Joe West is going into the history books.
The prickly umpire broke the MLB record for most regular-season games as an umpire with his 5,376th career game on Tuesday night as the was behind the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals-Chicago White Sox game.
The White Sox acknowledged the accomplishment on their jumbotron.
West passes Bill Klem, who set the record working in the National League from 1905 to 1941. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953.
West has spent 41 seasons as an MLB ump — beginning in 1976 as a National League ump at the age of 23 before switching to the whole league in 2002.
Most fans are familiar with West for his short patience when it comes to arguing calls, often having a quick hook when it comes to ejecting players or managers.
But West, 68, is now etched in history for his longevity, appearing in more games than Derek Jeter and Ozzie Smith combined and being a part of as many big-league seasons as Cal Ripken Jr. and Bartolo Colon combined, per Jayson Stark.
He’s worked notable games, such as Nolan Ryan’s fifth no-hitter, Willie McCovey’s 500th career home run and Felix Hernandez’s perfect game.
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