Kerwin Joseph Danley (born May 25, 1961) is an American former

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

who worked in the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

(NL) from 1992 to 1999 and throughout both leagues from 2000 to 2021. He was promoted to crew chief for the 2020 season, becoming the first full time African-American crew chief. Danley has umpired in the 2008 and 2018 World Series and the 2007 and

2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 87th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was hosted by the San Diego Padres and was played at Petco Park on July 12, 2016. It was televised nationally on Fox. The Ame ...

s. He is married to Marisa Danley.

College baseball

Danley played baseball at

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

, where he was teammates with

Bud Black Harry Ralston "Bud" Black (born June 30, 1957) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Colorado Rockies. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1981 through 1995, most notably ...

and future Hall of Famer

Tony Gwynn Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014), nicknamed "Mr. Padre", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. The left-handed hit ...

, before beginning his umpiring career. He was a First Team All-American in 1983.

Umpire career

Danley was the first base umpire for the game between the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

and the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

on August 4, . In the top of the second inning at San Diego, Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 755th career home run off

Clay Hensley Clayton Allen Hensley (born August 31, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Hensley has played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, and San Francisco Giants. Early life Hensley attended Lamar U ...

, tying

Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...

for first all-time. Danley was on the field on August 6, 1999, when former San Diego State teammate

collected his 3,000th career hit. Danley was the first base umpire for Miami Marlins pitcher

Edinson Vólquez Edinson Vólquez (; born July 3, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City R ...

's no-hitter against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

on June 3, 2017.

Injuries

Danley has a significant history of head trauma. In 2008, Danley was hit in the mask and knocked unconscious by a 96-mph fastball at Dodger Stadium. He was carried off the field on a stretcher. On April 21, 2009, Danley was again stretchered off the field after being hit in the mask with a broken bat. On June 4, 2013, Danley was hit in the mask by a pitch that bounced in the dirt in Cincinnati and left the game. He was replaced behind home plate by

Lance Barksdale Robert Lance Barksdale (born March 8, 1967) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He began umpiring in the major leagues on a fill-in basis in 2000 and was promoted to a full-time major-league position in 2006. Umpiring career Ba ...

. On May 12, 2015, Danley was hit in the mask by a 94-mph foul ball in Arizona and left the game. He was replaced behind home plate by

Gabe Morales Gabriel Morales (born June 21, 1984) is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. A native of Santa Clara, California, Morales began umpiring Minor League Baseball games in 2009. He made his debut in 2014, and was one of four umpires prom ...

. On April 7, 2016, Danley was hit in the mask by a 98-mph fastball in Miami but remained in the game. On July 9, 2017, Danley was hit in the mask by a 94-mph foul ball in Dodger Stadium and left the game. He was replaced behind home plate by

Adam Hamari Adam Curtis Hamari (born May 25, 1983) is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. Hamari began umpiring baseball for Little League teams at the age of 12. He began umpiring Minor League Baseball games in 2006, and was promoted to the ma ...

. On April 27, 2021, Danley was hit in the mask by a foul ball in San Francisco and left the game. He was replaced behind home plate by

Ryan Additon Ryan Additon (born December 5, 1985) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. After graduating from Lynn University, he pitched one season for the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League. Additon attended Western High School in Davie, Fl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danley, Kerwin 1961 births Living people African-American sports officials Sportspeople from Los Angeles Major League Baseball umpires San Diego State Aztecs baseball players All-American college baseball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople

College baseball

Umpire career

Injuries

See also

References