Why does the base ump station himself/herself behind the SS with runners on base and still think that he/she can call a close play at 1st base correctly???
Thanks for your question. With runners on base, the field umpire is suppose to be concerned with lead runners looking to advance to second or third. This is particularly true if it is a tag play at third (runner on second only). The thought is to make sure the lead play is called correctly as it will have a big influence on the game. As first is always a force, the umpire should be able to see the timing of the play at first and can always get help from the home plate umpire. With only two umpires, they need to cover the most critical situations (balls & strikes and lead runners).