Umpire Joe West calls Adrian Beltre the biggest complainer in baseball

Umpire Joe West (Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

As “Cowboy” Joe West takes the field Tuesday to work his 5,000th game as an umpire, it’s safe to think he’s come to know the ins and outs of MLB.

Before his historic night, West took the time to share some of his most memorable moments out on the field, along with some of the opinions he’s developed over the course of his 40-year career. When asked by USA Today to name the biggest complainer in baseball, he responded with the Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre.

“It’s got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “that ball is outside.’

“I told him, ‘You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.’’

By the sounds of it, Beltre and West have had plenty of entertaining encounters over the slugger’s 20-year career.

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