Spring training videos a big hit for Red Sox, Twins

The video cameras never lie, and they are everywhere.

Before a recent game, Minnesota Twins infielder Doug Bernier spent 15 minutes in his team's video room. He typed his name and saw himself appear on the screen from three different angles.

"I just wanted to watch my swing over the past week and a half or two weeks or so," said Bernier, 34, who has played in 42 big league games for the Colorado Rockies and the Twins since 2008. He has appeared in almost 1,200 minor league games since 2002. "Sometimes, it feels the same, but then you look at it on video, and you're like, 'Oh wow.' And things have actually changed. Something might seem comfortable, but then you look and can see your hands drifting back."

The electronic eyes have become increasingly important for players to dissect their skills and improve their techniques.

Most fans don't notice the fixed cameras because they are so small, not much bigger than a baseball. But at JetBlue Park, spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, and CenturyLink Sports Complex, spring home of the Twins, they have become an important teaching tool.

There's one to the left of the green "batter's eye" wall behind center field in each stadium. There's one up in the stands behind home plate. There are a couple on each side of the first and third base dugouts, one aimed at the pitcher's mound and the other at the batter's box. And teams have the capability of tapping into – and taping from – the live feed if the games are televised.

Minnesota Twins hitting coach Tom Brunansky bolts from his home dugout, up through a tunnel and into the video room after every half inning in order to get a close-up view of his hitters.

"I watch every at-bat," Brunansky said. "Every at-bat. Now we have the tools to where I can do that. Some of the things you see are pretty substantial."

This spring training, Brunansky and the Twins began using cameras in the batting cages, which is something the Red Sox do not do.

"The thing about it is you get instant feedback in a practice setting," Brunansky said. "It's a great resource. You look at the game and the game's situations. We can look at how they react to the quickness of the game and everything that goes on. Now we have something where we can put the ball on the tee, and they're accountable for everything they do. And we've got it. And we can see it. We can go look at it, and then we can go back out there and work on some things. And it's in a totally different setting for the hitter and for us. So far, it's been a great tool for us."

Red Sox and Twins players can watch themselves at a keystroke thanks to people behind the scenes who compile the videos into files, sort of like how a librarian shelves books.

Billy Broadbent, 50, started working for the Red Sox at age 15 as a batboy and clubhouse attendant for Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, R.I. In 1997, Broadbent began tinkering with video. The Red Sox gave him a new title: video coordinator.

"There's no such thing as a long day in baseball," said Broadbent, whose degree in marketing from Rhode Island College didn't exactly prepare him for the video job. He learned the technology on his own. "I'm very, very blessed to have worked my whole life in something I love. You try to find other ways to stay involved in the game, and this was a way that kind of found me."

Sean Harlin, 49, who graduated from St. John Neumann High School in 1984, worked for the Twins as director of media relations from 1995-2005 before being named Minnesota's video coordinator.

Like Broadbent, Harlin learned on the job.

"The technology has changed the game," said Harlin, who played shortstop at Division III St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. "There are so many facets to baseball to make it better, and technology is one of them."

The recent reconstruction of Hammond Stadium included wiring with Ethernet cables that allow the Twins to tap into live TV feeds. The Twins also installed cameras on one of their minor league fields. Those feeds can be seen at Target Field in Minneapolis during the regular season. That allows coaches and team management to watch how a minor league or rehabilitating player is performing in Fort Myers.

"We never did much video work before, because we didn't have the equipment to do it," Harlin said. "On the minor league side, we didn't do much at all. So far, it's been a success. Coaches are using it. Players are using it. It's more of a teaching tool. If they're doing really well, they want to see it, so they can repeat that."

During the regular season, hitters use video more to scout upcoming opposing pitchers. During spring training, they use video more to watch themselves while tinkering with their swings.

New Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis said video can be a powerful tool. He also cautioned against overusing it. He urged his hitters to use it "the right way."

"Sometimes, you have to step back," Davis said. "It can be abused, if you're constantly trying to make tweaks at the plate. I've seen it happen in Oakland where I was. You have to pay attention to that.

"You have to analyze it, but analyze it right. If you're going to analyze it, then you had better come back tomorrow, and you had better come in early and pay attention to how you're going about it during batting practice."

Watching video can help, Davis said, as long as the players apply the lessons they learn in practice and in games.

"Creating the right habits is better, and that's what spring training is for," Davis said. "You build a base to get through your season. And when your mechanics start breaking down, you have something that you can use to get them right again."

Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).