Joe West popularly known as Cowboy Joe is Major League Baseball umpire. He is also an actor. He is from Asheville, North Carolina.
As of 2024, Joe West, Cowboy Joe's net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million.
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Given Name | Joseph Henry West |
| Famous Name | Joe West, Cowboy Joe |
| Source(s) of Fame | Umpire |
| Age | 72 |
| Date of Birth | October 31, 1952 |
| Place of Birth | Asheville, North Carolina USA |
| Height | 6'1" |
| Relationships | Married, Jean Jo Mason, |
Joe West was born on the 31st of October, 1952. He opened his eyes in Asheville, North Carolina USA.
He went to JH Rose High School in Greenville. He played Football, Basketball, and Baseball in his school life.
He joined East Carolina University for graduation. He played for the university team as a safety. He left the ECU team after the head coach resigned.
In 1971, Joe West joined Elon College (now a University). He wanted to play both football and baseball for the university team but their practice sessions were overlapping at that time, so he could not play both and opted for baseball.
In 1973, in his senior year, West was awarded ‘Most Valued Player for Elon’ because he led the team and won a record of dozen wins, making Elon the second best team in the country. His name was entered in the Elon Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
At Elon University, Joe met Malcolm Skyes who was the umpire supervisor of Carolina League. Malcolm insisted West for joining an official umpiring school. After working for a few years with the minor teams West joined Major League Baseball in 1976. He became the permanent member of the staff at MLB in 1978.
At 28, Joe West was the youngest umpire to work in a National League Championship Series.
Joe umpired the 1992 and 1997 Fall Classics. He also umpired the Fall Classics of 2009 and 2012. He became the first president of the World Umpire Association in 2002.
In June 2017, Joe was in his 5000th MLB game. He is the third umpire who has reached this milestone. He has worked in more than 40 seasons, which is the highest number of seasons any umpire has judged. He has led 123 post-season games, second only to Gerry Davis.
Joe West is famous for the nickname ‘Cowboy Joe’ because he likes to write and sing country songs. He has released an album titled Diamond Dreams in 2008. The album was released as a collaboration with Kent Goodson. Kent Goodson loves baseball and Joe West loves music, their mutual partnership created the album.
Joe has also made a few film appearances. In 1988, he appeared in a comedy film, The Naked Gun: From The Files of Police Squad!. He played the role of a third base umpire.
How can more than four decades of umpiring career be without controversies? Joe West has also been involved in a number of controversies with players on the game. In 2014, he ejected Philadelphian player Jonathan Papelbon for making inappropriate gestures to the crowd. Jonathan was suspended from seven games and West was suspended for one game because he exaggerated the situation by grabbing Jonathan’s jersey. Jonathan later stated that he and Joe do not get along well and Joe had let personal feelings come into his professional judgment.
Joe West is not an all-time favorite umpire of the players. Some consider him very strict and others say he is very genuine.
Joe West got married to Jean Jo Mason on the 25th of December, 1988. The couple has no children.
Joe West is not active on social media platforms. He does not have any active Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts. He does not share much of his personal life. He does not even have any YouTube channel.
Joseph Henry West is an American Baseball umpire. He is also a singer and an actor. He has given his life to the game. He has an estimated net worth of approximately $1.5 million.
Joe West, Cowboy Joe has sometimes been associated with other By Association such as Jake Wood, Rakesh Asthana, Anna Slotky, Kang Eun-bi, Valerie O’Connor, Mario Yedidia, Constance Gay, Veronica Strong, and Marjorie Hoshelle.