MICK THE QUICK
Callaway making immediate changes to how Mets go about business
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets are entering a new communications era, and the results are already impressive.
Each morning new manager Mickey Callaway holds a meeting with his team to go over certain vital issues.
Soon, you will see Mets catchers wearing scouting informationpacked wristbands, a pitching cheat sheet if you will, to better communicate with pitchers and as a way to combat rule changes that limit mound visits.
On the technical side, Callaway had a meeting with the team’s video department early on to implement new side angles to shoot both pitchers and hitters in an effort to have a better reference-point video library so hitters can grasp everything from their launch angle and contact point to a pitcher’s leg path and release points.
There has been much emphasis on the defensive side of the game, as well, including more precise drills in an effort to better hold runners on base and defend bunts better
This is a much different camp than years past. Call it Callaway’s Camp Communication. You had better be paying attention because you will be held accountable to do your job.
“The pitcher-catcher relation- ships are crucial and there can’t be any confusion with what we are doing,’’ Callaway told The Post on Wednesday at First Data Field.
To t hat end, Callaway has brought the pitchers and the catchers and respective coaches together in more meetings.
“The closer they are the better,’’ Callaway said. And by adding more coaches to the mix, “you have that triangle of holding guys accountable. Getting the information right during the game is going to be vital.’’
As for the catchers wearing the info wristbands, still in the testing process, Callaway said, “We made our guys in Cleveland wear them. It was great.’’
What’s the most meaningful aspect of wearing the wristbands?
“It puts the catcher at ease,’’ Callaway said. “Any time he is spinning, he’s got his little pacifier on his arm so he never feels like the game is speeding up on him.’’ Welcome to No Excuse Baseball. The Mets are going to be built on pitching so they had better get this right.
As for the side-view videos, Callaway said, “We want to have as many angles as possible so whatever the player and the coach want to look at, they have it. It’s being done more to be thorough and to make sure we have everything covered.’’
Better coaching through better technology.
“We have enough storage on our computers, we can put as much on there as we want,” he said. “When you are working on those drills, you need that side angle, especially for pitchers. That open angle is huge.’’
In the bullpen, new pitching coach Dave Eiland took some of that information and worked specifically on front-leg path placement with Jeurys Familia.
“Any good pitching coach is going to be talking about the lower half,’’ Callaway, a former pitching coach, noted. “The upper half kind of just follows. You get your lower half doing the right thing, everything follows suit.’’
There was immediate improvement to Familia’s work in the bullpen session as catcher Kevin Plawecki urged on the big righthander.
“It really helped with my command,’’ Familia said of the adjustment.
Noted Eiland, “That [change] put him in a good strong power position, balanced over the rubber, and gave him better alignment. That was the Familia of old.’’
The players are excited about the changes.
Noted catcher Travis d’Arnaud of the wristband cheat sheets, “It can really help you, especially with the rule changes. For example, when a pinch hitter comes in, I don’t have to go out and talk to the pitcher now.’’
Likewise, the pitcher will be given information on plans of attack in the bullpen before coming in.
This is where accountability comes into play with players having to do their homework.
The information the catchers wear will be guarded by a flap.
“It’s going to be well-hidden,’’ Eiland said. “There are cameras everywhere.’’
As for all those prying cameras, Eiland would not refer to it as cheating, saying instead, “Everybody. is using the tools that are available to us.’’
The 2018 Mets are trying to get the most out of those tools as Callaway’s Camp Communication
steams ahead.