Perry Barber becomes first woman in Pioneer League history to serve as home plate umpire
With over 40 years of experience in the umpiring field, Perry Barber has lots of firsts that she's crossed off her list. Still, her presence as a home plate umpire for the series between Yolo and Boise marked another personal milestone for her as well as the Pioneer League itself.
Perry Barber, an umpire with 43 years of professional and amateur experience, became the first woman in the history of the Pioneer League to serve as a home plate umpire in last week's Yolo versus Boise series.
"A pioneer in the umpire profession, Perry Barber belongs in the Pioneer League," said Director of Baseball Operations Bryan Hayes. "With her wealth of experience and talent, we're honored to have had Barber working our games as clubs pursue the playoffs. As expected, Barber's pitch-calling was terrific, confirmed by Trackman data and our 'Strike Zone Challenge'. She added another 'first' to her long line of accomplishments and continues to open doors for women in baseball."
Barber stamped her place in league history in the series opener on August 20, taking her spot behind the plate and presiding over the 10-4 High Wheelers victory. She reprised her role in the third game of the series, calling balls and strikes for Yolo's third straight win in the matchup. Following her two games behind the plate, she spent the rest of the week in different spots around the diamond — and even got a scheduled day off to visit the Coliseum and see the As play in Oakland for her very last time. She joins Kate Hart as the second woman to serve as an umpire in the Pioneer League this season.