David West was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He was born on February 16, 1964, in Memphis, Tennessee. West attended Memphis State University, where he played college baseball for the Memphis State Tigers. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.
West made his Major League debut with the Twins in 1987. He pitched in 12 games for the Twins that season, starting six of them. He had a 2-2 record with a 4.91 ERA. West spent the next two seasons with the Twins, primarily as a relief pitcher. In 1989, he had a 3.00 ERA in 54 innings pitched.
In 1991, West was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He had a career-best season that year, going 10-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 28 starts. He pitched 194 innings and struck out 126 batters. West was named the Phillies' Pitcher of the Year for his performance.
West spent the next three seasons with the Phillies, but his performance declined. He had a 5.11 ERA in 1992, a 4.93 ERA in 1993, and a 5.72 ERA in 1994. He was released by the Phillies in August 1994.
West signed with the Kansas City Royals for the 1995 season. He had a 4.91 ERA in 28 games for the Royals, including 14 starts. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds for the 1996 season but struggled, posting a 6.75 ERA in 19 games.
West signed with the Milwaukee Brewers for the 1997 season. He had a 4.58 ERA in 29 games for the Brewers, including 12 starts. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1998 season but was released in May after posting a 7.71 ERA in six games.
West finished his Major League career with a 63-88 record and a 4.66 ERA. He pitched in 307 games, starting 170 of them. He pitched 1,223 innings and struck out 634 batters.
After his playing career, West became a coach. He was the pitching coach for the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2000 to 2002. He was the pitching coach for the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, from 2003 to 2004. He was the pitching coach for the Memphis Tigers, his alma mater, from 2005 to 2007. He was the pitching coach for the Arkansas Travelers, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, from 2008 to 2010. He was the pitching coach for the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2011 to 2012. He was the pitching coach for the Memphis Redbirds again from 2013 to 2014. He was the pitching coach for the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, in 2015. He was the pitching coach for the Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, from 2016 to 2017. He was the pitching coach for the Mobile Bay
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