Joe West Class - Three Responsibilities of Umpires

MLB's longest-ever serving umpire, Joe West, spoke during a recent White Sox Talk podcast to offer advice to young umpires by outlining an ump's three responsibilities.

West's baseball discussion—with stories of the 2005 World Series, balks and ejections of Mark Buehrle and Ozzie Guillen, his friendship with Hawk Harrelson (the podcast got Harrelson's side of the story in 2017), filming "Naked Gun," and robot umpires—with NBC Sports Chicago host Chuck Garfien landed on the nature of an umpire's job, which West took as an opportunity to dole out a curriculum of umpiring advice about the three responsibilities of officiating.

Your first responsibility is to the game of baseball.
Said West, "You're gonna have to make some tough decisions."

Your second responsibility is to your profession.
"You can't make calls [thinking] they're not going to argue with me if I make this call, like the phantom play at second base where the fielder's off the bag. You have to say that he didn't touch the bag. If you call a guy out, no one says a word even though you're wrong, so why don't you call it right and take whatever little heat there is, and be right?"

Your third responsibility is to do what in your heart is morally and honestly correct.

Video snippet and full episode of West's interview as follows:

ABL Ejection - Bob Crawford Ejects Shane Barclay

1B Umpire Bob Crawford ejected Sydney Blue Sox Manager Shane Barclay for arguing an out call at first base in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Perth Heat-Blue Sox game of the Australian Baseball League.

With one out and one on (R1), Blue Sox batter Max Brennan hit a ground ball to Heat pitcher Jorge Perez, who lunged to tag Brennan as Brennan slid headfirst into first base, ruled out by 1B Umpire Crawford. At the time of the ejection, the Heat were leading, 5-3. The Heat ultimately won the contest, 5-3.

Wrap: Perth Heat vs Sydney Blue Sox (ABL), 12/26/19 | Video as follows:

ABL Ejections - Greg Howard's Happy New Year

Australian Baseball League umpire Greg Howard closed out 2019 with a pair of Canberra Cavalry ejections prior to Geelong-Korea's year-ending, come-from-behind, walk-off victory and following a profane rant from an aggravated pitcher.

HP Umpire Greg Howard ejected Cavalry pitcher Steven Kent and Manager Keith Ward (ball four call) in the top of the 9th inning of the Cavalry-GK game. With none out and none on, Geelong-Korea batter Seung-Hyun Baek took 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, and 3-1 pitches for called balls, upon which Kent was warned then ejected for arguing balls and strikes; his manager followed shortly thereafter.

At the time of the ejections, the game was tied, 3-3 (Canberra had been leading 3-1 prior to the bottom of the 8th). Geelong-Korea ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

Wrap: Canberra Cavalry vs Geelong-Korea (ABL), 12/28/19 | Video as follows: