Former MLB Umpire fighting for his life

[SuckaInA3Piece]

On friday night, some friends of mine decided the wanted to go have some drinks at Chickies and Pete's here in Philly. I agreed cuz it was my best friend's birthday, so I figured I'd bring him along. So we get there and we're enjoying the Heat/Pistons game on a HUGE screen, when I see my lady friends pulling up outside. So I go out to greet them cuz it's POURING something serious. I look to my right and sitting there on a stool is former MLB Umpire Eric Gregg. He looks my way and smiles, we shake hands and stand there for about 10 minutes talkin basketball and of course baseball. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and it was a trip to see him in person after all the years I'd see him calling games.

Anywho, I get up this morning and read the paper and see that he had a stroke. Now there's a report on ESPN that he might not make it. I literally just talked to this guy hours ago, and now he's possibly lying on his death bed. Unreal.

Associated Prress

PHILADELPHIA -- Former major-league umpire Eric Gregg was fighting for his life Monday, a day after a stroke that left him with little hope of any significant recovery, his son said.

Gregg, whose battle with weight problems became quite public, was one of baseball's most recognizable umpires.
"I think we're running out of time right now," Kevin Gregg said.

The 55-year-old Gregg, who spent his career trying to overcome weight problems that saw him reach almost 400 pounds, was in critical condition at Lankenau Hospital.

"Physically, his body is with us. The brain is almost gone," Kevin Gregg said. "The damage to the brain is so severe, we're just waiting to see how long he can fight. We're still waiting to see if it's two hours or two days.

"The family has come to grips that we're going to lose this one eventually," he said.

Kevin Gregg said his father complained to family members on Sunday morning at his home in Ardmore, Pa., that he couldn't feel anything on his left side.

Gregg was among 22 umpires who lost their jobs in 1999 when their labor plan of mass resignations backfired. Recognized for his large frame and large strike zone, he worked the 1989 World Series, four championship series, two division series and one All-Star Game.

In early March, the former umpire had his right knee replaced. Kevin Gregg said his father was taking blood thinners to prevent clots.

With his wide smile, gregarious personality and lively stories from his days in the majors, Gregg remained a popular fixture in town. He worked at the popular sports bar Chickie's and Pete's in northeast Philadelphia as a jack-of-all trades bartender, host or waiter and also poured beers at their concessions stand at Citizens Bank Park.

Manager Michael Herron saw Gregg on Saturday night and said the former ump was looking and feeling great. Herron said Gregg had lost some weight because of the knee rehabilitation, had changed his diet (from chicken cutlets to grilled chicken) and had stopped drinking.

"He looked a good as I've seen him," Herron said. "He always talked about how he was rehabbing and things were great. He was doing well."

Gregg was also a longtime commissioner of Wing Bowl, a decadent binge-eating event.

Gregg called his first game in 1975 and became a member of the NL staff in 1978. He was left jobless after union head Richie Phillips called for mass resignations as a way of forcing an early start to contract negotiations.

In December 2004, Gregg and five other umpires whose resignations were accepted in 1999 received severance pay and health benefits for themselves and their families. Gregg received $400,000 under the deal.

The 6-foot-3 Gregg, once fined $5,000 for failing to report at 300 pounds, was widely criticized for having a wide strike zone as Florida's Livan Hernandez struck out a record 15 in Game 5 of the 1997 NL Championship Series against Atlanta.

In 1996, shortly after his friend and fellow umpire John McSherry died, Gregg entered a weight-loss program at Duke University. By adjusting his diet and exercise program, he lost 100 pounds from his former frame of nearly 400.

"We feel very blessed that he's been able to do what he did in his career and his life," Kevin Gregg said.

[lal5150]

i always enjoyed his umpiring of game . baseball really screwed him royally. god bless you eric gregg

[the insider]

man, that sucks. he had the greatest called strike motion ever.

[the_atomic_punks_rule]

Sucka=Reaper

Please don't touch me if I ever meet ya! Hey, you going to June 30th show?

And, by the way, Dead Like Me should have never been cancelled.

[fast98dodge]

Hey Sucka, I know it's not the same but out of the blue years ago I was thinking about the guy that plays Q in the James Bond movies and the next day I heard he died the day before... I guess you were meant to meet him...

[emm5150]

He just died a little while ago.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

[billy007]

i always enjoyed his umpiring of game . baseball really screwed him royally. god bless you eric gregg

I'd say it was Richie Phillips that screwed him, but that's neither here nor there right now. He was a great one, one of the best the National League had for years. An example of how an ump should be.

Safe at home, now. Rest in Peace, Ump.

[BREW CREW]

RIP Mr. Gregg.

[ZeoBandit]

RIP Eric Gregg. He was a great umpire and got completely screwed by Richie Phillips. He did have one of the best strike out calls in the game.

He will be missed.

[OLO]

RIP

Sad story.

[SuckaInA3Piece]

Sucka=Reaper

Please don't touch me if I ever meet ya! Hey, you going to June 30th show?

And, by the way, Dead Like Me should have never been cancelled.

Yea, I'll be there. I've had tickets for over a month now. I'll be at both shows on the 30th and 1st. Hope to see ya there.

[SuckaInA3Piece]

I'd say it was Richie Phillips that screwed him, but that's neither here nor there right now. He was a great one, one of the best the National League had for years. An example of how an ump should be.

Safe at home, now. Rest in Peace, Ump.

You're exactly right, but to Eric's credit, I never heard him say a bad thing about Richie. Eric also won a 400,000 case against MLB, so that helped a bit, but I know he missed the game.

Such ashame. RIP Eric.

[billy007]

...but to Eric's credit, I never heard him say a bad thing about Richie...

And that just goes to the great character he exhibited throughout his career.