Five things learned about the Phillies after yet another series loss
By John Town
Joe West is still a pain
In a surprising turn of events, umpire Joe West had to insert himself into the headlines during Saturday night’s game. With the Phillies already down 5-1 in the eighth inning, Austin Davis entered for his first appearance since mid-August.
While on the mound, Davis consulted a card with scouting reports on the hitters he would be facing. It is something that he has done all season long without any issue. However, West confiscated the card from Davis, citing MLB rule 6.03(c)(7) that states a pitcher may not have any foreign substance on their body while on the mound.
West’s actions obviously led to some confusion considering the team has employed these cards all season. There was a clear miscommunication between West and the league, i.e. West didn’t know the rules. MLB said as much Sunday when they confirmed that Davis is allowed to have the card.
Should we be surprised West was wrong? Nope. Should we be surprised West took another chance to make himself the hero without knowing if what he was doing was right?. No again. Do you think this will change anything about him moving forward? You already know the answer to that.