How to call games as a catcher
Game Signs Stickers
One problem a catcher faces – especially during night games – is having their signals visible to their pitcher. The product Game Signs helps with stickers that are placed on the catcher’s nails which makes it easier for pitchers to see the calls. This is an alternative to catchers using white out and creating an easier clean up by not become runny or smeared when sweating.
**Disclosure: I was contacted by someone from Game Signs after they found my catcher tips page. I offered to review this product. I am not being paid by the company for my review **
Opening and My Initial Response
I was pleasantly surprised at the packaging of the product. At first glance, the package does a great job at conveying its purpose. Many companies make their packaging confusing and hard to understand. This leads to customers passing on the purchase as they are not sure what they are buying or what it actually does. As shown below, we can easily see a catcher calling a pitch and displaying his fingernails which have the Game Signs stickers on them. I have included two images of both packages I received as one package only contains the optic yellow color stickers and the other package is a combination of optic yellow, optic orange, optic pink, and finally optic white.
The packages are small and thin which will allow users to store them on a side pocket of their catcher bag with no problem. The stickers come in sheets of 25 and four sheets in total to equal 100 stickers in a pack.
No Problem Seeing These!
The stickers have a reflective top layer on them which makes them very easy to see regardless of it being worn in the day or night.
Comes in Different Sizes
Game Signs come in a variety of sizes to fit everyone. The regular sized and large sized stickers have the same width which is 7/16”. But the differences between the two sizes are the height of the stickers. The regular sized sticker runs a height of 4/16” and the large size comes in at 5/16”. It may be difficult to see the difference from just seeing the numbers so please refer to the graph below to get a better understanding of the difference.
Game Results
I took the Game Signs signal stickers to a game and tested them first hand. I was very pleased with the results. I thought that the stickers would start to peel before the end of the game and I would have to replace them, but that didn’t happen.
I also ran a different scenario just to see the durability of these stickers by wearing them on my left hand as well. I kept a batting glove on that hand all game to have it constantly rubbing on the stickers to see what would happen to them. Once again the stickers did not budge at all. The company’s website states that they use a pressure adhesive for the stickers and pressing down hard on them when placing them on the finger will keep it there until you peel it off. They weren’t kidding.
I threw them on real quick so the alignment is off
Pricing
A package of 100 Game Sign stickers sells for $10.99 USD (As of 6/21/2015) from the Game Signs website. One pack should last you for twenty games if you are placing the stickers on all five fingers on your hand. I have never used my thumb when calling pitches, which makes the pack of 100 stickers last longer (i.e. twenty-five games instead of twenty).
Alternatives and My Thoughts
This is not the only way to go about making your signs more visible for the pitcher. The use of white out is also another tool for catchers. This method is known to run went sweat comes in contact with it and also has to be reapplied throughout the game.
Another method which I have seen was running your fingers through the foul line chalk and color them that way. This seems that it would give your fingers a dull white color to them but does not have the same visibility of both the Game Sign stickers and the white out.
Every catcher is different and what works for one may not work for another. This also holds true to your pitcher as well. Sometimes your pitchers may prefer one method over the other and they are able to see your fingers better.
Ultimately, I am very happy with this product and will be a customer myself after I have ran out of the two packages I currently have. They’re affordable enough so everyone can give them a chance to see how they work.
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