UPMIRE INTERACTION
Why hasn’t baseball embraced addition of female umpires?
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The hiring of Sarah Thomas as a National Football League official brings to mind the question of why there has never been a female umpire in the Major Leagues or Japanese professional baseball.
The National Basketball Association welcomed two
women, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner, as referees
in 1997, a full 18 years ago, so when will the MLB
or NPB make news by adding a lady to its umpiring
roster?
It was in 1989 when Perry Lee Barber, an aspiring
umpire, was introduced to Japanese baseball by
Kazuo Sayama, a historian of the game. Barber
worked two Orix Braves preseason games in the
Kansai area; one behind the plate and one at
second base.
Braves first baseman Greg “Boomer” Wells played
in the games and praised Barber’s performance,
saying at the time, “She did a good job. I saw no
problems out there.”
Now, 26 years later, Barber has worked thousands
of games at various levels in many countries but is Perry Lee Barber
disappointed the gender
Braves first baseman Greg “Boomer” Wells played in the games and praised Barber’s performance, saying at the time, “She did a good job. I saw no problems out there.”
Now, 26 years later, Barber has worked thousands of games at various levels in many countries but is disappointed the gender barrier has not been broken on the umpiring staffs of the top leagues in Japan or North America.
Speaking by phone from her home in New York last week, Barber said, “I still believe it will happen, and there are signs things are about to change. The presence of women officials in the NBA and now the NFL is encouraging. The question is: what’s going on with baseball?” question is: what’s going on with baseball?”
There was a time when it appeared women were getting close to becoming top echelon umpires. The late Bernice Gera and others such as Pam Postema, Ria Cortesio and Barber herself have officiated MLB exhibition games or worked as regular-season umpires in the minor leagues, but none ever appeared on the field for an official AL or NL game.