Price: iPads in use in the Reds' dugout

ST. LOUIS — As the 2015 baseball season winds down, teams are being allowed to experiment with new technology in the dugout, particularly iPads.

The Reds have had four iPads in their dugout during the series with the Cardinals and can continue to use them the rest of the season. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the use of iPads on Tuesday, and the Cardinals have also been using them this series as well. The devices will be available for use in the postseason, too, according to the Post-Dispatch.

All teams in baseball have been cleared to use iPads in the dugout, but they cannot be connected to a network, and all information on the iPad must be downloaded onto it at least three hours before game time.

Reds manager Bryan Price said he has yet to use the iPad and still prefers his card and binder with a load of information. But if others process that information better on an iPad, he’s all for it.

“I don’t use it. I take everything I need and transition it onto my own card, because I’m not going to go from pitch-to-pitch flipping pages,” Price said. “I transfer everything because, if I don’t write it, I don’t remember it. That’s why my notes are so important to me, because if I put it on paper I have a better chance of remembering it rather than referring back to a page that I may have read earlier in the day.”

The iPad can not only house information on opposing batters and pitchers – including spray charts, tendencies and any other statistical information under the sun – but also video.

Reds right fielder Jay Bruce said he looked at the iPad on Monday, the first game it was in use, just to look at it. He said he didn’t look too deeply into it because he’s already familiar with most of the Cardinals pitchers.

“I know these guys well enough that, if I need to look at too much video or stuff on paper, I’m in trouble as it is,” Bruce said.

He did note that the video could help him against a team he doesn’t know as well, such as the Mets, who start a four-game series at Great American Ball Park on Thursday.

As of now, the iPads aren’t allowed in the bullpens, but that time could be coming.

The biggest issue, Price said, was security. He had a conference call last weekend with Major League Baseball explaining the security. MLB is also concerned with teams getting live feeds on their iPads in order to steal signs.

“There’s going to be some conspiracy theories, but the way MLB has explained it is that it’s a tool that can’t be breached by another team or in any way that can compromise the integrity of the game,” Price said.

The trial period will likely give teams a chance to see how it works and how to utilize the technology in different ways. The NFL has had tablets on the sidelines for several years now.

“I think utilizing the resources you have is huge – not just in baseball, but any profession,” Bruce said. “If it’s there, if it’s going to make me more successful, I’ll use it.”

IGLESIAS IMPROVING: Right-hander Raisel Iglesias is improving from his sore right shoulder and could throw a bullpen soon. He could return to the Reds’ rotation before the end of the season, Price said.

“Until you go out there on the mound and see him pitch, it’s hard to say exactly what you’re going to get in return,” Price said. “The next step for Raisel will be to throw a bullpen, and if we get through that, we can start to talk seriously about penciling him in maybe for a start at some point before the season’s out, or at least an appearance.”

Iglesias last pitched on Sept. 13 and allowed two runs in five innings. The rookie has thrown 124 1/3 innings between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville this season.

“We’ll wait until we get back to Cincinnati before we define what throwing protocols we want to satisfy before we consider him for games. I’m optimistic that he’ll take the mound again this year. Really, in my opinion, the only reason he wouldn’t is (if we're) being extremely cautious. I don’t think there’s anything medically that will prevent him from being able to go out and pitch.”

REMEMBERING YOGI: The Cardinals held a moment of silence before the game for St. Louis native and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who died Tuesday night.

Price said he remembered watching the Berra-managed Mets as a fan from the stands of the Oakland Coliseum in the 1973 World Series. Reds third baseman Todd Frazier said he met Berra after his New Jersey team won the 1998 Little League World Series.

“We went to his hall of fame and museum in Montclair, and he signed everyone’s ball,” Frazier said. “He was very gracious, one of the best to ever play this game. He stuck to his roots. He’s a guy you look up to for sure. He loved his family and he loved the Yankees. That’s something you look upon. I love the Reds. He had a passion for the game, you can’t not look up to a guy like that. It’s a sad day for baseball.”