FORT MYERS, Fla. - When spring training started last year, there was a lot of eye-rolling when the PitchCom contraption was introduced. Pitchers weren't sold. Catchers had their doubts. And some of the fielders - who also wore the device - thought it was a flawed idea.
The Red Sox and other teams, in fact, didn't use the device for the first few games of the 2022 season.
But it wasn't too long into the regular season that virtually every player was accepting of the electronic sign-relaying system, with catchers getting in the habit of pushing buttons to call signals for their pitchers without putting down any fingers.
Now, another introduction is about to take place.
The plan is for pitchers and catchers wear a new version of PitchCom, with this one allowing the person throwing the ball to call the pitch. And while the Red Sox pitchers - who were just introduced to the idea a few days ago - haven't dove head-first into the new technology, it will be part of the upcoming Grapefruit League action.
"I just heard about it recently, too," said Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. "My understanding right now is that it’s a trial basis through spring training, much like the regular PitchCom was a year ago. My understanding is in the short-term that we will try it, if it gets good feedback and guys like it then there is a good chance it gets implemented in the season. If not, and people don’t like it, we won’t use it."
Bush added, "Anyway we can communicate faster and more efficiently I’m for it. Same thing with PitchCom last year. At first I was like, ‘I don’t know if we really need this,’ and then we started to us it and it was great."
One pitcher who recently gave the device - which is slightly smaller than the PitchCom used last season - a test drive was Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals.
"As soon as I get the ball back, I'll be pressing some buttons," Wainwright told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
With the new pitch clock forcing pitchers to throw the ball within 15 seconds with nobody on base and 20 seconds with runners on, the idea is to take out a few less seconds when it comes to the sign decision-making process.