Wireless Wednesday for 7/22/15: Milwaukee, Major League, Major League Night and Baseball Technology

Rick happens to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week working on some sports travel pieces.

He was at Miller Park for "Major League Night" last night, as in Major League the Movie...  he also reviews the new book "The Making of Major League"  and we talk new baseball technology.

1.  In Milwaukee for some travel pieces and "Major League Night" at Miller Park

Miller Park with its retractable roof, hosted Major League Night as in the movie as the Brewers took on the Indians...  was there a Rick Vaughn sighting?  The "cult" movie still lives on...

*** Plus Harry Doyle Talking Bobbleheads are given away

2.  Rick also has a review of the new book, "The Making of Major League" up on Examiner.com

- Authored by Jonathan Knight and a foreward written by Charlie Sheen himself
- A lot of insider info and tidbits in this book   5 Stars!
- The movie was almost never made....
- It was actually filmed mainly in Milwaukee at old torn down "County Stadium" and how Brewer fans really embraced the Indians
- and a ton more


*** New technology in Baseball

3.  MLB Statcast

Now, in every MLB ballpark, a black square box now hangs just above the park’s press box. But that box contains radar equipment which, along with a pair of high-definition optical cameras not far away, may soon revolutionize the way fans understand and enjoy the sport. They’re hardly noticeable, but there’s nothing that happens on a baseball field that they won’t notice.

All 30 MLB parks are now equipped with Statcast technology, an innovation years in the making that should eventually provide unprecedented insight into the game and those who play it.
The radar and cameras don’t just measure the speed of pitches and batted balls, but their spin rates and launch angles. Run through software in the production truck and in MLB Advanced Medias offices in lower Manhattan, they track defensive players’ reaction times, the efficiency of their routes to balls, and the strength of their arms. And they know runners’ top speeds on the basepaths, the size of their leads and the quickness of their first steps.  Being used on MLB Network.

4.  For College Baseball Players

Adidas debuted a light, new bat that fuses golf technology from Taylor Made Golf and baseball. The three-piece foam composite bat's third piece has a recoil system to reduce the "sting" many players feel when they hit the ball off the end.
 

5.  Kinatrax

The Tampa Rays are contracting Kinatrax to place their technology in Tropicana field, becoming the first major league team to do so.  

What is Kinatrax you ask? Well according to the company’s website, they make marker-less motion capture technology, with results that can be delivered in real time via cloud based services.  You may have heard of motion capture technology being used in movies such as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” or in any video game that you’ve played within the last 10-15 years.  Usually, the motion capture process requires little reflective markers placed all over the body while the athlete or actor goes through the motions and a camera then picks up those markers creating a computer generated outline of the person’s appearance.

6.  Self Service Beer Taps at Miller Park

- Leave it to the Brewers and Miller Park to be innovators in terms of beer..
    Fans 21 and older will be able to purchase a $15 or $25 card that will act similar to a credit card. Fans can use their card on one of two machines and can pour up to 24 ounces of beer in a single cup. Beverages available include Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, and Redd’s Apple Ale.

    There is a maximum of two drinks per person per transaction.
 

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