Aspiring Minor League Umpires David Simonds and Tyler Wall chat with MLB Crew Chief Ted Barrett and yours truly about their upcoming month at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, FL.

Back in Episode 001 of Officially Speaking, Triple-A Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey talked with me about his experiences in officiating, and then gave his own thoughts on the kind of person that would even attempt the grueling journey of professional umpiring, "No one who goes into professional umpiring with the idea of making Major League Baseball their career is ever considered to be faint of heart... it takes a great deal of daring, it takes a great deal of self-confidence, and a great deal of willingness to commit all of your resources to trying to make that happen."

These two men talking with Ted and I have an incredible passion for the game of baseball, along with 108 other students at the MiLB Umpire Training Academy, and they all start their Umpire School