Joe West has a reputation for being one of Major League Baseball’s more cantankerous umpires. Jay Rigdon of Awful Announcing points out that coming into Tuesday’s contest between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, West had ejected three players in three days.
Joe West entered Tuesday on quite a hot streak, having ejected Joc Pederson on Monday. That was West’s third ejection in as many days, as he hit a double on Saturday, running White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and manager Rick Renteria.
He saved his weirdest confrontation for Tuesday night though. West was apparently upset with Fox Sports Arizona. He had words with their camera crew over the placement of the cameras around the field.
It didn’t go unnoticed by the Diamondbacks broadcast team. Steve Berthiaume pointed it out. Bob Brenly flat out wasn’t having it.
“It’s amazing he can see a camera leaning an inch over the railing but he misses strikes by 6 feet.” — Bob Brenly on umpire Joe West. pic.twitter.com/PyKULMHH1U
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) September 26, 2018
Later in the game Brenly came back to the issue of Joe West and camera placement. He said “Priorities. I guess it’s just all about priorities,” What’s the most important thing you can do as an umpire? Is (it) to make sure the cameras are where they’re supposed to be?”
The series between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks concludes tonight. It will be interesting to see if West, who has a history that has inspired the Twitter hashtag #UmpShow, takes out any frustrations on the Diamondbacks based on what was said on the broadcast.
