Better Know An Umpire: Scott Barry

Welcome to Better Know An Umpire, an effort to educate ourselves on the human elements who have ultimate decision-making power over some 2,500 Major League Baseball games a year. (All cumulative statistics are through the 2011 season, unless otherwise stated.)

Name: Scott Barry

Uniform number: 87

Age: 35

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds

First year as MLB umpire: 2006

Total MLB games worked through 2011: 618 (home plate: 146)

Previous experience: Appalachian League, South Atlantic League, Midwest League, Carolina League, Arizona Instructional League, Eastern League, Arizona Fall League, International League

Career ejections: Six

No-hitters called: None

Over/under record ( 2006-2011): 57-46

Hated in: Philadelphia

Notable alleged blown calls: Braves-Nationals, August 18, 2010; Indians-White Sox, August 16, 2011; Orioles-Rays, April 1, 2011.

Claim to fame: For publicly mocking Phillies slugger Ryan Howard during a 2010 game.

Scouting report from Major League Umpires' Performance, 2007-2010, by Andy Goldblatt:

Overall he has the ninth highest BB/9 and the ninth lowest K/9 ... His cumulative K/BB of 1.94 is fifth lowest of all umpires. That puts him solidly in the hitters camp, which is also reflected in his four-year R/9 of 9.79, five percent higher than average. ... Barry has a slow fuse.

Scouting report from an angry Phillies fan:

It would be sad if that ump and is family suddenly went missing... I mean i would be happy, but thats because im a terrible person. I hope that fuck head gets his ass beaten or takes an unfortunate foul ball to the forehead and has to learn how to walk and take a shit again

Average K/9 ( 2011): 14.9

Average BB/9 ( 2011): 6.0

Sample PITCHf/x strike zone: May 2, 2011. Angels pitcher Jered Weaver became increasingly upset with Barry's tight strike zone during a 9-5 loss to Boston. But as PITCHf/x shows, Weaver got the benefit of more calls, especially outside to left-handed Red Sox batters.

True fact: Graduated in 1999 with a degree in Secondary Education from Olivet College in Michigan, where he played baseball, football, basketball, and golf.

Strike 3 call:

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