Five retired Major League Baseball umpires, including longtime official Joe West, have filed a lawsuit against the MLB Umpires Benefit Plan alleging they are owed additional money. The legal action was reported by the Associated Press on Thursday.
West, who retired in 2022 after a record 43-season career, is among the group of former umpires claiming the benefit plan has not paid them the full amounts due. Specific details regarding the amounts in dispute or the legal basis for the claims were not immediately disclosed.
The lawsuit represents a rare public legal challenge by former MLB officials against the league's benefit structure. West, 71, worked more regular-season games than any umpire in history during his career that began in 1976.
