Umpire Joe “Country Joe” West has officially informed Major League Baseball he will retire after the postseason. In yesterday’s Dodgers/Cardinal wild card game, West was the plate umpire for his last game. Here are excerpts of an ESPN article about Country Joe: West, 68, broke the record for most games umpired, held by Bill Klem, when he was behind the plate for No. 5,376 in May. Known as a colorful figure, West has been a lightning rod for controversy at times over his storied career but has always been considered one of the best at his profession by those in the game. When West set the mark for most games umpired, Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa called him “the perfect guy to set the record because he represents what a lot of umpires should be.”
West said one of his early lessons was understanding that despite the many rules in baseball, there’s plenty to learn between the lines. “It took me a long time to figure out there are some grey areas you have to navigate,” West explained. “One day, [former player] Dave Kingman walked and he said something smart going to first base and I blew a gasket and chased him all the way to first. Between innings, [umpire] Doug Harvey walked down and said to me, ‘Don’t let them ruin your day.’
“It was like a light came on.” West learned a philosophy early on which he’s imparted to younger umpires. “Your first responsibility is to the game of baseball. That might not mean the commissioner’s office. It’s the game itself. Your second responsibility is to your profession. That might not mean the [umpire’s] union. The third responsibility is to do in your heart what is morally honest and correct. If you do that, you won’t be wrong.
As an umpire, I have followed Joe West since he first starting umpiring in the MLB. Although Joe has had many issues over the years (193 ejections over 45 years), his commitment to the game has never been questioned. In last night’s wild card game, Joe West had a 98% accuracy rate on balls and strikes in the first 5 innings. To put this in perspective the highest average accuracy rate for all of the umpires in the MLB was 98%.
Mick Jagger has revealed that “some people” believe The Rolling Stones should have cancelled their current No Filter tour across the US and broken up following the death of their drummer, Charlie Watts, earlier this year. In a new interview on Apple Music 1, the frontman told host Zane Lowe: “Some people said, ‘Oh, Charlie died, and you should have not done the tour – and stopped. “And other people would think, ‘The thing about the Rolling Stones throughout their career has been their resilience in the face of adversity.’ And we’ve had ups and downs, mostly ups, to be honest – but we’ve had adversity. And this was probably one of the most difficult ones.” Jagger then goes on to say that the band agreed that they “should just carry on”, and move forward while they complete the current tour. Noting how the beginning few shows of the run confirmed they made the right decision, he continues: “After doing the first couple of shows, I feel really good about it. I’m glad we’re doing it. I know Charlie wanted us to do it, and I think the audience wanted us to do it.
Breaking news tonight: The Senate passed legislation to raise the debt ceiling through at least early December, postponing the threat of a federal default.
Stay safe. Wash your hands regularly. Schedule your vaccine and booster. Wear your mask. Social distance.
Orchid of the Day: Joe West-see above story
Onion of the Day: Congress for making raising the debt ceiling a political football. Why this has happened over the last 30 years is beyond me.
Quote of the Day: “Raising the limit used to be a bipartisan nonevent, but, like everything else in Washington over the last 15 years, it has been sucked into the tornado of no-holds-barred politics.” Clay Risen, NY Times political consultant