Being a Pro

• Umpires are expected to be the authoritarians of the game and should conduct themselves accordingly, from the cleanliness of their uniforms to their interaction with managers and players. While umpires are required to be courteous to team officials, they shouldn't fraternize with members of either club. They also must stay away from the coaching box and "...not talk to the coach on duty," according to the official Major League Baseball rulebook.
  
  

Staying Cool

• Umpires are the judge and jury on every pitch, strike, hit or play at the plate. No matter what they call, chances are someone--if not an entire team--will feel unhappy. This results in plenty of criticism, general unfriendliness and downright anger directed at the umpire. Still, umpires themselves are expected to be able to withstand these types of emotions and maintain their composure. As the rulebook states, "The first essential in working out of a bad situation is to keep your own temper and self-control."
  
  

Playing it Safe (or Out)

• While it's important for umpires to make calls as quickly as possible, they don't need to make calls just for the sake of making them. Accuracy is the most important job of the ump, and if necessary, they may consult with the other umpires before finalizing a decision on the field.
  
  

Righting a Wrong

• Sometimes, an umpire will miss a call and know it. That's not something that should happen on a regular basis, but in the instance it does, umpires need to move on the next play and refrain from making "make-up" calls to even things out. According to the rulebook, umpires should make all decisions "as you see them" and pay no mind to "which is the home or visiting club."
  
  

Getting in Position

• The most crucial element to being a successful umpire, whether behind the plate or in the field, is to be in position to see every play as it occurs. This allows umps to not only make the right call but also have extreme confidence that they did so. As the rulebook states, "Even though your decision may be 100-percent right, players still question it if they feel you were not in a spot to see the play clearly and definitely."