Joe West dubs Beltre the biggest complainer in baseball

Adrian Beltre is unquestionably one of baseball's most beloved players, delighting fans with his immense talent and hilarious antics throughout his two decades in the big leagues, but Joe West isn't always so enamored of the 38-year-old third baseman.

As he reflected on his lengthy umpiring career before calling his 5,000th game Tuesday at Coors Field, West noted that Beltre, the longtime Texas Rangers star with four All-Star appearances, is the biggest complainer in baseball today.

"It's got to be Adrian Beltre," West told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "Every pitch you call that's a strike, he says, 'Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!' I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, 'That ball is outside.'

"I told him, 'You may be a great ballplayer, but you're the worst umpire in the league. You stink.'"

Funnily enough, Beltre, who sits 41 hits shy of 3,000 for his career, has struck out looking just once in 69 plate appearances this season.

After missing the first two months of the campaign due to injury, he heads into Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Park hitting .293/.382/.431 with six extra-base hits in 16 contests.