Technically Speaking - Baseball Edition

Speed: The Rookies App

What it is: Smartphone app that creates personalized baseball cards
Available at: Apple App Store; Android App Store coming soon

You no longer need to be a pro in the major leagues to have your own baseball card. With The Rookies App, you can take a snapshot and transform it into a baseball card in minutes. You can add text and colors to customize it, and when you’re done, send it digitally to family or friends, or order a pack of 20 to be printed out.

Choice: MLB.TV

What it is: Live streaming of every MLB game available on 400 plus devices
Available at: www.mlb.com

Nothing gives you more choices this baseball season than MLB.TV. With a yearly subscription, you can watch any and all MLB games throughout the season at any time, live or on demand. With the At Bat Premium App that is included with your subscription, you are fully mobile to follow your favorite teams throughout the year.  

Control: Blast Motion’s Baseball 360

What it is: Baseball swing analyzer and bat sensor technology
Available at: www.blastmotion.com

Tech meets America’s favorite pastime with Blast Motion’s Baseball 360. The sensor attaches to the end of a bat, automatically analyzes your swing and transfers your information straight to a customized app on your smartphone. Its patented smart video technology captures your video to create your own highlight reel synched with your metrics so you can identify your strengths and weaknesses. There is even an in-app training component with tips, drills and actionable insights.

Did Andru’s picks live up to baseball lovers’ expectations? Three National Emerald Club road warriors tested Blast Motion’s Baseball 360 in their daily lives and gave us their feedback.

“I have played baseball since I was 6 years old. My first impression was this is going to be a useful tool not only for me to look at the metrics behind my swing but also help me teach my kids. Blast Motion 360 gave me the feedback necessary to see how making minor adjustments lead to a more consistent swing pattern. I liked the Bluetooth connectivity to my phone so that there was instant feedback at the cages. The training videos were what completed this product for me.  Once you digest all the metrics of your swing, it is nice to have drills to do that help you make the necessary improvements.  I would tell any baseball lover if they are serious about becoming a better hitter then this product is a must-own.”

- Tim S., Dardenne Prairie, Mo.

 “I played college ball and after a 20-year break from playing baseball, I started playing again. This product was easy to install. After installing the app on my phone, I took some soft tosses into a net for 56 swings which registered the data.  I noticed that I have a negative Bat Path Angle, which is now something I would like to change to help improve my power.”

- Scott K., St. Louis, Mo.

“I’ve been playing baseball for 38 years. The Blast Motion’s Baseball 360 was smaller than expected, but I was impressed with how it would fit my bat without causing a problem/interfering with my swing. It helped me try different swing patterns to maximize my swing velocity. My favorite part was the multitude of statistics that became available after every swing. I could see that around swing No. 30 most of my numbers decreased from where they were, indicating that this is when I need to get out of the cage and rest.”

- Jason K., O’Fallon, Mo.