Communication & Score-Count Devices
This post is for research on umpire and baseball equipment!
Hello r/Umpire !
While I have a HUGE invested passion for the sport of baseball and softball... I am not an umpire! I am an electrical engineer who designs and develops consumer electronics products, namely in wireless communication.
My question is for the youth/grassroots/recreational umpire and baseball/softball crowd moreover: What is the current state of communication equipment for the non-pro umpire crew? Are there voice-intercom devices that crews use to talk to each other? Are there any electronic score-keeping or count-keeping devices that umpires use?
My curiosity on this subject stems from an obscure wireless technology that I am using for wireless critical alerting between officials of other sports, namely Soccer and Rugby. So I wanted to investigate if umpires (or the sport moreover) had a need for this sort of critical alerting or live data tracking across the distance of a baseball diamond, wirelessly of course. Would umpires benefit from their crew members being immediately aware of what they've seen (across the distance of the diamond) without saying anything or any visual cues? Are there any gaps in the mechanics of communicating with the scoreboard operator or coaches and spectators?
Another specifier, I realize that MLB and semi-pro umpires likely have everything they'd need to fill any communication gaps. But the ethos of my product development brand has always been AFFORDABLE products for GRASSROOTS sports officials - which is why I've relied so much on this obscure wireless technique; it's perfect for this exact application and cheap to manufacture which allows for shelf prices comparable to a mid-range baseball bat (say $150-$250).
Any insights or thoughts on the matter are welcome, DMs are also welcome!
Thanks!