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.