John Barrett (Hoofdklasse)

• Height 5' 3"

• School Michigan State University, SUNY Albany, Boston University
• High School Somerville High School

• Born February 5, 1939
• Died March 21, 2022

Biographical Information

John Barrett was a long-time umpire. He began umpiring in the USA in Little League in 1958. In 1963, he moved to the Netherlands and met his wife there; he played basketball for a team in Dodrecht despite being 5' 3". He taught and coached baseball and basketball in the Netherlands.

In the 1960s, he played for ADO, as a second baseman and later a catcher. The team made it to the Hoofdklasse in 1971. They dropped out of the league in 1972 but returned in 1973 and he kept playing through 1975. He was noted for his ability to get on base. He became ADO's head coach in 1976, going 15-13. A basketball referee starting in 1971, he began working games in the top Dutch league in the 1975-1976 season. He also became a women's softball umpire in 1975, thus refereeing/umpiring two sports while also coaching one (and working as a teacher)! He was umpiring in the top Dutch women' softball league in 1976 (baseball was played on the weekend, softball on weekdays at that time).

He moved to Haarlem Nicols as head coach in 1977 and they won the title; he returned in 1978. Not having enough different jobs, he began umpiring baseball as well. He worked the 1980 Haarlem Baseball Week. He turned down an offer to coach Neptunus in 1981 to focus on umpiring. With softball games increasingly moving to the weekend by 1982, he had to choose between baseball and softball and opted for the former.

Barrett umpired in the 1983 Intercontinental Cup, 1983 European Championship, 1984 European Junior Championship, 1985 European Championship, 1986 Amateur World Series, 1986 Chung Hua Tournament, 1987 World Port Tournament, 1987 Holland Series and 1988 Haarlem Baseball Week before he decided to return to the US after his decades in the Netherlands. He kept on working, umpiring college and Little League games in the Boston, MA area and working for Harvard University. He was the referee for the IgNobel Awards.

Sources: Obituary by Marco Stoovelaar, Doherty Funeral Services obituary