RUMOR: Coop Request Pitch Speed be Removed

[joeynach]

Some of us having been talking about how they no longer display the pitch speed in the park. The board that used to display pitch speed out in RF now displays the Pitch Count. Which seems strange since pitch count is already displayed on two boards, on both UD corner boards, so a third seems out of place. I asked a friend of mine who works for the sox in their ticket and group sales dept and he told me he heard from someone else that Don Cooper requested they no longer display pitch speed in the ballpark. Assumable b/c he doesn't want his guys worried about their velocity and checking it constantly. Now keep in mind this is just a rumor, but if its true I find this extremely lame. The pitch speed is there for the fans, not the players, nobody really knows how accurate it is anyway. If the sox pitchers are so concerned with checking their velocity then grow up. Either way this is very strange, these are professional ballplayers, I find it hard to imagine the sox pitchers constantly check the pitch speed board and thus allow their play to be affected by it. I find it very hard to believe that of all the 29 or so stadiums with a pitch speed its only a problem for the sox pitchers, all the other pitching staffs seem to have no problem with something that has been part of parks for years now. Any thoughts on this rumor?

[NorthSideSox72]

Some of us having been talking about how they no longer display the pitch speed in the park. The board that used to display pitch speed out in RF now displays the Pitch Count. Which seems strange since pitch count is already displayed on two boards, on both UD corner boards, so a third seems out of place. I asked a friend of mine who works for the sox in their ticket and group sales dept and he told me he heard from someone else that Don Cooper requested they no longer display pitch speed in the ballpark. Assumable b/c he doesn't want his guys worried about their velocity and checking it constantly. Now keep in mind this is just a rumor, but if its true I find this extremely lame. The pitch speed is there for the fans, not the players, nobody really knows how accurate it is anyway. If the sox pitchers are so concerned with checking their velocity then grow up. Either way this is very strange, these are professional ballplayers, I find it hard to imagine the sox pitchers constantly check the pitch speed board and thus allow their play to be affected by it. I find it very hard to believe that of all the 29 or so stadiums with a pitch speed its only a problem for the sox pitchers, all the other pitching staffs seem to have no problem with something that has been part of parks for years now. Any thoughts on this rumor?

Two thoughts.

 

1. As of last night, the speed is back up, so, that ends that.

 

2. I spoke to my ticket rep when I noted on Opening Day it was missing, and he said that and the narrow band scoreboard below the party deck being non-functional were both technical issues they just hadn't prepped fully for the season.

 

[RockRaines]

I think its false. Ill ask my friend who works the cameras for the sox hitters, he would know more than someone who works in sales and basically has zero interaction with the team, and appears to just be spreading rumors.

 

Also the speed is so off it doesnt matter anyway.

[ChWRoCk2]

I don't have a problem with the pitch velocity being removed.

 

The last thing you want is a player looking up at his velocity and seeing his mph is down so he then overthrows his next couple of pitches. Possibly resulting in a strain or pull.

[jackie hayes]

I'd have no problem with it.

[ChWRoCk2]

Two thoughts.

 

1. As of last night, the speed is back up, so, that ends that.

 

2. I spoke to my ticket rep when I noted on Opening Day it was missing, and he said that and the narrow band scoreboard below the party deck being non-functional were both technical issues they just hadn't prepped fully for the season.

Wait, the speed was up last night?

 

Where because I couldn't find it?

 

I saw pitch count didn't notice the speed.

[Scwible]

Speed was up today on that board.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Speed was up today on that board.

 

What were Floyd and Verlander clocked at? The comcast gun seemed pretty far off (as it usually is).

[Scwible]

What were Floyd and Verlander clocked at? The comcast gun seemed pretty far off (as it usually is).

I checked it to see if it was on after reading that it was off on here but didn't really pay attention to it.

[Dick Allen]

It was back on Friday night. The fonts are different on those little boards this year.

[joeynach]

Well if the speed is back on that makes sense, I found this very hard to believe, espeically b/c it was from some ticket rep on the team. As for its accuracy, its never been accurate, its always off in one way or the other. Still, its nice for a new age park to have new age features, including pitch speed, I would like to see pitch type too, I think they have it in Philly, SD, Cle, etc.

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

I don't remember ever seeing any of our pitcher's heads swivel back to check their speeds after a pitch.

[Dick Allen]

Well if the speed is back on that makes sense, I found this very hard to believe, espeically b/c it was from some ticket rep on the team. As for its accuracy, its never been accurate, its always off in one way or the other. Still, its nice for a new age park to have new age features, including pitch speed, I would like to see pitch type too, I think they have it in Philly, SD, Cle, etc.

When Bill Veeck bought the White Sox in the 70's, he actually had a clock that timed the baserunner down to first for awhile. He was a guy who was a show, and a little bit of a fraud, but he was ahead of his time.