The Baseball Storyteller Learns A Thing Or Two About The PitchCom® Device

Here is a story for you. There is a lot about the modern game of baseball that I am still learning about. Software, technology, and modern conveniences have taken over for things like stop watches, clipboards, and putting down three fingers for a slider. Case in point – for most of professional baseball, when a catcher signals pitches to pitchers, and the rest of the team it now involves technology. And that technology is called PitchCom® at the MLB and MILB levels, as well as many NCAA levels and schools. And it is cool stuff and seems to be working well and I was eager to learn more about it. So, I popped over to YouTube and found this informational piece from the MLB Network at or around the time the device was coming into its inception at the Major League Baseball level:

I love the explanation from Harold Reynolds, a very trusted resource for all things baseball. In the video, Reynolds shows us (the audience) the keypad device that a catcher would use to signal a pitch to a pitcher, in this video Dan Plesac is the Pitcher. There are a number of pre-recorded signals (pitches) on the keypad, so by pressing a button, you get the pitch you (the catcher) want the pitcher to throw. Reynolds shows the audience the transmitter speaker “thingy” that Plesac has inside of his baseball hat. And the MLB Network team placed a microphone near the transmitter, so when Reynolds selects a pitch via the keypad, Plesac and us in the audience hear the call, “fastball, inside.” Great video explanation!

And this one from former MLB Starting Pitcher Doug Drabek, now a Pitching Coach with the Reno Aces. I like this one because Drabek is an “old-timer” and has a lot of good information on the device and its purpose. Plus, you get a really close up view of the keyboard and the different features it offers.

And this funny commercial featuring the Seattle Mariner’s Pitcher Logan Gilbert and Catcher Cal Raleigh in a playful take on the PitchCom® device if it were used outside of the ballpark.

So, why should a catcher use a PitchCom® device when they have an open hand (your throwing hand) to flash signals? Good question, and the answer is they don’t have to. There are no rules in the current MLBPA contract that say a catcher has to use the PitchCom® device, so if you were to flash a series of fingers – 1,3,1,2,4 wiggling – for a changeup, you are well within your rights as a player. However, the PitchCom® does have a number of advantages over the open hand signaling. Speed being one of them – once a button is pushed and the pitch is translated to the pitcher, and the pitcher accepts, the game’s pace of play is optimized. Even if the pitcher shakes his head no, another pitch can be signaled almost instantaneously. Pace of play is a key focus of Major League Baseball at all levels of play. In the finger signaling world, because of the need for secrecy in the signs world of baseball, a set of signs takes time. A catcher may go through several number combinations, even several sets of signs before a pitcher accepts/agrees on one. Time is ticking and a picky pitcher may take awhile to choose what pitch to throw next. Not good in the modern MLB world where pace of play is monitored closely.

Second, key defenders in the infield and outfield can also be outfitted with transmitters in their hats and listen in to the pitch selection. Then, set up defensively for a fastball or changeup or curveball. In the “old system,” a shortstop or 2nd baseman peering into the catcher for signs could then relay that sign using an open or closed mouth sign to everyone else. Clear advantage PitchCom® here, because of the accuracy. A shortstop or 2nd baseman may not get the sequence of signs right or there may be a glare from the sun or an obstructed view from the batter swinging, or heck a myriad of reasons. The transmitter speaking into their ear, “curveball outside,” is without a doubt better than peering to see signs from 100 feet or so away.

One final YouTube video with some cool customization, this one on the Baseball Isn’t Boring Channel, and it features my Boston Red Sox. It explains how easy it was for the Red Sox players and coaching staff to adapt to the new technology and some of the cool features of the keypad.

As I stated earlier, I am still a student of the game of baseball. Especially the modern game with its advanced software, technology, and devices that pretty much retire some of the “old-timer” stuff I grew up using. I like the PitchCom® device and that it aids in the pace of play discussion for professional baseball. Sign stealing is one of the dirty baseball traditions that everyone wants to get rid of, yet everyone does. I loved learning about the keypad, the transmitter, and how it works from the MLB Network team, Doug Drabek, and the Boston Red Sox Bullpen Catcher, Charlie Madden. It was a very enlightening research exercise for this “old-timer” who is still a student of the game of baseball.

To learn more from the company who invented the technology, head over to the PitchCom® website and click on the baseball page. Here is the link – Baseball Page.

What are your thoughts on the PitchCom® device and what it stands for? Are you for it or against it? Do you think it is good for baseball or unnecessary? Send me your thoughts, I would love to hear them.