'I’ve been teaching all skill levels for 15 years and I’ve never had a tool that comes close to pinpointing the specifics about a player like the information provided by SmartKage,' said facility owner Mike Murphy,.
Concord, CA (PRWEB) May 05, 2014
When former professional baseball player Mike Murphy, owner of the Concord, CA baseball facility that bears his name, became one of only two SmartKage Launch sites he knew it would be a success but not to the degree it turned out. The first day the technology was available, word of mouth spread and every available slot was sold out for the first week.
“Obviously we are delighted with the response,” said Murphy. “But more important is the performance data we are gleaning from SmartKage.”
More than seven years in development, SmartKage -- the future of baseball player evaluation – is what the Company calls the equivalent of a “Physical SAT.™” Parent company SmartSports has developed the first quantitative technology system and network that measures athletic performance; baseball and softball are their first markets, football is next. Beyond the stopwatch and radar gun, there has been no standardization in sports data. They focused on that enormous void — while simultaneously addressing inefficiencies in scouting and player development — and built the solution.
SmartKage uses Major League technologies to measure more than 35 skills – i.e. reaction times, body acceleration, ball-speed, force generated, swing time, pitch movement, throwing accuracy, etc.
“After 13 years in professional baseball I traded in my glove, bat and cleats for a clipboard,” added Murphy. “I’ve been teaching all skill levels for 15 years and I’ve never had a tool that comes close to pinpointing the specifics about a player like the information provided by SmartKage.”
Murphy said instead of giving general advice about a player's needs he can now provide exacting recommendations because of the highly specific information SmartKage provides.
“This takes baseball instruction to a whole new level,” said Murphy. “For example, when it comes to evaluating a pitching it’s no longer just going to be about mechanics and a jug gun. Let’s say I have a player who throws a 95 mph fastball but the SmartKage shows it has no movement. Yet, I have another player who only throws in the 80’s but has great ball movement. The fastball pitcher is the one who is going to get hit and will need to develop off-speed pitches. The other pitcher will now get second looks from scouts who might have written him off because of that alleged lack of speed.”
Murphy stressed that the SmartKage is a permanent fixture at his facility which is located at 2470 Bates Avenue, Concord, CA. He said there will be plenty of opportunities to “get in the Kage” which is available for all ages and player levels. However, he did indicated for the first two weeks a session is only $150 but will increase to $225 the second week. For further information, go to http://www.mikemurphybaseball.com or call 925-798-4487.
SmartKage’s other installation is in Middleton, MA but Company co-founder and CEO, Corrine Vitolo, said they will soon announce the next phase of retail installations in its nationwide location network.
About SmartSports/SmartKage
SmartSports is a privately held sports technology company developing smart sports products and environments. The Company develops and markets proprietary hardware and software systems that quantitatively measure athletic performance. Company products, including its fully automated SmartKage™, serve the amateur, collegiate and professional sports markets. Founded in 2008, the company is based in greater Boston, Massachusetts. For additional information please go to http://www.smartkage.com.
Editor’s Note: High res photos of SmartKage and its principals are available upon request.
