Former Official in League of Her Own

September 26, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Retired MHSAA official Dolly Konwinski – previously a player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who consulted on the 1992 film “A League of Their Own” – died Saturday at the age of 87.

Konwinski umpired both baseball and softball as an MHSAA registered official for more than a dozen years into the 1990s. She brought to the diamond playing experience from the AAGPBL; she played for four teams between 1948-52, including most of three seasons with the Grand Rapids Chicks.

The AAGPBL has been honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., and Konwinski consulted on and made a brief appearance in “A League of Their Own,” which was nominated for Grammy and Golden Globe awards.

She most recently lived in Caledonia and is survived by her husband of 63 years Robert and four children, plus many grandchildren and extended family.

Click for recent Grand Rapids Press coverage of her death. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Kentwood. Click for her obituary.

The feature below, reported by Rick Berkey, aired as part of the coverage of the 1990 MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals on PASS Sports.

Be the Referee: Instant Replay

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

November 26, 2021

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Instant Replay - Listen

The use of instant replay in football varies at each level. But at the high school level in Michigan, replay is not used for any regular-season or postseason games, except for the Football Finals at Ford Field.

Unlike the professional and college leagues, however, the only plays that are reviewed are potential scoring plays and potential turnovers. On those plays, the officials in the replay booth will look at the various angles provided by the television broadcast and either confirm or overturn the play.

For each game at Ford Field, there are three replay officials in the booth – all with experience at higher levels. Over the years, replay has rarely been used, but it’s always in an effort of getting the correct call made.

Previous editions

Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch  Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics 
 Listen