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Everyone is curious about a piece of equipment

Everyone is curious about a piece of equipment they’ve never seen before in baseball. We’re talking about Pitchcom, an autograph exchange device between pitchers and catchers.

On the 15th, the KBO distributed a set of Pitchcom, a device that allows pitchers and catchers to exchange autographs during games, to 10 clubs, and provided guidance to club representatives on how to use it and the rules. The Pitchcom equipment was certified on the 1st and will be available for use from the 16th.

The Pitchcom sets distributed by the KBO consist of a transmitter to input autographs and a receiver to listen to them. Each set consists of three transmitters and 12 receivers, with one set going to every team in the KBO League and Futures League.

The transmitters have nine buttons that allow you to press preset pitches and pitching positions in sequence, which are then voiced to the receiver. The transmitter can only be worn by pitchers or catchers, and for pitchers, it is worn around the wrist with a glove or brace. For catchers, it can be worn on the wrist, knee, or anywhere else you choose.

Receivers wear it on the inside of their hat.

In addition to the pitcher or catcher, up to three other players on the field can wear them, and they cannot be used in the dugout or bullpen, the KBO explained.

The Major Leagues have already adopted the practice since 2022 to prevent autograph theft. Some of the foreign players currently playing in the KBO have used Pitchcom. KT Wiz’s Wes Benjamin, who used Pitchcom on the 16th, is one of them. 토토사이트 순위 Benjamin immediately informed manager Lee Kang-cheol of his intention to utilize Pitchcom, and on the 16th, he and catcher Jang Jang-woo worked together with Pitchcom against Gochuk Kiwoom.

The Pitchcom era opened up faster than expected. Hanwha also started using Pitchcom on the 17th against Changwon NC, just as coach Kim Kyung-moon promised. KT also utilized Pitchcom against Kiwoom with William Cuevas following Benjamin. Cuevas even held a transmitter and signed autographs in person. Kia’s Yang Hyun-jong also became the first Korean pitcher to utilize Pitchcom.

At the Ulsan Munsu Stadium, Pitchcom was also the center of curiosity. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung and Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop were both skeptical about using it right away. However, they both emphasized that “if the players want to use it, we will let them use it.”

On the first day of Pitchcom,

Lotte tested it with Park Se-woong, who is scheduled to pitch on the 18th, pitching out of the bullpen. Catcher Lee Jung-geun, who received the ball, also used the Pitchcom transmitter to sign his name.

Park’s initial reaction was positive. “I don’t have any intention of using it. It has the advantage that I can get autographs even when I’m looking away,” he explains. “However, I think we need to think about what to do when the autographs don’t match each other,” he said.

“I think I’ll have to try it out in real life to know the pros and cons. I think it’s easy to use when the sign is right, and it’s difficult when the sign is wrong. We need to find a way to use it efficiently,” he explained.

Left-hander Kim Jin-wook, who is scheduled to pitch on the 19th, also used the Pitchcom transceiver with catcher Son Sung-bin on the 18th to coordinate bullpen pitching. Kim was excited about the PitchCom, but said he’s still thinking about its practical use. “It was interesting that I didn’t have to use my fingers to sign,” he said, ”but it’s difficult for me to do it because there are many factors, such as how to express the catcher’s refusal to sign, and the voice of the pitcher’s course.”

“I think it makes me think a lot, because if the course sign comes out low, I have to say it out loud. Maybe it’s because I’m a big thinker,” he said, explaining his difficulties during the test.

He emphasized that the course needs to be organized between the pitchers.

“Even when I was listening to the explanation yesterday (Dec. 16), I thought that I should organize the signing and refusal of autographs well. (Kim) Won-joong-yi said that it would be okay if the height of the course was removed and only the inside and outside courses were set, and the catcher would be lured,” Kim explained.

Son Sung-bin, who received the ball from Kim Jin-wook, was initially skeptical of Pitchcom, thinking it would be too cumbersome. He said, “It’s not as difficult as I thought, and I don’t have any inconveniences.” “I think the problem is how the pitcher does the sign given by the catcher,” he said. “I think the problem is how the pitcher does the sign.” He also shared a similar point of view.

Sign accuracy is not a problem. When asked about wearing a transmitter and receiver as a catcher, he said, “In case the transmitter makes a mistake, I want to be able to check the mistake and cancel it right away.”

Son Sung-bin says he has no problem communicating with foreign players because he can set the language to English, Japanese, and more. “Wouldn’t it be easier? I don’t have to do it by hand, and it will definitely save time. I think we should coordinate with the pitcher and coordinate the bench sign with the coaches,” he concluded. There are still some things that need to be coordinated, but it is possible to improve convenience and speed.

Doosan also utilized Pitchcom on the day when Kwak-bin played catch.

Kwak is positive. “I didn’t feel any discomfort using it,” he said. Previously, I used to sign only the catcher’s sign and the mitt position, but I feel like I can concentrate better because I can hear the intuitive signs,” he said. ”The time for signing is definitely reduced, so I think using PitchCom will be very helpful when we introduce PitchClock. However, I think the catchers who are signing will need more time to adjust than me (the pitcher).”

In any case, the Pitchcom era has arrived, and I’ve seen more positives than negatives out of curiosity. Now, the KBO’s Pitchcom era is likely to arrive sooner rather than later.

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