Pitchers can call own pitches

Bases loaded, one out, full count and Justin Verlander knows exactly what pitch he wants to throw.

Starting this month, he can call it himself.

In yet another nod to new technology, Major League Baseball will permit pitchers in spring training to wear wristbands that will let them signal to the catcher what’s coming next.

The experiment that will begin Feb. 24 when exhibition play begins with Seattle-San Diego and Texas-Kansas City matchups in the Cactus League. All 30 teams are scheduled to be in action the next day.

It’s an extension of the PitchCom system that MLB teams were allowed to employ last season, when catchers could push buttons on their wristbands to call for fastballs, curves, changeups and anything else, along with the location. The pitcher would then hear the result on an earpiece inside his hat.

Now, pitchers can make the calls themselves.

MLB will evaluate how things go and then decide whether to approve it for the regular season, executive vice president Morgan Sword said Thursday.

TV: About $1 billion of Major League Baseball’s revenue is at risk if a cable television company fails to make payments for local broadcasting rights to 14 teams, and the sport is preparing to take over telecasts. Sinclair acquired 21 regional sports networks in 2019 from The Walt Disney Co., which had taken them over as part of its purchase of 21st Century Fox. Sinclair also holds rights to 16 NBA teams and 12 NHL franchises, and teams fear in an era of cord-cutting they may not get payments from Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair Broadcast Group subsidiary operating the networks under the name Bally Sports. Diamond owns rights to local broadcasts for 14 teams.