Minor league to experiment with electronic catchers' signals

Catchers' signals — and stealing them — could become a relic if an experimental electronic device is successful.

Major League Baseball will give catchers in the Low A West league the option starting Aug. 3 to use a 12-button transmitter that can be strapped with Velcro around a catcher's wristband. Receivers fit inside the sweatband of a pitcher's cap and the padding of the catcher's helmet.

A tiny speaker is included, with volume designed to be loud enough for the player to hear but not be so loud that nearby opponents can pick up the sound.

Teams with the option to be included in the experiment are Fresno, Lake Elsinore, Modesto, Rancho Cucamonga, San Jose, South Inland, Stockton and Visalia, Major League Baseball said in a memo sent Friday to farm directors and field staffs of Low-West teams.

“The system includes three components, a transmitter, which is worn on a wristband by the catcher, and two receivers (one worn by the catcher, and one worn by the pitcher),” according to the memo from senior director of on-field strategy Joe Martinez, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “The catcher denotes the desired pitch and location using the transmitter, and this information is passed to the receivers using an encrypted communication channel and played using bone-conduction technology.”

The memo by Martinez, a former big league pitcher, was first reported by ESPN.

The device, developed by a company called PitchCom and tested at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is programmed for signals in English and Spanish. Clubs can add languages on their own, such as Japanese and Korean. MLB hopes the devices will cut down on time spent by pitchers stepping off the rubber and changing signals.

“The PitchCom devices were tested in side-sessions during major...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Minor-league-to-experiment-with-electronic-16336394.php