Korean Monster Ryu Hyun-jin (37) of the Hanwha Eagles, who returned to the KBO League after 12 years, has started tempering at the Okinawa spring camp in Japan. Prior to his training, he paid attention to “pitchcomb.”
This year’s professional baseball system will be newly introduced. Pitch clock is one of them. Pitch clock, which limits pitching and hitting time, will be piloted in the first half before being introduced in earnest in the second half. The Major League Baseball, which applied pitch clock first last year, shortened the duration of a game from 3 hours and 4 minutes to 2 hours and 40 minutes. Considering the direction of the Korea Baseball Organization that emphasizes “speed-up,” it is only a matter of time before introducing pitch clock.
The MLB pitch clock is based on the 2023 season, and pitching restrictions are applied to pitchers within 15 seconds if they do not have a runner and 20 seconds if they have a runner. A batter had to enter the batter’s box eight seconds before the end of the pitch clock. One ball was automatically declared if a pitcher violated the rule, and one strike was automatically declared if a batter violated the rule. The main purpose of the rule is to shorten the pitching time. The KBO analyzed the average pitching interval of a pitcher in the league and limited the pitching time to 18 seconds and 23 seconds (eight seconds for a batter), respectively.
Ryu is paying attention to Pitchcom. MLB allowed Pitchcom, a wireless communication system, from the 2022 season. When a catcher chooses a pitch type as a wrist electronic device (keypad), relevant information is sent to a small wireless receiver attached to a pitcher’s cap. The use of Pitchcom is aimed at preventing a runner from stealing signs, and it is also effective to reduce the pitching time, which is closely related to pitch clock. “Time to change signs two or three times (when pitch clock is applied) is not enough,” said Ryu, who has experienced pitch clock in MLB. “I think it will be easier to use Pitchcom, but if I can’t use it (to shorten pitching time), it will be a bit difficult (to adapt).”
KBO did not mention Pitchcom when announcing the operation of Pitchcom. “We are preparing Pitchcom,” KBO Secretary-General Park Geun-chan said in a telephone interview with this newspaper. “It is a U.S. company that makes Pitchcom, and we have received all the basic specifications. A company went to a team that is currently participating in a spring camp in the U.S. and tested it.” However, the specific timing of use is a question mark. “I heard that the product is imported from abroad and needs to be certified for radio waves (related to domestic use). It will take some time,” Secretary-General Park Geun-chan said. “We test-run Pitchcom from the start of the pilot game, but we may not be able to use Pitchcom right away.”
One of the challenges to overcome is the price. “When you look at Peachcom in person, it’s very simple. It’s hard to believe that it’s an electronic device,” a team source said. “Since it’s made by a small company, the quality is lower than expected. It’s a rental rather than a purchase, and the cost is at least tens of millions of won a year.”
People in the field generally welcome the use of pitchcom. This is because it is not easy to reduce pitch time without assistive devices. “I strongly agree with the use of pitchcom. It is useful during the game because the time required for exchanging signatures decreases,” said Daniel Castano, a foreign pitcher for the NC Dinos. The same applies to Ryu Hyun-jin. If he does not have a pitchcom, he may have to adapt to pitch clock anew. It is one of the important inspection points for Ryu who started his camp in Okinawa.
BY: 토토사이트
