Following a lengthy career as a local sports and business reporter and editor at The News Tribune, Bill Schey found a new home in the game of softball as an umpire and has become one of the best in the region over the past 10 years.

 

Born January 14, 1943, in Nampa, Idaho, Schey played football, basketball, baseball, and softball in Idaho, Illinois, and Bremerton. He settled into Pierce County with The News Tribune and played 15 seasons of competitive men’s fastpitch softball.

 

After retiring from his journalism career and spending a summer in Alaska, Schey took up softball umpiring in 2013. He worked school games for Western Washington Umpires Association every spring and fall, along with weekend Junior Olympic select tournaments for ASA and USA Softball.

 

Schey’s postseason assignments have included state high school tournaments in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Some of his personal highlights include working the 2B title game in 2016 and drawing the plate assignment for the 3A championship game in 2019 in Lacey. He also umpired Western National tournaments for USA Softball in 2014, 2018, and 2021 and has served three years on the board and is a past president of WWUA.