Ozzie's at it again.....

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

It seems as the only people defending Joe West in this are other umpires. I have not heard one non-umpire who has not taken Joe to task on his handling of the situation. Not just the announcers, writers and fans, but all non-umpires.

You forgot to mention all the people that have bought his country albums.

[Jurassic Referee]

Looks like the boyz at Head Office ain't happy with Country Joe.....

MLB plans showdown with umpire Joe West - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

More work for his PR people.....

[Altor]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Looks like the boyz at Head Office ain't happy with Country Joe.....

MLB plans showdown with umpire Joe West - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

More work for his PR people.....

Some of the things mentioned in that link are what bugs me about Joe West. It's not the calls or the ejections, it's the way he has handles himself off field. (And for the record, I'm not a baseball umpire.)

He had no business going on that radio show and talking about the incident with the White Sox. He's allowed to have an opinion about how long the Red Sox and Yankees take to play a ball game, but he should direct the comments to the commissioner's office and not the media.

An umpire should not be trying to gain notoriety by having a PR guy contact the media on his behalf. This is why the "inject himself into the ballgame" comments are said. Even if it is not his intention, it gives the appearance that he is trying to create some controversy so he can appear on another talk show.

[HokieUmp]

Originally Posted by Altor

He had no business going on that radio show and talking about the incident with the White Sox. He's allowed to have an opinion about how long the Red Sox and Yankees take to play a ball game, but he should direct the comments to the commissioner's office and not the media.

You sure about that? I'm not a MLB umpire, nor have I read their contract with MLB, but unless there's something in the contract that forbids it, West can talk on whatever show asks him, if he wants to. And he can comment on the length of games, if he wants. He's still an American citizen. If you're against free speech, go join your friends in Al Qaeda.

Might not be the wisest course for him, but he's certainly allowed.

Happy Memorial Day.

[APG]

Umpire Joe West, Chicago White Sox's Ozzie Guillen, Mark Buehrle fined - ESPN Chicago

[johnnyg08]

There's something in the MLBUM about the crew chief only or MLB talking about calls that took place in a game. West is probably the crew chief so he can talk about the plays. Not sure about 2010, but I did ready something along those lines in 2009

[rpumpire]

I'm guessing that West's fine has more to do with his publicist (!) releasing what series West was going to be umpiring ahead of time and inviting media contact. I doubt it has anything directly to do with the on-field incident with Chicago.

[grunewar]

"Joe West is an infidel, an attention whore of Lady Gaga proportions whose proclivity for theatrics shames the umpiring profession."

Here's how he interprets the incident:

"West carries the reputation as a poor umpire and grudge holder, and so his unceremonious tossing of Guillen and Buehrle surprised no one. West called a balk on Buehrle, whose pickoff move is recognized as one of the game’s best. It was a suspect-at-best call, or par for the course, and he tossed Guillen for protesting. When West flagged Buehrle for another balk – just a flat-out bad call – the pitcher, disgusted, softly flopped his glove on the ground. West ejected him, too."

A scathing write-up!

[Altor]

Originally Posted by grunewar

"West carries the reputation as a poor umpire and grudge holder, and so his unceremonious tossing of Guillen and Buehrle surprised no one. West called a balk on Buehrle, whose pickoff move is recognized as one of the game’s best. It was a suspect-at-best call, or par for the course, and he tossed Guillen for protesting. When West flagged Buehrle for another balk – just a flat-out bad call – the pitcher, disgusted, softly flopped his glove on the ground. West ejected him, too."

I chuckled at that paragraph too. The "reputation as a poor umpire" is in the media only. Both Buehrle and Guillen acknowledged that he is "one of the best."

And the part you bolded was even funnier considering that practically everyone on this board and a few others I've been following agree that it was the more obvious of the two balks.

[jicecone]

(And for the record, I'm not a baseball umpire.)

I just love the way the "talking heads" today really believe that just because they are capable and allowed to form words into sentences, that what they say is correct and factual. When it comes down to it though, we realize that the hot air expelled from their body orfice is indeed just that.

