Joe West and four retired umpires sue MLB plan over $2 million in unpaid benefits

Retired Major League Baseball umpires Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover, and Jerry Layne are seeking more than $2 million in additional retirement money. The five men filed a lawsuit on Sept. 29 in federal court in New York, alleging that their benefit calculations were incorrect. They are suing the American Leagues and National Leagues of Professional Baseball Clubs Retirement Income Plan for Umpires and its retirement committee.

Their attorney, Paul B. Holmes, stated that the amount owed to the group exceeds $2 million. He noted that while some aspects of the dispute could be debated, other issues clearly showed the umpires were shorted. Holmes said the group attempted settlement talks but found MLB's offers uncompetitive. He added that the umpires were willing to accept less than the full amount to avoid litigation, but the offers did not meet their expectations.

West, who worked a record 5,460 regular-season games from 1976 to 2021, said he raised the issue with the retirement committee before filing. He reported that Steven Gonzalez, MLB's senior vice president and chief employment counsel, offered a relatively small sum. West recalled Gonzalez telling him, “If you don’t like the number, sue us.” West responded, “Does Steve Gonzalez not know my history with dealing with lawsuits?” West won a $500,000 defamation judgment against Paul LoDuca in 2021.

The retirement dates for the plaintiffs vary. West and Davis retired after the 2021 season. Hallion retired after the 2022 season. Layne and Vanover ended their careers at the close of the 2024 season. The lawsuit was filed as an individual action, and the Major League Baseball Umpires Association is not a party to the case.

Holmes explained that the union chose to stay out of the dispute. He noted that the union is not large and lacks pension expertise. MLB declined to comment on the suit, citing the pending legal proceedings. The lawsuit was first reported by USA Today.

The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who has scheduled a pretrial conference for Dec. 11. The plaintiffs argue they are entitled to additional funds under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.