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And yet Joe West lives on ...

Frayed Knot Feb 22 2017 02:15 PM

MLB has announced the retirements of four long-time umpires: John Hirschbeck, Bob Davidson, Jim Joyce, and Tim Welke

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 22 2017 02:35 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Adam Hamari, Pat Hoberg, Gabe Morales and Carlos Torres promoted to full-timers. All have been part-time MLBers previously. Hoberg is youngest at age 30. Torres is the first MLB ump from Venezuela.

Frayed Knot Feb 22 2017 02:48 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

So I guess with no Hirschbeck going forward the game will have less spitting (see Alomar, Robbie), without Joyce's voice there'll be less noise at the park, without Davison fewer balks, and without Tim Welke MLB will be forced to soldier on with fewer Welkes (his brother Bill remains active).

MFS62 Feb 22 2017 03:24 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

A day with Joe West or Angel Hernandez is like a day without sunshine. Later

Edgy MD Feb 22 2017 03:35 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Welke doesn't seem that old. I check the record and he's 59. (OE: I see whereas he has undergone two knee replacements.) He retires as the last ump to toss a manager from a World Series game (Bobby Cox, 1996).

41Forever Feb 22 2017 07:36 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Jim Joyce was the umpire who botched Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game. That was a tremendous shame. But I'll always remember how he owned up to the mistake and the emotional response the next day when fans gave both Joyce and Galarraga an ovation. Tigers fans might not be the Best Fans In Baseball (TM), but they're pretty good fans.

Frayed Knot Feb 22 2017 08:20 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

We've also got to be getting down to the last few active umpires that were part of the failed labor negotiation tactic of the mass resignation back in 1999. Hirschbeck and Davidson were both part of that group so their MLB careers were long but not uninterrupted. Joe West took part in that too and he's still active, but then again I suspect West was umping games when Lindbergh was taking off on his flight.

Edgy MD Feb 22 2017 08:35 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Trivia question: Of the 10 umps inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, only one has suited up post 1978. Name that ump.

86-Dreamer Feb 22 2017 10:27 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Doug Harvey?

Edgy MD Feb 22 2017 10:42 PM Re: And yet Joe West lives on ...

Doug Harvey—who retired after the 1992 season, and was inducted 18 years later—it is. The only subsequent induction of an ump was for Pre-Integration Committee selectee Hank O'Day, who umped from 1895 to 1927, and who was a decent pitcher before strapping on the chest protector, and ultimately appearing in 10 World Series. I'm sort of getting the idea the HoF is moving away from perhaps seriously considering the induction of any further umps. But I sure don't think the place would be ruined by the company of Bruce Froemming, Dutch Rennert, Joe West, or Frank Drebin. Froemming umped more games than anybody in history, for Pete's sake. He probably did something right.