Umpire Scott Barry recently got a tattoo to honor his late wife, and he was willing to cover it up during games if necessary. Fortunately for Barry, he doesn’t have to make that decision.
“If they had asked me to cover it, I didn’t have any issues with that,” Barry told Sportsnet. “I had already planned for that. And if they’re gonna fine me, I’m OK with that, too. It’s that important.”
As a result of a rule change in the 2025 MLB collective bargaining agreement, umpires are permitted to display their arm tattoos above the elbow for the first time in league history.
Barry had previously bought black and skin-colored sleeves to wear in case the rule was still in effect.
The veteran umpire got the tattoo to honor his late wife, Christine, who died in July 2023 following a nine-year battle with colon cancer. During her treatment, Barry would fly back-and-forth to Michigan to support his wife.
Following Christine’s death, Barry had five different sessions at a small studio in Quincy, Michigan, to get the tattoo. The tattoo contains a pocket watch that features Christine’s date and time of death. The concept of time was very important to Barry and his late wife, especially in her final years.
The tattoo also contained a blue rose, which was a symbol of the colo of colorectal cancer awareness. Barry also had ordered a flower delivery to be sent to Christine on every Tuesday while she battled cancer.
Prior to the 2025 season, Major League Baseball and the MLB Umpires Association had a rule that stated “tattoos and other forms of body art must be covered by their uniform so they are not visible.”
Barry had previously let his fellow umpires know that he was getting the tattoo. He even informed MLB Umpires Association president Dan Bellino, who ended up bringing up the potential rule change in union conversation with the league.
Barry is currently the only umpire that has a tattoo that can be visibly seen despite the rule change.
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