When I was 14, I played in a summer league. One night the chief umpire asked me if I would like to try umpiring. There was a Little League tournament coming up and he needed more umpires than he had.

The Florida State League was considered the top A-league back then. You played in the spring training parks of major league teams, traveled throughout some great cities in Florida, and the pay was the best in A-ball.

My dad was a carpenter and I would work with him during the summer and umpire on the nights I wasn't playing.

I reached the point where I actually enjoyed the umpiring more than playing.

Looking back on those games, I probably hustled out of position as much as I hustled into position since I really never had any real training. I was working on instincts alone.

Most plays that are missed by the umpire are caused by the umpire not reading those cues early enough and making the proper adjustments.

I set very high standards for myself and worked every game with the same energy and enthusiasm as if it were the seventh game of a World Series.