Ex-MLB manager shares incredible story about umpire Joe West

Former Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected 53 times over the course of his 11-year managerial career and he doesn’t really remember most of them. What he does remember, however, is the one time umpire Joe West flat-out refused to eject him.

During a Reddit AMA (“ask me anything”) on Wednesday, Gibbons recalled the hilarious exchange with West.

“One time Joe West told me our team stinks so if he has to stay out there and watch it, I do too, so he wouldn’t throw me out,” Gibbons wrote.

Burn!

As a manager, being told your team stinks so bad that forcing you to watch them play is a greater punishment than being ejected is an all-time burn. It’s just a shame the MLB doesn’t have any publicly available video or audio from that exchange.

Gibbons didn’t elaborate further on the incident or reveal when it occurred, but it’s an amusing story nonetheless.

West retired following the 2021 MLB season after umpiring a record 5,460 games over 43 years. He is likely headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, where he will be enshrined forever.