Umpire Thread

Simple misdemeanor.



Legal right outside Vegas and in who knows how many other countries. Not condoning it, not condemning it, but the response should fit the crime, which essentially was victimless.



Law enforcement calls it human trafficking so they can get government money and military hardware to combat it.

We're playing like a really tight game against the Phillies and Billy Wagner comes in from the bullpen,’’ Lo Duca said April 18, 2019, on The Action Network. “I used to go to the mound every time and like, 'What's going on?' and he's like, 'Hey, Joe's behind the plate. Set up a couple more inches inside. I was like, 'Are you kidding me? Joe hates me.' He's like, 'No, no, no, no, no, no. Joe loves me.'

I go, 'He hasn't given us the corner all day.' He's like, 'Don't worry about it.' He literally throws 10 pitches and strikes out three guys. Joe rings up all three guys. Eight out of the nine pitches were at least three to four inches inside, not even close. Guys were throwing bats and everything. Joe walks off the field …

"I get back into the clubhouse and I'm like, 'What the (expletive) just happened just right now?' And Wagner just winks at me. I'm like, 'What's the secret?' He's like, 'Eh, Joe loves antique cars so every time he comes into town I lend him my '57 Chevy so he can drive it around so then he opens up the strike zone for me.'"

West was incensed, saying the story was completely fabricated, and filed suit. West was only the home-plate umpire once when Wagner and Lo Duca played together in 2006-2007, and Wagner never pitched in the game.