Until you have stood on that field and dealt with a good left-handed pitcher, with a great move to first, which is borderline each and everytime, then you don't have a clue. I am supporting Joe because I have seen it. Not at the MLB level which I will never work but, I have seen it at some semi-pro levels.

Your just like so many of the other talking heads. It ok for you to be critical but when the official defends hisself or gives it back to you then you whimper how unfair that is. Within the limitations of his contract (and Joe should know that), he has as much right to express hisself as you do, regardless how right or wrong you think it is.

My opinion is, Give us a break, go on a media forum.

[Altor]

Originally Posted by jicecone

It ok for you to be critical but when the official defends hisself or gives it back to you then you whimper how unfair that is. Within the limitations of his contract (and Joe should know that), he has as much right to express hisself as you do, regardless how right or wrong you think it is.

I may not be a baseball umpire, but I do officiate. I never once said it was unfair. What I said was that when he goes to the media like he did, it gives the appearance that he is trying to create controversy in order to make his name known. If he wishes to defend hisself [sic], he can talk to the umpire association and/or commissioner.

And the players and coaches have no business talking to the media about the umpire either. They should go through the proper channels as well and keep their opinions about the officiating out of the media.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Altor

I may not be a baseball umpire, but I do officiate. I never once said it was unfair. What I said was that when he goes to the media like he did, it gives the appearance that he is trying to create controversy

Create Controversy? He didn't create squat ... the controversy is already there.

Originally Posted by Altor

in order to make his name known.

Um ... his name is already known.

Originally Posted by Altor

If he wishes to defend hisself [sic], he can talk to the umpire association and/or commissioner.

Exactly why are you qualified to make the decision as to who he can talk to? Within the bounds of his contract, he can talk to whoever he wants. He has just as much right to discuss this call with the radio as Ozzie and Mark did with the TV.

Originally Posted by Altor

And the players and coaches have no business talking to the media about the umpire either. They should go through the proper channels as well and keep their opinions about the officiating out of the media.

While I might agree with that in principle, it just doesn't work out that way. It would be NICE if they didn't ... and then the umpire wouldn't feel compelled to go on the radio. But they did, and they will.

[mbyron]

I noticed in the video that the first balk was called by BOTH West and the 2B umpire at approximately the same time. I doubt that Joe paid the other guy off just to settle a score with the White Sox.

Given the camera angle, I couldn't tell if others called the second balk. But since the balk involved a move toward the plate, the 1B umpire has the best view of that.

[Altor]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Exactly why are you qualified to make the decision as to who he can talk to? Within the bounds of his contract, he can talk to whoever he wants. He has just as much right to discuss this call with the radio as Ozzie and Mark did with the TV.

Am I qualified? Probably as much as anybody with an officiating license. Is it my decision to make? Certainly not. However, I'm taking the fine as vindication that those that do make that decision share my opinion. It's not about baseball...I specifically said I didn't care about the balks or the ejections. It's not about employment contracts or freedom of speech. It's about how officials should conduct themselves both on and off the field. It's about a social contract with his fellow umpires. As a fellow official (even if it is a different sport), I fail to see how my opinion is completely worthless in this area.

West's off-field actions (and those of his PR person) are what drives the comments from the rats of "injected himself into the game" and "wanted to sell more CDs." Let me be clear...I'm not defending those comments. They're pure BS AFAIC. But, Joe doesn't help himself or his fellow umpires when he seeks out the media outlets afterward.

Perhaps you'd feel better if I made it a hypothetical instead of calling out Joe West specifically. So here goes. If one of the officials in my association went seeking attention from the media after making a non-controversial call (from the officials' perspective) that was made controversial by the coaches, players, and media; there would be a major fecal-storm at our next meeting.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Looks like the boyz at Head Office ain't happy with Country Joe.....

MLB plans showdown with umpire Joe West - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

More work for his PR people.....

This Jeff Passan guy sounds like a real horse's a$$. Talk about someone unqualified to speak about an umpire's ability! The article is laced with comments that prove this writer doesn't have a clue about the game of baseball, much less umpiring.