Danley calling a strike during last night’s game.

If you were watching the World Series last night, you may have noticed some especially spectacular officiating coming from behind the plate. That’s because the umpire calling the balls and strikes was none other than former Humboldt Crab Kerwin Danley.

Go Crabs! | Photo of Danley from Wikimedia

The Crabbies announced the big news on social media last night after being tipped off by a former player.

“Did you know tonight’s World Series home plate umpire Kerwin Danley is a former Humboldt Crab?” the team wrote on Facebook. “Thanks to Crab alumni John Klar for the tip.” 

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced Danley as one of seven umpires chosen to work the 2018 World Series. According to MLB.com this is Danley’s second world series appearance as an official.

Danley played for the Crabs in 1982 while he was a student at San Diego State, where he was teammates with future MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn — one of the greatest hitters in MLB history.

A quick Googling of Danley reveals he’s also known for being a human baseball magnet, taking numerous dingers to the face and body throughout his career. The Denver Post reports that he was even carted off the field in 2008 for taking a 96-mph Brad Penny fastball right to the chin.

There are more than half a dozen videos of Danley getting blasted by heaters on the internet, which LoCO is obligated to share with you now.

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Wikipedia tells us that Danley has also been a part of some historic MLB moments. He was the first base umpire on the night Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron on the all-time home-runs list with his 755th career homer in 2007. He also worked first base during Edinson Volquez’s no-hitter last year.


Although Danley worked behind home plate last night, there’s no telling where he might play for the rest of the series, so keep an eye out for him.

Of course, LoCO can’t give you an umpire story without sharing one of those classic umpire-head coach chest-puffing arguments everyone loves so much. So, we leave you with Danley tossing Royals manager Ned Yost from a game in 2014.

(UPDATE: Ho shit! Mere moments after this post went live on LoCO Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn wrote in to inform us of some pertinent local baseball lore we’d missed. “You do realize that Ned Yost KC manager was born in Eureka that Danley threw out FYI,” Rex said. We did not know that, Rex! Thank you!) 

Danley as a member of the Humboldt Crabs. | Photos provided by the Crabs