- [Voiceover] Another season of America's past time
is just around the corner.
The infield dirt needs raking,
the batter's box needs chalking,
and home plate needs to be,
hey, who's supposed to clean home plate?
- That would be one of the umpire’s responsibilities.
Got to make sure the plate's clean.
- [Voiceover] Look at the...
- Safe.
- [Voiceover] Excuse me, look at all the...
- He's safe.
- [Voiceover] Umpires.
Thank you.
For four weeks every year, 150 aspiring umpires
descend unto Ormond Beach, Florida,
all because of this guy.
Introduce yourself, Hunter.
- Sure, my name's Hunter Wendelstedt.
I'm a major league baseball umpire number 21
and I am the owner operator of the
Wendelstedt Umpire School down here
in Ormond Beach, Florida.
- [Voiceover] And student's come from all over the world.
- [Hunter] We've got Taiwan, Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, and Germany represented
internationally, and I believe we're coming from
36 of the 50 states.
- [Voiceover] But what do students learn
at umpire school?
- [Hunter] We're putting the foundation down.
- [Voiceover] Students learn the difference between balls.
- Ball four.
- [Vocieover] And Strikes.
(yelling)
- [Voiceover] Foul.
- Foul.
- [Voiceover] Fair.
Guess there's no call for that one.
Safe.
- Safe.
- [Voiceover] And out. - He's out.
- [Voiceover] But there's got to be more to it, right?
- The most important lesson of umpiring,
you always have to be honest with yourself.
If an umpire makes a mistake, you need to man up
and be honest with yourself, and you fix it
so it doesn't happen again.
(clapping)
- [Voiceover] So after countless calls and balls,
walks and talks, these blues collect their diplomas
and prepare to say goodbye to umpire school,
ready to take their place behind home plate
at Yankee Stadium, right Hunter?
- Best case scenario, seven to nine years
to get a full time major league job.
You can go to med school and law school
in the same time that it takes an umpire
to reach it to the major leagues.
- [Voiceover] OK, so why would you do it at all?
- [Hunter] Whether it's little league
or major league baseball,
every umpire has to sacrifice something for their
love of the game.
- [Voiceover] Maybe the majors won't come knocking
anytime soon, but thanks to the
Wendelstedt Umpire School, these umps are ready
to strike out at any opportunity.
- I really ain't that sure I get that metaphor.
- [Voiceover] Hunter, that makes perfect sense, come on.