MLB: Ranking the 5 Worst Umpires in Baseball

4. Joe West

May 25, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; MLB umpire Joe West (right) ejects Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Anyone that’s been around as long as Joe West (he called his first MLB game in 1976) is going to have some blown calls on their resumè. It’s to be expected.

But when you have an ejection rate that’s 50 percent higher than the average umpire and have ejected two cameramen in your career, that’s when things look a little fishy.

Furthermore, West publicly complained in 2010 about the slow pace of Yankees-Red Sox games, drawing the ire of the two most prominent organizations in the game. He even employs a publicist and is one of the more outspoken officials in the game, which isn’t exactly an admirable trait when you’re employed to be seen and not heard.