Javier Baez vs. Joe West
Aug. 31 at Citizens Bank Park
Final score: Phillies 2, Cubs 1
After Baez was called out on strikes in the first and got chippy with West, the plate umpire followed him for a few feet and gave it right back.
Baez said afterward that West had disrespected him.
“We do our best to stay in the game,” he said. “I didn’t think it was a good pitch, and it wasn’t. We’re human. We struggle a lot in this sport, but we admit it to ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with asking (a question) or talking to umpires. They need to start talking to us like (we’re) humans because they’re not (doing so).
“It doesn’t have to be them, but if anybody doesn’t talk to me with respect, I won’t talk to them with respect either. I didn’t say anything to him, and he came to me like I said something wrong. Like I said, when somebody does that, I can’t control my attitude. We’re humans too. We messed up, made the adjustments. That’s all you can do about it.”
So was West provoking him?
“Just the attitude that he gave to me, I didn’t like it,” Baez replied. “And to me it doesn’t matter who is doing it. He’s going to get it too. And I’m not afraid to let anybody know they’re doing something wrong. I was over it, and I am over it.”
West is as old guard as it gets, perhaps the most polarizing umpire in history.
Maddon conceded he has had some beefs with West but lauded his career as an umpire.
“Joe is a really good umpire,” Maddon said. “He’s really good. It’s one call. … Joe and I, we’ve had our differences. He’s still one of the best in the game. I’ll argue that with anybody. He’s very good. He’s just Joe.”