Padres manager roasts Joe West: 'I'm leaving so you can get another call wrong.'

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor

Major League Baseball will have a difficult time wiping this umpire-manager confrontation from the record.

San Diego Padres manager Andy Green gave veteran umpire Joe West an earful following his ejection from Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, and his most stinging insult was caught by on-field cameras and microphones.

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The fiery confrontation commenced in the fourth inning of San Diego’s 9-3 win.

West, who’s been no stranger to controversy during his umpiring career, was behind the plate when he decided to overrule his own call. West originally said that Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies had struck out swinging on a 1-2 pitch in the dirt. However, after Albies made his case and West inspected the baseball, he ruled that Albies’ instead fouled it off.

The overrule kept Albies’ at-bat alive, and it set Green off.

That’s pretty strong.

Green was angry that West changed his mind without assistance from another umpire. When Green continued spouting off upon returning to the dugout, West ejected him.

At that point, Green decided to get his money’s worth. His anger escalated to the point that he removed his hat and chucked it in West’s direction. That led to his parting shot, which we’re sure had many baseball fans nodding in agreement.

Padres manager Andy Green gives umpire Joe West an earful. (AP)
Padres manager Andy Green gives umpire Joe West an earful. (AP)

After all that, Albies would strike out anyway on the next pitch.

So was it worth it to Green? It’s difficult to say, because he was in a much better mood following San Diego’s win.

“I appreciate him picking up my hat,” Green said after the game. “I’ve been ejected a lot, and I’ve never had an umpire pick my hat up before and hand it to me, so I appreciate that.”

It’s no secret that players, managers and even fans have grown frustrated with West over the years. It’s not so much about the missed calls, though those obviously help fuel the discontent. It’s the manner in which West handles them. He’s known for instigating and even egging on confrontation, when it should be the umpire’s job to diffuse them and walk away.

The term “Ump Show,” which fans use when they feel it’s the umpire who’s creating a confrontation for a little camera time, was hashtagged a lot during Friday’s argument.

Joe West will clearly never win a popularity contest.

Andy Green might though after roasting West in epic fashion.

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