Gary Darling

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Gary Darling

Gary Richard Darling (born October 9, 1957 in San Francisco, California) is an umpire in Major League Baseball. After beginning his career in the National League from 1986 to 1999, he has worked throughout both major leagues since 2002. He wears uniform number 37.

Darling attended Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. He has umpired in the 2003 World Series, three National League Championship Series (1992, 2004, 2006), two All-Star Games (1993, 2003), and seven Division Series (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007).

Darling's crew for 2007 consisted of Rob Drake, Jerry Meals and Bruce Dreckman.

On April 29, 2008, in the seventh inning of a game between the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, Darling called a balk against Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum, bringing home the winning run from third base in the form of Chris Iannetta. Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected by Darling for protesting the call. On the play, catcher Bengie Molina had asked for a timeout, and Darling raised his hands as if to signal the timeout, but then called the balk and directed Iannetta home. In a later press interview, Darling explained the confusion by saying that "Lincecum flinched," adding that "Bengie was giving him the signs. Then (Lincecum) started and stopped. Bengie tried to cover for him by calling the timeout." Iannetta's run proved to be the winning margin in the game, giving Lincecum his first loss of the season.