You might know him for his signature staredowns with Madison Bumgarner. or the fact that he was an MLB umpire for over 40 years spanning the tenures of six MLB commissioners, calling some of the most important games and series in recent memory while also serving as a face for umpires. Regardless of how you know Joe West, the point is that you do as a fan of baseball.
West, referred to as “Cowboy Joe” in many circles, has recently become obsessed with his reputation, particularly as it pertains to his Wikipedia page.
Former MLB umpire Joe West doesn’t like how his Wikipedia page portrays him
Yes, you read that right: MLB umpiring legend Joe West cares what you have to say about him on the internet. So much so, in fact, that he personally makes edits to his page.
Wikipedia user Crewchief22 tried to make edits to Joe West's Wikipedia page. Those edits were rejected, because they "did not appear to be constructive." This was Crewchief22's response.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 12, 2023
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And for anyone curious, Joe West umpire number was 22. pic.twitter.com/g2EqNXFZwe
You can’t make this up. We thought Joe West was pretty unflappable. After all, he didn’t earn the nickname “Cowboy Joe” for nothing.
One thing that is true about West, despite how self-serving this may seem, is that he craves the spotlight. Some of his player and manager ejections were of the memorable variety, such as when he grabbed Jonathan Papelbon’s jersey after an ejection in 2014. He often laid verbal criticisms on people in baseball, too. In this sense, his desire to make a scene of out of this Wikipedia exchange shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. And yet, all of this is a spectacle, just as he’d like it to be. Clearly, the attention has followed him into retirement.
Gone are the days of being able to toss people from situations and actions West doesn’t like. Welcome to the internet, Joe, where almost anything goes. If he hasn’t learned his lesson yet, that is.