Slashdot Mirror
Boston Red Sox Used Apple Watches To Steal Hand Signals From Yankees (macrumors.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Mac Rumors: Investigators for Major League Baseball believe the Boston Red Sox, currently in first place in the American League East, have used the Apple Watch to illicitly steal hand signals from opposing teams, reports The New York Times. The Red Sox are believed to have stolen hand signals from opponents' catchers in games using video recording equipment and communicated the information with the Apple Watch. An inquiry into the Red Sox' practice started two weeks ago following a complaint from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who caught a member of the Red Sox training staff looking at his Apple Watch in the dugout and then relaying information to players. It's believed the information was used to determine the type of pitch that was going to be thrown. Baseball investigators corroborated the claim using video for instant replay and broadcasts before confronting the Red Sox. The team admitted that trainers received signals from video replay personnel and then shared them with some players.
"The Red Sox told league investigators said that team personnel scanning instant- replay video were electronically sending the pitch signs to the trainers, who were then passing the information to the players," reports The New York Times. [...] "The video provided to the commissioner's office by the Yankees was captured during the first two games of the series and included at least three clips. In the clips, the team's assistant athletic trainer, Jon Jochim, is seen looking at his Apple Watch and then passing information to outfielder Brock Holt and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was injured at the time but in uniform. In one instance, Pedroia is then seen passing the information to Young."
"The Red Sox told league investigators said that team personnel scanning instant- replay video were electronically sending the pitch signs to the trainers, who were then passing the information to the players," reports The New York Times. [...] "The video provided to the commissioner's office by the Yankees was captured during the first two games of the series and included at least three clips. In the clips, the team's assistant athletic trainer, Jon Jochim, is seen looking at his Apple Watch and then passing information to outfielder Brock Holt and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was injured at the time but in uniform. In one instance, Pedroia is then seen passing the information to Young."
The catcher then gives the signs to the pitcher about what pitch to throw next. The catcher needs to know what the next pitch is so he can position accordingly to catch it. There are also signals to the defense about positioning, which can change from one pitch to the next.
So basically the catcher is incompetent and the pitcher is incapable of picking his own pitches?
Try watching cricket, a similar game in which the guy with the ball makes his own decision on how to deliver it. A fast bowler will choose from an in swinger, out swinger, reverse swing, seam, leg break, off break, yorker, bouncer, slow ball, on a length, full, on the leg side, on off stump, outside off.. all these options and more.
He also knows how the field is set and will bowl accordingly.
Why does baseball need every single fucking play directed by someone else?
would be similar to an American asking why there's no forward passing allowed in rugby. It's pointless
I wouldn't take offence at an American asking that question. It's not pointless, it's a legitimate question and not an obvious answer.
Indeed, I don't even know the answer, beyond "it's in the rules". It does lead to an interesting game, but at least the guy with the ball gets to choose whether to run, kick or pass backwards.
Why do you interpret a question challenging some arcane practice (that isn't even in the fucking rules) as 'arrogant'? I expect sportsmen to know how to play the fucking game, that isn't arrogance.
suggests one is better than the other, which you should know is subjective.
I know people that have a lot of exposure to both and prefer baseball. Obviously they're wrong, and sure, my question was framed to reveal my views on the matter. That's not arrogance, it's just that cricket is clearly the superior sport.
Evidence? Well, it's played far more widely, it has far more supporters, far more people playing, the fielders don't need fucking big gloves just to catch a ball, it has infinitely more variety and the players determine for themselves how to play.