Umpiring is not that difficult

[mbyron]

Umpiring is not that tough: If you have

*excellent training
*outstanding mechanics
*sound positioning
*comprehensive rules knowledge
*proper use of the eyes
*sanity in game management
*common sense
*a well-developed idea of fairness
*a grasp of baseball tradition
*an unusually thick skin
*a good sense of humor
*some political savvy

If, I say, you have all of these things, then 99% of baseball calls itself. The ONLY hard part of umpiring is acquiring items 1-12.