So those wacky baseball owners actually pulled a fast one this week, suddenly announcing an electronic pitch-calling system for pitchers and catchers, two days before Opening Day.
Baseball’s operations and strategy officer, Chris Marinak, tells The Associated Press that the system eliminates the need for a catcher to send visual signs to the pitcher.
The catcher signals pitch type and location using a touch pad on the wrist. A receiver in the pitcher’s cap uses bone-conduction technology to the pitcher’s ear, so they hear the call.
PitchCom is specially made for baseball’s major leagues, but wireless communications in pro sports is decades old, as is the “bone phone.