![]() A second offense will likely entail more severe penalties In the Red Sox's case, their sign-stealing involved the use of an Apple Watch to steal and relay signs. The Red Sox and Yankees in September of 2017 were fined for electronically pilfering signs from the opposing catcher. This predates Cora's time in Boston, but it's still relevant to the matter at hand. Given these allegations, MLB will commence an investigation into this matter." The Red Sox have been disciplined before "The Commissioner made clear in a Septemmemorandum to clubs how seriously he would take any future violation of the regulations regarding use of electronic equipment or the inappropriate use of the video replay room. Here's what MLB said when Rosenthal and Drellich requested comment on what their sources alleged: Cora reportedly was central to the Astros' sign-stealing efforts in 2017, and it's no great leap to assume he was aware of the Red Sox's reported sign-stealing during 2018. In contract, decoding signs via traditional means not involving the use of electronics is not against the rules.Īlex Cora was a first-year manager of the Red Sox in 2018, and he came to Boston via Houston, where he served as the Astros' bench coach for the 2017 season. That's widely frowned upon, and it's against the rules. At a fundamental level, though, both alleged means depend heavily upon video feeds - i.e., electronics. Since the Red Sox's alleged methods involved more layers and more "human element," some may view them as less egregious. Astros players would try to decode their opponents' signs and then alert hitters if an off-speed pitch was coming by banging on a dugout trash can. Per previous reporting, the Astros had a TV monitor with a feed from a center field camera near the dugout steps. Their means, however, were more direct than what Boston is reported to have done. The Astros are being probed by MLB for their alleged sign-stealing during the 2017 season, when they won the World Series, and beyond. This was different from the Astros' alleged sign-stealing methods The Red Sox's reported activity took place after that memo was sent to teams, so presumably they can't plead ignorance or appeal to technicality as a defense. MLB, it seemed, took a bit longer to figure out what its constituent clubs knew, and that's why it wasn't until before the 2018 season that the league issued a memo flatly declaring that the video replay room may not be used for sign-stealing. Teams were fully aware this was against the rulesĪfter replay rooms were put into place in 2014, teams didn't need long to figure out the nefarious potential thereof. That's what the Red Sox, per Rosenthal's and Drellich's team sources, did during the course of the 2018 season. Being able to see the signs in such close proximity to the dugout allowed the player or employee watching video to relay the signs to the dugout, which in turn relayed them a runner on second (or sometimes first), who subsequently signaled the incoming pitch to the batter. However, the unintended consequence is that players and other team personnel have quick and easy access to a multitude of camera angles of the game, including one of the catcher and his signs to the pitcher. The nominal purpose of the video replay room is to review plays on the field so the manager can determine whether a challenge is warranted. How was this made possible?Įach dugout area is equipped with a video replay room. Here's what you need to know about the latest wrinkle in the ongoing sign-stealing controversy in MLB. That season, the Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season prior to going 11-3 in the playoffs - a run that included a five-game triumph over the Dodgers in the World Series. Three unnamed members of the 2018 Red Sox, which won the World Series, admitted that the team used the video replay room to steal signs throughout that season, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic on Tuesday.
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