Doug Harvey, the Hall of Fame umpire who became a commanding presence and a symbol of excellence in a career spanning 31 National League seasons, died on Saturday in Visalia, Calif. He was 87.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Joy.

Harvey had silver hair, giving him something of a regal air, and he was very much in charge, whether calling balls and strikes or umpiring on the bases, prompting players to refer to him as God.

He was a crew chief for 18 years and worked in five World Series, nine National League Championship Series and six All-Star Games, handling 4,673 games over all. In 1974, the Major League Baseball Players Association ranked Harvey as the National League’s best umpire and the only one in the league worthy of its “excellent” rating.

“Doug Harvey was the model that every umpire should strive to be,” the Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan said on the Hall’s website before Harvey’s induction into Cooperstown in 2010. “He was tolerant to a point, yet the players always knew he was in control.”