Padres pitchers tweak PitchCom system to be ready for rowdy playoff crowds

Tanner Scott runs from the bullpen toward Danzig’s “mom,” but that doesn’t mean he necessarily wants someone yelling in his ear.

At least not directly in his ear.

When PitchCom’s automated voice is turned up to a volume that can be heard in sold-out stadiums, “you literally get yelled at,” Scott said.

Scott and other members of the Padres’ pitching staff will try a different way starting Tuesday, when their 2024 postseason opens with a wild-card series at Petco Park.

A small tube built into their caps will transmit PitchCom instructions over the din of the crowd. The accessory allows pitchers to leave the volume at 10 out of 20 instead of increasing it to uncomfortable volumes or a level that still might not be heard in a postseason atmosphere.

The Padres weren’t using those tubes — comparable to the ink cartridge in a ballpoint pen — when Scott arrived after the trade deadline. The lefty started using it at the suggestion of Dave Robertson, who was traded from the Mets to the Marlins in July 2023. Scott led the charge to bring them to San Diego.

The tube protrudes slightly from a hole drilled into the side of the pitcher caps.

Padres reliever Jason Adam used the tube while pitching in the playoffs for Tampa Bay.

“Normal level is great, but if you have it at level 14 and it’s normally fine, but if it’s a shutdown and everyone is standing around screaming, no, you can’t hear,” he declared. “With the tube, you can hear it even if it’s strong strong. It directs the noise directly to your ear.

Padres pitchers began using them in their final home game of the regular season, all sold out in excess of 42,000 fans. They wanted to make sure they were comfortable with the tubes so they wouldn’t fumble with them during a big spot in October.

“It’s something that prepares us for those moments in the playoffs, whether we’re on the road or at home,” said starter Michael King, who used the tube when he was with the Yankees. “We have a head start.”

Originally published: September 30, 2024 at 3:14 p.m.