Levine: White Sox Relievers Utilizing iPad Videos To Prepare
By Bruce Levine --
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago White Sox are using the state-of-the-art iPad advances in video to help their bullpen men be ready for their next assignment.
In any looming situation for any of the team's seven relievers, just a click onto the Internet will quickly give each pitcher the latest at-bats from the opposition in an instant while they sit in the bullpen.
"With the iPads for each guy, we can have them see video of any guy they will face that night," pitching coach Don Cooper said. "We now have video to back up what we tell our pitchers before the game, with the visuals to back up the words."
Cooper has a diverse group of bullpen guys who love to take advantage of every nuance available.
"We can show them the hitter who takes the breaking ball for a strike early," Cooper said. "We have learned that some of the guys are visual learners. In other words, you can talk to some pitchers all you want, but the learning curve for many jumps when they can see what you're talking about."
The White Sox historically have always been ahead of the curve taking advantage of the little aspects of the game (stealing signs, freezing and heating baseballs in pregame) as a part of getting a competitive edge.
"Video has been around for a while," Cooper said. "They all have access to it. Some use the video, some don't. The difference is they can get an up-to-the-minute scouting report and video before their appearances instantly. It was always more verbal. We are now backing it up with the visuals."
The White Sox bullpen is a versatile group. While many teams are loading up on relievers who hit the radar gun at 96 to 100 mph, Chicago boasts Nate Jones, who gets it up to 99 mph on a regular basis, as well as others who rely on a different type of arsenal.
"Robby can get strikeouts," Cooper said of closer David Robertson, who has five different pitches in his tool box. "Any of our guys can get strikeouts if they get ahead in the count. You cannot get strike three until you get one and two. We do have guys who are different, who can get ground balls with their stuff. Look at Matt Albers. He keeps the ball down with good movement. He has a great change-up. Now his velocity has come back a little more. That makes him even more dangerous. We feel comfortable now to use him in any situation in a tight game."
The White Sox bullpen has a 1.76 ERA through the first six games of the season, helping the team get off to a 4-2 start. The coaches have been thrilled with the results as well as the approach.
"We have diverse guys who can pitch to contact and get groundball outs," Albers said. "We definitely talk in the pen about how to attack hitters. We look at little mechanical things that each of us do and try to help the other guy. All of us throw a little different. I think that is a good thing, because we all seem to learn from each other. We look at Robby's cutter or a sidearm pitch like Zach Duke. All of us bring different things to the table that helps us learn the trade."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
