Home plate umpire told to zip it

Poor Kerwin Danley. The home-plate umpire in tonight's Angels-Mariners game had his fly down for the first four innings and didn't even know it. An acquaintance of one of the Angels beat writers called to say the unlatched zipper was visible on television, especially with a left-handed batter at the plate. The message was relayed to the Mariners media relations department, who called down to the umpires' room.

It still took another half inning for the attendant in the umpires' room to inform Danley. The kid did it between innings very discretely, by putting his arm around Danley and giving him the news. The embarrassed umpire had a huge grin as he fished up the zipper. Call it one game where Danley didn't feel like following the infield fly rule.