What are these guys doing?

clicking on the picture twice makes it bigger

I stopped off at the ballpark yesterday to see what was going on and if some veteran players have started to work out since TwinsFest was behind them.Turns out I saw no players that I recognized but I saw this small group of players along with some Twins staff members setting up some odd-looking devices so I stayed to see what would happen next. 

Come to find out there was a guy there with some electronic equipment to measure reaction and decision times. I watched them as they had a player act the part of a pitcher and then when he lifted his leg the player pretending to be a base runner would take off for the next base and the equipment measured the time from when the pitcher lifted his leg to when the base runner took off. It appeared to also measure the time it took the base runner to cover a certain distance showing how quick they could get to top speed. 

I guess the old stopwatch just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore, these folks are interested in timing things in hundredths of a second. Technology is definitely taking over the game of baseball. I’m not sure if it is good or bad but it is interesting never the less.

A bit later they changed fields and they started what appeared to be reaction times for infielders and outfielders A light would flash for 3/10 of a second and the player was measured on how quick he reacted to that light and went towards a predetermined point. Depending on the color of the light he might need to go either left or right. 

I was hoping to talk to the guy who seemed to run the equipment and find out more about the equipment and the company he represented but I had to leave before the testing was completed.

I took a few pictures and I will try to get them posted on my 2017 Spring Training photos in the near future.

2 comments

  1. I like any technology that puts our development ahead of other teams.

    Have you ever seen anything like this at the fields of other teams?

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