New York Mets: Joe West wins defamation lawsuit against Paul Lo Duca

No one is ever going to claim that Joe West is one of the best umpires in the game. His strike zone is questionable at best, and he seems to be convinced that the game is all about him. For many, his eminent retirement is welcome.

Of all the stories of his questionable antics, former catcher Paul Lo Duca had one that raised eyebrows. Back in 2019, he claimed that, when he was with the New York Mets, West changed the strike zone for closer Billy Wagner in a game against the Phillies after the closer let him borrow his 1957 Chevy. Needless to say, West was not thrilled with that story, slapping Lo Duca with a defamation lawsuit.

Former New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca has to pay up

Let us ignore the part of the lawsuit where West claims that these allegations will hurt his chances of becoming a part of the Hall of Fame. While that part may be laughable on its own, a Manhattan Supreme Court judge agreed with West that the story was fabricated, awarding the umpire $500,000.

There is a question of whether or not West was even behind the plate for any of Wagner’s relief appearances against the Phillies when Lo Duca was in New York. He was a part of the Mets during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, a time frame where West claimed that he did not call a game between the two teams when Wagner made an appearance.

This is also a positive result for Major League Baseball as a whole. Several umpires, West included, have been regarded as questionable arbiters of the game. The last thing that the league needs is for there to be a possible scandal where umpires were trading calls for favors off the diamond.

In theory, the electronic strike zone will end these questions. Those questionable calls will no longer be an issue, and neither will the personalities of those umpires who feel that they are above the game. Until then, these types of stories and rumors will continue to pop up, although West’s victory in court may limit their impact.

Former New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca claimed that umpire Joe West changed his strike zone for favors. Now he has to pay for that unfounded story.