That question may be the only possible explanation for why umpire Joe West tossed Mark Buehrle from this afternoon’s White Sox-Indians game. As you’ll see in this video courtesy of The Sporting Blog, West calls Buehrle for a balk (which appears to be the right call), after which Buehrle tosses his glove to the ground. It doesn’t appear as if he said anything to West, or if he was tossing his glove in disagreement with the call, or frustration with himself.
VIDEO: Maybe Joe West Just Felt Like Throwing Someone Out?
This earns him an ejection:
WGN announcer Hawk Harrelson promptly went off on Joe West:
Joe West deserves a suspension for what he did. He needs a rest. ... I tell you what Mark Buehrle is one of ... Joe West just wanted to stick it up his behind and he just did. He should be suspended. That is a flat-out, absolute disgrace to the umpiring profession, what this guy has been doing. West doesn’t care. He does not care. He’s an absolute disgrace. He used to be a good umpire. Joe West used to be a good umpire. He has become a disgrace.
In case you’re curious, yes, this is the same Joe West who blasted the Yankees and Red Sox earlier in the season for slow play. Yet here he is, throwing guys out for next-to-nothing, causing a delay in the game while the White Sox argue their case.
Hawk’s right: it probably wouldn’t hurt the game to go ahead and give Joe a rest.
See More:
