Two Arrested in Theft of $90K in Memorabilia from Former MLB Player

Phoenix police have arrested two individuals, Daniel Jacob Thompson, 48, and Michael Charles Hummel, 30, in connection with the theft of over $90,000 worth of memorabilia from former Major League Baseball player Daniel Johnson's storage unit. The arrests occurred Friday, one day after surveillance footage of the break-in was released.

Thompson and Hummel were apprehended after a pawn shop employee recognized them from a police flyer. The pair had attempted to sell two pairs of shoes they had stolen from Johnson's unit. Authorities reported that the alleged burglars targeted multiple storage units.

The theft took place on September 27. Johnson, who played for the San Francisco Giants along with the Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros across five MLB seasons, was using the storage facility while renovating his Arizona home. He stated that much of the stolen property consisted of his baseball apparel and memorabilia accumulated over a decade of playing professionally.

"A lot of the other things were replaceable. But when it comes to the baseball… apparel and memorabilia that I had for over my 10 years… it really was a gut buster because I knew that unless I played for all those teams, there’s no guarantee that I get that stuff back," Johnson told FOX 10 Phoenix. He also mentioned plans to donate some of the stolen items to charity.

Johnson appeared in eight games for the Astros' major league roster in 2026, recording two hits in 14 at-bats. He also played for the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Guardians, and Baltimore Orioles during his career.