Should base umpire ever be in Position B?

[tibear]

I've been an umpire for many years now and mostly working in two man systems. Baseball Canada, where I live, and most other umpire associations require base umpires to position themselves in Position B, between first and second base with a runner only on first base.

Most seasoned umpires will agree that angle is better than distance and if so I contend that Position C, between second and third base provides much better angles then Position B.

From position C there are no sliding runners to look through on pickoffs at first or steals at second. You have a full view of second base on steals and the angle to first is far superior from C than B.

What do the rest of you think? Is angle really better than distance or do you agree that base umpires should remain in Position B to be closer to the action?