Umpire Joe West got his big league start in 1976 and remained at baseball’s highest level for 45 years. By the time he retired in 2021 he worked a major league record 5,460 contests.

During his career West saw many memorable moment and called many big games. His impact on the game cannot be ignored. West worked multiple no-hitters including Felix Hernandez’s 2012 perfect game. The arbiter has six World Series, three All Star Games, and ten League Championship Series to his credit. Most professional baseball umpires today wear the “West vest” that he designed and patented. Late in his career he served as the president of the Major League Baseball Umpires Association.

West valued his integrity over everything else in his professional life. In 2017 he shared his advice to colleagues with the New York Times, “You have three responsibilities. Your first is to the game of baseball, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the commissioner’s office. Your second is to your profession, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the union, it means the profession. And the third responsibility is to do in your heart what you know is honest, moral and correct. And if you keep ’em in that order, nothing that you do will be wrong.”

That philosophy served him well.

Many believe West’s record warrants a plaque in Cooperstown. Indeed, West appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in his first year of eligibility. Though he fell short of the required 75% for election, West’s appearance on the ballot is certainly a tip of the cap.

Shown here is a 5×8 stat card that highlights West’s career. The umpire signed it in the bottom right corner.

After two short stints as a big league umpire in 1976 and 1977, Joe West became a full-time National League umpire in 1978. On June 30th that year while calling balls and strikes, West witnessed Willie McCovey’s 500th home run.

McCovey hit 21 more dingers before his career was over and retired second only to Babe Ruth in career homers by a left-handed batter. In fact, only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, and Jimmie Foxx had more homers than McCovey at that point.

Shown here is a 1970 Topps card autographed by McCovey.

After watching Willie McCovey slam his 500th homer on June 30th, Joe West witnessed history again month later. Working home plate on July 25, 1978 West watched as Pete Rose hit a single to left field in the third inning. With the safety, Rose recorded a hit in his 38th-straight game to break Tommy Holmes’ National League mark. Rose extended the still-standing modern-day mark to 44 games.

Shown here is a letter from Holmes dated a year and a day after Rose broke his streak. A member of the Braves’ team Hall of Fame, Holmes writes in part, “When Pete Rose broke my consecutive hit record, many fond, wonderful memories were brought back.”

Sandy Koufax set a record by throwing four no-hit games. The left-hander threw a gem each season from 1962-1965 to break the old mark of three no-hitters held by Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, and Bob Feller.

Nolan Ryan tied Koufax’s feat when he tossed his fourth no-hitter in 1975. The Express wasn’t near finished. On September 26, 1981 Ryan twirled his 5th game without allowing a hit against that year’s eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The first base umpire in the Astrodome that day was Joe West.

Ryan went on to throw two more no-hit games bringing his total to 7 such contests. His last came in 1991.

Shown here is an endorsement questionnaire asking Ryan about his current licensing contracts or product endorsements. The 8-time All Star responds that he has none. At the time the contract was signed in 1974, even the game’s superstars were thin on money-making away from the diamond.

In September of 1988 Orel Hershiser went on an unmatched run of pitching dominance. During the month, the right-hander threw 5 complete-game shutouts and added a 10-inning no-run effort in his final start.

The 59 consecutive scoreless innings broke the big league record held by fellow Dodger Don Drysdale. Hershiser claimed the mark on September 28 against the Padres. During that contest Joe West umpired first base.

The magical ’88 campaign saw Hershier claim the Cy Young and Gold Glove awards. In the postseason the right-hander earned the NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player awards. At Dodger Stadium as Hershiser warmed up before starts, organist Nancy Bea Hefely played, Master of the House, a nod to the pitcher’s mastery over opposing hitter.

In the collection is this letter from Dodger organist Nancy Bea detailing the backstory of how the song became the soundtrack for Hershiser’s miraculous 1988 season.

For those who followed the Dodgers in ’88, Hefley’s letter is reminder of a summer of goosebump moments provided by the Bulldog, Orel Hershiser.

 During a 45-year umpiring career Joe West ejected more men than any umpire who debuted since 1906. West ejected 196 players, coaches and managers, including 61 different skippers. He even ran two father-son combinations, tossing both Bob and Aaron Boone along with Buddy and David Bell.

One of West’s most infamous confrontations unfolded on July 23, 1991, at Wrigley Field. Working the plate during a Cubs-Reds matchup, West called strike three on Hall of Fame outfielder Andre Dawson. Cincinnati reliever Norm Charlton delivered the 2-2 pitch, which appeared low and outside. Dawson exploded immediately. He barked at West, bumped the veteran umpire and earned an ejection.

The fireworks didn’t stop there. A furious Dawson stormed back onto the field and hurled 14 bats from the Cubs dugout onto the grass. Wrigley Field erupted behind its star slugger. Fans showered the field with debris and forced a lengthy delay. Interestingly, it was the only time West ever sent Dawson home early.

Major League Baseball later suspended Dawson one game and fined him $1,000. Dawson answered with one final jab. When he mailed the payment, he wrote “Donation for the blind” on the check’s memo line.

Shown here is a Major League Baseball Players Association check made out to Dawson nine years before the memorable ejection. The $2,527 payment was made on March 8, 1982 when Dawson was with the Expos.

On May 25, 2021 Joe West umpired in his 5,376th career game. That broke the all-time record for most games worked set by Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem.

Klem worked from 1904-1951. Two years after he retired, Klem, along with Tom Connolly, became the first umpires inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

West, who began as a National League umpire in 1976 extended the mark to 5,460 before leaving the game in 2021. In 2023 he appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in his first year of eligibility but fell short of election.