5 Retired MLB Umpires — Including Joe West — Sue Benefit Plan, Alleging They Are Owed More Money
The five retirees say their benefits were miscalculated and their lawyer says the unpaid amount exceeds $5 million.
- On Sept. 29, five retired Major League Baseball umpires—Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry Vanover, and Jerry Layne—filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York challenging their pension benefits.
- The umpires claim their benefits were miscalculated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, with lawyer Paul B. Holmes asserting administrators were 'shorting the umpires' on entitled payments.
- MLB senior vice president Steven Gonzalez allegedly told West, 'If you don't like the number, sue us,' when the umpire challenged the retirement offer. West previously won a $500,000 defamation suit in 2021.
- The Major League Baseball Umpires Association is not a party to the lawsuit. Settlement efforts failed after MLB's offers proved 'not very competitive,' Holmes said, prompting the five to pursue claims individually.
- U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams scheduled a pretrial conference for Dec. 11, 2026, while MLB declined to comment to USA Today regarding the pending litigation.
19 Articles
19 Articles
5 retired MLB umpires — including Joe West — sue benefit plan, allegin
NEW YORK (AP) — Five retired umpires have sued their retirement plan from their work for Major League Baseball and the plan’s retirement committee, alleging they are owed additional money. Joe West, Tom Hallion, Gerry Davis, Larry
The Toronto Star
5 retired MLB umpires - including Joe West - sue benefit plan, alleging they are owed more money
NEW YORK (AP) — Five retired umpires have sued their retirement plan from their work for Major League Baseball and the plan's retirement committee, alleging they are owed additional money.
Former MLB Umpires Sue League, Claiming Millions In Pension Money Is Missing
Major League Baseball has another legal headache on its hands, this time from five former umpires who claim the league cheated them out of millions of dollars in retirement benefits. Not only that, their attorney says the league was basically asking for a lawsuit. Five retired umpires filed a 44-page complaint in federal court on […]
[Sports Chosun Reporter Park Sang-kyung] Retired Major League Baseball (MLB) umpires have filed a lawsuit against the league office, drawing significant attention. USA Today reported on the 5th (Korean time) that "five retired umpires, including Joe West, Jerry Davis, Tom Hallion, Larry Banover, and Jerry Lane, have filed a federal lawsuit taking issue with pension payments." On September 29, they submitted a 44-page complaint to the U.S. Distri…
It seems Major League Baseball's purse strings are tightly tied even to retired umpires...
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