Barber graduated from Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida, in 2004.
While he was working at a pet store, Barber was bitten by an eel through the bone of his right hand near his thumb, requiring him to get 27 stitches three weeks before the start of his sophomore year.
Barber attended an umpiring camp hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB),[1] and was hired as an umpire in Minor League Baseball in 2006,[3] making his professional baseball debut in the Appalachian League.
[2] He umpired in the 2012 Arizona Fall League (AFL) Rising Stars Game[4] and the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualification.
[5] He returned to umpire in the AFL in 2013 and one of his calls was the first to be tested for expanded instant replay.