for five more pitches until he finally beaned Bonds.

 

'oops, it was a slider,' my buttocks.

[goonys evil twin]

Didn't he warn him after the 1st pitch (that went behind Barry)? I didn't watch the game, but the replay I saw made it appear as though there was a warning issued.

 

Furthermore, after 3-4 high and tight pitches ends with a beaning up around the shoulder area, he has every right to toss the guy with or without a warning. I am not a fan of Joe West, but I don't think he did anything wrong.

 

Yep -- he issued warnings to both teams after the first pitch -- which as you noted was thrown behind Barry. Nothing wrong with how Joe West handled that situation IMO....

 

Springer threw a SLIDER on said pitch, Wind City. Take it from a former pitcher, if you are TRYING to hit a batter, you don't try to hit the batter with an "offspeed pitch", you use the "Good ol'e #1", the fastball. The warning on the first pitch was BOGUS. Now, any pitch leading up to the HBP---exlcuding the first pitch---I would agree on the warning. But to instantly issue a warning on a SLIDER, is plain stupid.

 

I hit guys with "sliders" a couple of times in college. It happens more often than you would think, because it gives you a built in excuse.

 

I hit guys with "sliders" too, since my slider slid as much as my fastball, it was easy to say that.