Michigan umpire Paul Grein recently passed away from an injury sustained during a weekend prep tournament. It seems to be a very freaky type accident.
Paul was scheduled to work our upcoming MHSAA championship series of games.
Great guy, great umpire.

Bay City Times (edited)
Friday, June 10th, 2005

Top local umpire dies from tragic on-field injury

Times Sports Writer

Coaches ask kids to give their all and play the game like there's no tomorrow.
Nobody had to ask veteran softball umpire Paul Grein to work hard, get into position, use his best judgement and leave it on the field.

The 69 year-old former Bay City school teacher did just that working a high school softball game May 28. After taking a hit off the mask in the first game of the Bay City All Saints Invitional, Grein continued calling balls and strikes. In the middle of another game, at least four hours later, Grein had a headache and felt too dizzy to continue; he was taken to Bay Regional Medical Center.

Grein never recovered from the blow, which was diagnosed as a tear to the brain stem. He died Thursday night at the hospital.....

That is tragic, and extreemely scary also. Have we not all taken a shot like that?


My thoughts and prayers go to the Grein family.

Tragic happening. Let's learn something from this, so that this man's death teaches all something - and this happening does not happen again.

Plate umpires - make sure that you learn to wear your mask loose. Wear it loose so that when a foul hits your mask squarely - and it will - that the mask bears all of the force. My mask is knocked off of me serveral times during the course of a 200-300+ game season. I never feel any effect from these hits as the mask has taken all of the force.

OMQ - Very good to see you around again, but I'd have preferred it under different circumstances. I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

Steve M..great point about the loose mask....If youre worried about it getting knocked off..who cares?

Sad story

Mine, too.

I will add my thoughts and prayers to the family.

Just this weekend, I took a foul ball straight to the mask. Because I wear mine loose, the mask was knocked off my head, but no ill effects. I have had the mask twisted on my head before when hit, but never knocked completely off. Thanks, Steve for the tip about wearing the mask loose.

Now that you mention it, I guess mine coming off a few timea means it is loose and apparently that has helped with all of those hits although I never thought of it and being loose is just by accident. It's really sad that a tragedy was needed to bring this up, but I hope his soul rests better knowing he has helped others and was so respected by those who knew him.