Reds trying out new iPad policy in dugout

ST. LOUIS -- Beginning on Monday, the Reds were among teams that began using iPad tablets after Major League Baseball approved it for limited use. Clubs can download statistical information, scouting reports, charts, video and more, but there are restrictions.

Reds manager Bryan Price said all the data must be loaded three hours before the game, and the WiFi on the tablet must be disabled in the dugout. Electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have long been banned by MLB so teams can't get outside communication or use them for espionage purposes.

"They're using the tail end of the season really as a trial period to see if there's value in it and if we can utilize it and it can go uncompromised," Price said.

Reds players and coaches have access to four iPads, which could be a companion or replacement of the binders of hard copy information that most clubs currently use. While some have utilized them, Price has not personally made use of the tablets, as he prefers to put all of his information on notecards for quick reference.

"I'm not going to sit there, pitch-to-pitch, flipping pages [on the tablet]," Price said. "If I don't write it, I don't remember it. That's why my notes are so important to me."