“Cowboy” Joe West, president of the World Umpire Association, worked his 4,000th major league game Thursday. Way to go, they gave him a Nationals game to celebrate.

He’s the 19th man to reach the milestone. And I love that the umpire milestone usurps (just sh#ts on, really) the 3,000 hit mlb player milestone.

Congrats, Joe. Here are some other reasons why CJW is really cool (c/o CowboyJoeWest.com)….

• Umpired first Major League game Sept. 13th, 1976 at the age of 23

• In 1981, became the youngest umpire to work in a National League Championship Series (28

• Designed and owns the United States, Canadian, and Japanese patents on the chest protector for the umpires known as the “West Vest.”

• Inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2002…Quarterback of the Elon College football team, MVP in his senior year.

• avid golfer

• Was a nightly performer at Gilley’s in Pasadena, Texas in the early 1980′s where he worked with the Bayou City Beats and the Urban Cowboy.

When I say abuse, I’m not talking about having to ask Piniella to “lay off the water works, Lou.”

I’m talking about the business end of Hank Blaylock’s broken bat last night….

As well as taking an uncontested 96 mph fast ball from Brad Penny to the dome last year.

Like.A.Ton.Of.Bricks.

Sports By Brooks posted this morning that Danley was taken to the hospital for a possible concussion after that bat whack last night. Here’s hoping he makes a speedy recovery.

Not a glutton for punishment personally, but, if I had to suffer umpire abuse, I would rather go this route: