It wasn’t a terrible call, certainly not when compared to some of the others in Country Joe West’s protracted career as an arbiter of baseball’s rules. But his called third strike against Javy Baez in the 1st inning of Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Phillies almost resulted in the NL MVP candidate being run before he even got the chance to take his position.
And though it was largely forgotten in light of Javy’s subsequent solo blast, the only virile moment in the Cubs’ impotent offensive display, the heated exchange provided ammunition for the latest salvo in the interminable players vs.