Baseball App Offers Instruction From Former Major League Pros Using User-Supplied Videos

As "pitchers and catchers report" day Wednesday heralded the beginning of Major League Baseball’s spring training season, software company UP17 used the occasion to launch a mobile app that lets users interact with former MLB pros for instruction. With the premium UP17 mobile app, users can shoot and submit videos of their hitting or pitching techniques to the UP17 platform. A UP17 ProCoach reviews the video and provides an “in-depth lesson package” with performance breakdowns, notes and other takeaways, it said. Coaches also provide drills to help with development, and players receive a certificate to show they’ve been coached by a pro, said the company. UP17 worked with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to assemble the coaching team, said company spokesman and ex-Major Leaguer Dale Murphy. Coaches include John Doherty, John Frascatore, Toby Hall, Nick Green, Paul Lo Duca, Denny Hocking, Desi Relaford, Joe Oliver, Tanyon Sturtze, Matt Wise, Anthony Telford and Brian Tollberg. The app is free from Apple’s App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, but lessons are not. Lesson prices are $75 each, $65 when purchased in bundles of six, said the company.