Perry Barber has spent nearly a half-century umpiring in baseball, charting a course and serving as the inspiration for generations of girls and women hoping to get involved in our National Pastime. The self-effacing lady umpire relishes her role as a beacon of hope.

“We have a saying: ‘If you can see it you can be it.’ How many girls would see women umpires out there and say to themselves, ‘wow. I didn’t know women could do that!” Well, many have.