League OKs electronic pitch calling
NEW YORK » In a move that ends a tradition dating more than 150 years, Major League Baseball approved the use of an electronic device for catchers to signal pitches in an effort to eliminate sign stealing and speed games.
Since the beginning of baseball in the 19th century, catchers had used their fingers to signal the type of pitch and its intended location.
As video at balllparks increased in the 21st century, so did sign stealing — and worries about how teams were trying to swipe signals. The Houston Astros were penalized for using a camera and banging a trash can to alert their batters to pitch types during their run to the 2017 World
Series title.
“It basically eliminates all need to create a sign system, for a catcher giving signs,” MLB chief operations and strategy officer Chris Marinak said Tuesday. “You literally just press a button and it delivers the pitch call to the pitcher. And what we’ve seen so far, it really improves pace of game.”
Some teams tried the system in spring training, with manager Tony La Russa of the Chicago White Sox and Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees among those saying they liked what they saw.
Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka used it a couple times this spring training, including Tuesday with pitcher Michael King against Detroit in New York’s final exhibition game.
“There’s still some stuff we’ve got to work through, but I mean the fail safe is always just give signs. So, that’s always there when we need it. We’re just working out all the kinks right now. If we run into stumbling blocks in-game, we can always give signs. I’m not too worried about it being confusing,” he said.
“I like it. At first today I gave signs to King because I didn’t have a chance to talk to him about it, so I started getting all messed up with it. So I just decided to give signs, and that worked fine,” he said.
MLB is providing each team with three transmitters, 10 receivers and a charging case for the PitchCom Pitcher Catcher Communication Device. It is available in English and Spanish.