Brewster Whitecaps employ pitch-calling technology
BREWSTER — In a league as old and historic as the Cape Cod Baseball League, it's rare that something is done for the first time in this day and age. But the Brewster Whitecaps find themselves innovating in the league this summer.
Instead of calling pitches using traditional signs relayed from dugout to catcher, the Whitecaps are using a radio system called "Coach Comm" to get the calls in.
It represents a switch from the old guard that's happening all across collegiate baseball. Prior to the 2021-2022 academic year, the NCAA officially approved the systems for use by teams after it had been tested with a few programs and conferences across multiple divisions.
The system works in the same way that NFL coaches communicate with quarterbacks. It's a one-way radio frequency, where a coach in the dugout can radio in the call to the catcher, who then puts down the fingers.
Coach Comm serves a few purposes
The system serves a few purposes. It lessens the time between pitches, improving pace of play, and also eliminates sign stealing, two things that baseball at all levels have been looking to address.
In January, the technology started making its way to the Whitecaps when two friends, Brewster head coach Jamie Shevchik and first-year Brewster pitching coach Jason Rathbun, had a conversation about the emerging technology.
"I had talked to coach Shev, during the ABCA Baseball Convention in January, and we were discussing the new rule within the NCAA of allowing that communication system... we actually talked quite a bit," Rathbun said.
Ultimately, the two settled on using the same system at their respective schools. They also decided Rathbun would join Shevchik's staff this summer.
"As the discussions progressed with me coming out here and being the pitching coach this year, I asked him 'Do you want me to bring the communication system?' And he said 'Absolutely, let's call pitches.'"
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Brewster is the lone team this season to be using the technology, but it's not new to Texas Christian University's Kurtis Byrne, a backstop for the Whitecaps.
Both Byrne and Rathbun echo the same sentiment, which is the system holds a unique value in the Cape League. The ability to discuss what pitchers have in their arsenal in real time, helps tremendously when a team is together for the first time on a Cape League field.
"Absolutely (it helps)," Byrne said. "He's (Coach Rathburn) giving me advice, what he (the pitcher) throws, what his ball does, it's really helpful. It speeds up the process."
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Despite the system being one-way communication, it doesn't take away a pitcher, or catcher's, ability to call another pitch. Rathburn said there's still a dialogue that happens between him, his pitchers, and his backstops to ensure the best pitch is being thrown.
"This is a team effort," Rathburn said. "We tell every pitcher, 'You have the ability to shake off any pitch that you want.' We want you to throw what you're most comfortable with. We're just trying to give a suggestion."
Rathbun encourages both teammates to have a voice throughout the game, often relying on information from the eyes of his catchers to inform decisions. However, he said the system is able to take pressure off the catchers having to make every decision.
Technology gaining traction rapidly across college baseball
Overall, the technology is gaining traction rapidly across college baseball. Systems from various companies have made their way to some of the top programs in the nation.
There are people, like Byrne, who believe this is the way that baseball is trending.
"It picks up the game, it just makes too much sense to do it like this," he said. "I think it's phenomenal what they're doing with it."
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Rathburn sees the potential, but also understands that nothing is ever 100% in baseball.
"There's not one way to hit. There's not one way to pitch. There's not one way to call a game," he said. "It allows better communication... it allows the game pace to work a little quicker."
Shevchik sees the bigger picture. He envisions a future in which players relay not just pitch information, but make defensive calls and align defenses, by communicating with outfield players as well.
"Eventually, what I think could possibly happen is, there could be a communication piece with the shortstop, or guys on that field," he said. "That would be so much easier."
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Where the technology goes from here remains to be seen. There are many who are on board, and still some holdouts on the opposite side. In it's infancy pitch-calling technology has proved to take time off of games when it's used.
Only time will tell if usage of the tech will continue to trend upwards. There may even be more teams in the Cape Cod Baseball League using it in the the future. Brewster, though, will always be the first.
Gloss