Umpire for 42 years...

[bkbjones]

OK, I'll run the risk of pi$$ing off even more people who send me e-mails about the way I do things (ie the clock thing...)

If you're going to become a "new" umpire, you have no right to throw anyone under the bus until you have been out there for a while. You'll find out soon enough that sure enough the players do get by with a little bit when there is just one umpire on the field. And, yes, you're not going to be in position to see everything, including swipe tags at second, maybe swipe tags at third, and a potential bobble by the fist baseman when fielding a throw from the 2B on a great stop in short right field.

These, and other, things, don't make you a bad umpire.

Now if you don't see these things because you're not trying/hustling, then yoyu deserve to be thrown under the bus. Otherwise...

OK, going back to my clock-nazi cave now...