Forget Steroids, Get Baseball Players A Video iPod

from the watching-video dept

With the ongoing debate about performance enhancing drugs in baseball, there's another technology that not only is helping players, but is legal: the video iPod. Baseball players analyzing video of their own performance or of opponents is nothing new. In the last few years, it's become quite popular, with players often carrying around a ton of video on laptops. Teams have invested heavily in tools to better archive videos and make them more searchable. However, it still involves players going in and watching the video on a computer or TV screen. What if they could watch it anywhere at any time? Apparently that's what the Colorado Rockies have started doing with a program to load game video onto the players' video iPods. The team isn't buying the devices for players, but enough of them already own them. Many of the players have given the team's video coordinators permission to take the iPods from their lockers and keep them updated with all the video they might need. Apparently, the Rockies' use of the video iPods is getting attention from other teams. Of course, you could argue that Johan Santana from Minnesota Twins has a leg up on the video iPod users. He's using a PSP, where he can not only watch video, but also prepare against opponents in a virtual baseball game.

20 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 

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  1. by Geoff - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 2:32pm

    I have a psp

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  2. Re:

    by Anonymous Coward - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 2:39pm

    and your point being...?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  3. Re: Re:

    by HIS POINT - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 2:42pm

    HIS POINT... IS THAT... HE'S.. UHH... FABULOUS.. cause.. uhhh... happiness = consumer goods

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  4. Re:

    by Anonymous Coward - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 2:43pm

    At leats he didnt' say first post

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  5. Anyone care to take a bet?

    by Jezsik - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 2:53pm

    I'm betting someone out there is trying to patent this idea ... don't get me started.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  6. by Anonymous Coward - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 3:02pm

    its already been patented by me!
    im suing the rockies.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  7. by Anonymous Coward - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 3:13pm

    I wouldn't sue the Rockies. If you win, you might get the team.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  8. by Rikko - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 3:18pm

    I love this quote:

    "We figured if you can watch music videos by rock 'n' roll and by country, why can't you watch at-bats by San Francisco and pitches by Jason Schmidt?"

    Rock 'n' Roll has got to be one of the most famousest artists out there!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  9. by anonymous coward - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 3:21pm

    how long before the MLB sues the teams for unauthorize reproduction or rebroadcast?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  10. Last Post

    by Anonymous Bum - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 4:45pm

    I think the Ipod and Nike Shoe is a better Idea. Last post!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  11. It's ridiculous...

    by ABC - Jun 16th, 2006 @ 4:51pm

    Have you ever tried watching video on an ipod... It's pretty hopeless. It's a fun feature, but in all seriousness baseball players cannot possibly see the enough detail (the ball would be barely visible) to "analyse their oponents" on an ipod... I say its probably all for show...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  12. by Anonymous Coward - Jun 17th, 2006 @ 8:06am

    ipod video's are a stupid idea to begin with because the screen is to small to see, no way you actualy analyze a game. What happened to the whole team sitting around a huge big screen TV?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  13. How long will it take

    by ? - Jun 17th, 2006 @ 9:54am

    For some silly video content watch dog group to mess this one up?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  14. MLB Sues team!

    by Some Geek - Jun 17th, 2006 @ 11:13am

    I agree with above post....how long before the MLB sues the Rockies for unauthorized reproduction of content. I am pretty sure that they plug in their video iPod to a TV at their house, b/c you can bearly see the seams of the ball to tell how the pitch is thrown. Fingers are hard to see also.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  15. Re: MLB Sues team!

    by Randall - Jun 18th, 2006 @ 8:03am

    are you the biggest idiot ever?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  16. ipod video

    by Andrew N - Jun 18th, 2006 @ 5:01pm

    Actually, I own an iPod with video and I was surprised how well I could see the screen and a ton of detail. Now, do I think that it's enough detail to analyze how many fingers a pitcher has on a certain throw? No. But it is good enough to watch general strategy.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  17. What a steaming load.

    by Super-Fruit - Jun 18th, 2006 @ 5:21pm

    IPod video rinky dink stinks for video. 2 hours battery life? Yeah, hard days training their EYES to stare down at a tiny screen, they cant take too too far from a power jack. Great idea.

    If you really want video on the go for baseball players, stick to PSP (since they can afford that overpriced p.o.s.) and all it's "accessories".

    Better yet, get a PMP for craps sake, something you can actually see and wont die on you in a pathetic amount of time. Plu if it ever did die, those have replacable batteries.

    Then again, they could always buy a couple IPods since they have the money... But that'd just feed a blood-sucking, mediocre producing, brainwashing company like Apple, more money that it doesn't deserve.

    PMPs (Archos, Creative Vison, Cowon A5) or PSP. Yay.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  18. by Anonymous Coward - Jun 19th, 2006 @ 7:14am

    So Apples's next iPod ad will have some fancy and clever commercial that will basically say, "The official media device of the (insert name of ball team)."

    Didnt Motorola or someone start offering cordless head sets to MLB teams?

    Its all about the marketing.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  19. Baseball

    by John Mahoney - Jun 21st, 2006 @ 3:42pm

    Nice post, like it
    check out my blog www.strikemagazine.blogspot.com and leave a comment
    thanks

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  20. Baseball

    by John Mahoney - Jun 21st, 2006 @ 3:44pm

    Nice post, like it
    check out my blog www.strikemagazine.blogspot.com and leave a comment
    thanks

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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