Local umpire Henry Bray named umpire of the year

Earlier this month, local baseball umpire Henry Bray was honored by a statewide baseball organization as umpire of the year.

The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association “Ken Kirby umpire of the year” award is given to one Wisconsin High School baseball umpire each year. This year’s winner was long time umpire Henry Bray of Boscobel.

Henry also lends his talents to other high school sports by refereeing and umpiring high school softball, high school football, high school basketball and he umpires Home Talent Baseball throughout the region.

Henry said of the award, “I’m incredibly honored to be named the WCBA Umpire of the Year!”

Henry took the opportunity, to acknowledge others while humbly accepting the award, “Officiating has been a huge part of my life, and I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of so many people—fellow umpires, coaches, players, athletic directors, and, of course, my family and friends.”

Bray gave a heartfelt “THANK YOU” accepting the award, while also looking ahead to the new season, “Thank you for the kind words, encouragement, and for trusting me to be a part of this great game. I love what I do, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help keep baseball and softball thriving. See you on the field!”

Henry Bray is a sales person by trade, employed by WRCO Radio and Civic Media.

Ken Kirby was a Wisconsin born umpire that left an unforgettable mark on Wisconsin high school sports, amateur baseball organizations around the state, and he served as a replacement umpire in the American League during the 1979 season. All of the MLB games he worked took place at County Stadium in Milwaukee, WI.

Ken Kirby died in 1998, at which time the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association renamed it’s annual award to reflect the statewide respect for Kirby.