base umpire positioning

[Andy]

I believe that that the starting positions that are detailed in the various umpire manuals that are based on the the positions of the fielders assume that the second baseman and shortstop are playing in a "normal" position. In my experience, this is becoming less and less common.

I have been advocating selecting a spot somewhere between half and two-thirds of the way to the next base as a starting position, then adjusting from there as necessary. For me, personally, I have found that this gives me plenty of time to react to a steal and get to a good position to rule on the play. I'm also able to take a couple of strides to get a decent angle on a pick off play, with the exception of the pick off at first from the C position in two umpire mechanics.