MLB Umpire Gets Knocked out After Being Hit With Foul Ball

An MLB umpire dealt with a scary situation on Tuesday night. During the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies game, umpire Kerwin Danley was hit in the face with a foul ball and appeared to be knocked out behind the plate. The ball was able to get right into Danley’s facemask after Rockies player Sam Hill foul-tipped a pitch.

There is some good news as the Giants announced that Danley “is doing well” as he “has a slight headache.” Danley, 59, is one of the most respected umpires in MLB. In February 2020, Danley became the first Black crew chief in the league.

“I think it’s a significant moment in the history of baseball,” Danley told The Associated Press at the time. “I’m very honored, very excited to be the first,” he said. “But it’s not just about me. It’s much more than that. It shows African American kids there is something else they can make it in, besides playing.” Danley began his umpiring career in 1985 in the Northwest League and worked his way up through the minors. Before the start of the 2020 season, Danley totaled four ejections in the past five seasons. He also was an instructor at the first umpire camp in Compton, California, the home of MLB’s Urban Youth Academy.

“When kids see me out there, they know it can be done,” Danley said. “That’s the proof in the pudding. If you can’t see it or touch it, you don’t know it.” In his MLB career, Danley has worked two World Series and 10 postseason rounds before 2020. He called his first MLB game in 1992 and was hired to the MLB staff in 1998.

Danley was a standout baseball player as he was named a first-team All-American outfielder at San Diego State in 1983. He batted .399 that season, and his teammates included Rockies manager Bud Black and Tony Gwynn, who is considered one of the best hitters in MLB history. Danley was on the field when Gwynn got his 3,000th career hit in 1999.