Wiz ace Benjamin enjoys reunion with PitchCom in KBO

It had been more than two years since Wes Benjamin last used PitchCom on the mound, when he reacquainted himself with the sign-calling system in Seoul on Tuesday night. Benjamin, ace left-hander for the KT Wiz, became the first pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to use PitchCom, which allows pitchers and catchers to determine pitches and locations without using conventional finger signs. The KBO distributed PitchCom transmitters and receivers to teams for use starting Tuesday. While the technology is optional, Benjamin, who had used it during spring training with the Chicago White Sox in 2022, jumped right into it. KT Wiz starter Wes Benjamin pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes during the teams' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on July 16, 2024. (Yonhap) And it paid off. With his catcher Jang Sung-woo sending signs with the transmitter on his knee, Benjamin held the Kiwoom Heroes to a run over 6 1/3 innings in the Wiz's 4-3 win at Gocheok Sky Dome. Benjamin admittedly didn't have his best stuff on this night, but he was able to keep hitters off balance by working quickly on the mound. "I think that makes it a little bit more difficult for the hitters," Benjamin said. "When I can already come set walking around the mound, I know what pitch I'm throwing and Sung-woo also knew what pitch I was throwing. So the hitter didn't have much time to be ready." When told he was the first KBO pitcher to use PitchCom, Benjamin smiled and said, "Cool. I'll take being in the history books as long as it's a good thing. I'll take that. I liked using it today." Pitchers may also wear a transmitter to call their own pitches, and it's something Benjamin may do himself. "If I get a young catcher or somebody new who's never really caught me ... I know my game that I want to pitch to," he said. "So if they'll allow me to do that, I would love it." Benjamin said he and Jang had a little fun with the system on the first day. "He has a lot of power and he can mess with me. He called a couple of knuckleballs today and I don't throw that pitch," Benjamin said, laughing. "So we had a laugh over that." KT Wiz starting pitcher Wes Benjamin adjusts his PitchCom receiver inside his cap during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on July 16, 2024. (Yonhap) The KBO has prepared English-language receivers for foreign pitchers, and so communication was never an issue, Benjamin said, adding that there is also a button for a pickoff throw. The pitcher said the receiver he wore Tuesday felt more comfortable than the one he had from 2022. "This one has a little bit more of a cushion to it, so I didn't notice it as much," he said. "It probably just looked a little strange sticking out of my hat but other than that, I didn't have an issue with it at all." Given the success he had with the system Tuesday, Benjamin will likely stick with PitchCom going forward. "I'm assuming, because it worked today, that a lot of teams wil l start to adapt that," he said. "I like that no one on second base is able to steal signs. I've had a history of that playing against a lot of teams in the major leagues. I don't know if they were ever stealing signs here but it's nice to know in the back of your mind, it's just me against the hitter." While improving to 8-4 and lowering his ERA from 4.18 to 3.99, Benjamin also helped the Wiz win their third straight game. At 42-46-2 (wins-losses-ties), they are only 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot, occupied by the SSG Landers. Asked about the Wiz's recent surge as the ace of the staff, Benjamin said, "The KT Wiz will always have five aces whenever they step onto the field." "So I'm happy to be able to help our team win and go against other teams' aces," he added. "I would hope that teams are a little bit scared now that we're starting to fire on all cylinders and be in good shape for the rest of the season." Source: Yonhap News Agency