Major league umpires ratified a new five-year contract that includes increased flexibility on postseason assignments on Monday night. The contract, which runs through 2014, does away with the prohibition against umpires working the World Series in consecutive seasons. "Baseball and the union both agreed to make every effort to keep the game of baseball first and professional umpiring second, and we're going to do what's in our hearts to make it right. We said that from the beginning, and we kept our word," said Joe West, the president of the World Umpires Association. "I think all the umpires are very happy. It was a good day for baseball and a good day for umpires."