When the Major League Baseball regular season begins on Thursday, pitchers and catchers will have some new technology at their disposal. According to a league memo sent on Tuesday, teams will be allowed to use electronic pitch-signaling devices, in an effort to deter sign-stealing and prevent the chances of another massive cheating scandal, a la the Houston Astros.
The approved system, known as PitchCom, will be added to sleeves catchers wear on their arm. With the simple press of a button, they'll be able to choose pitch type and location, and send that information directly to the pitcher, who then wears a listening device. PitchCom has been used during spring training and met with positive reviews. And Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux is also in favor of the device, and hopes it'll benefit the game.
"I went to a college game last week and they were calling the signs in from the catcher's helmet. They didn't have to give signs in the dugout for that," Maddux told the Maggie and Perloff show on Wednesday. "I thought it was great. It sped the game up, made things run more smoothly. I didn't realize [MLB] was going to do that this year. I think it's a great idea.
"I think it'll help speed games up and should make things easier on both the pitchers and catchers... All the teams try to [steal signs]... Sign-stealing has always been a part of the game -- tipping pitches, all that stuff. Stealing signs isn't cheating. I think having someone watch on television and then relay that to the hitter, that's cheating."
In January 2020, the Astros were disciplined by MLB after its investigation found that the team used electronics to steal signs during their 2017 season and run to the ALCS in 2018. To decode the opposing catchers' signs, they used a center-field video feed during home games, and then players banged on a dugout trashcan to let batters know what kind of pitch was coming.
Although no Astros players were punished -- MLB commissioner Rob Manfred granted immunity during their investigation -- manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were each suspended for one season and then fired in the fallout. MLB also fined the team $5 million, and docked four draft picks.
The entire MLB conversation between Maddux and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.