In the eighth inning of Saturday night's ALCS Game 1 between the Astros and Red Sox at Fenway Park, this befell veteran umpire Joe West ...
Look out, Joe West! 😬 pic.twitter.com/iNmPDtvcYi
— ESPN (@espn) October 14, 2018
The throw from Christian Vazquez did not go where intended. West's presence probably saved the Sox a base, and also credit to West for wearing it without even a flinch.
West, of course, isn't the most popular of baseball arbiters, but he is perhaps the most famous. Given this oddity, takes on the Joe Blow weren't hard to find. What follows is a representative sampling ...
So, according to @statcast, Joe West just wore 78.9 mph on the shoulder on the throw down to second from Christian Vazquez.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) October 14, 2018
Joe West might be the only guy on the field with less range than Eduardo Nunez
— Matthew Kory (@mattymatty2000) October 14, 2018
Best throw in postseason history
— Mark Teahen (@MarkTeahen) October 14, 2018
Joe West at 2nd base #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/ZhXjsefCup
— Ryan Flores (@RyFlo7) October 14, 2018
Headlines in November: MLB Players Association names Christian Vazquez as Man of the Year.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 14, 2018
Christian Vazquez just did what players have been wanting to do for 30 years.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 14, 2018
Christian Vazquez just pegged Joe West with a throw, and Boston will have a parade this October no matter the result of this series
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 14, 2018
I sincerely hope that Joe West writes a country song about this moment
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) October 14, 2018
Joe West just had to have more tv time
— Brett Anderson (@_BAnderson30_) October 14, 2018
Joe West, cat-like.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) October 14, 2018
Joe West attempting to get out of the way pic.twitter.com/RBX4BKHmql
— Brett Anderson (@_BAnderson30_) October 14, 2018
The quintessential Joe West fight-or-flight dilemma is knowing there’s a ball coming at you but also knowing there’s a camera on you. #ALCS pic.twitter.com/UlIdqdk4qs
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) October 14, 2018
Joe West sleeping like the rest of us.
— Phil (@philhickey01) October 14, 2018
Cowboy Joe West, folks.
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