As the new Baseball season approaches, Boston Red Sox officials and players have been speaking to the media about the ongoing sign-stealing investigation. Players like J.D. Martinez have stated that they believe no evidence will be found to suggest the team did anything wrong.
However, the MLB investigation into the Astros did conclude that cheating had taken place. The League stated that the Astros created a system that allowed them to electronically steal the signs of opposing teams by using cameras. These findings led to the dismissal of the Astro’s manager and general manager. They also led to the dismissal of Red Sox manager Alex Cora who was a bench coach for the Astro’s when the sign-stealing took place.
Allegations against the Red Sox
Red Sox fans will no doubt be aware that the allegations against the team are also related to stealing signs with the use of technology. It’s alleged that the team’s video replay room was used to steal signs during the 2018 season.
Jan 15, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox owner John Henry talks with the media at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Sign stealing is nothing new says Pedroia
Players like Dustin Pedroia seem perplexed over the whole issue concerning the legitimacy of stealing signs. The second baseman recently spoke about the issue to NBC Sports.
He said that he had been stealing signs since he played the game in junior high. When quizzed about the issue of technology being used, Pedroia seemed to be unaware of any restrictions in this area.
Are the Red Sox being punished for using technology?
Pedroia certainly has a point, when it comes to stealing signs. It’s a practice that has been going on in baseball for many years. The issue seems to be the use of technology to gain an advantage. The question is, are these sign stealing investigations punishing the Astros and potentially the Red Sox, for simply using technology.
If this is the case, as some game insiders believe, is this not a surprising development. After all, technology has been helping teams to grow and improve the fan experience, in recent years.
Jan 15, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox president and chief executive officerSamuel H. Kennedy talks with the media at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
For instance, Fenway Park is now a WiFi zone, making it easy for fans to go online during the game. The Red Sox have also embraced the live streaming revolution with their games being live streamed on NESN. They simply cannot afford to miss out on technology like live streaming which is being used by sports teams globally and by games providers like NetEnt according to this report. There is a massive appetite for live online sports and gaming content that sports teams cannot ignore.
If using this type of technology is legitimate than it may seem counterintuitive to preclude the use of technology in other ways. Some baseball experts have commented that using technology for stealing signs is just trying to gain an edge in a similar way that baseball teams have always done.
The MLB seems to think differently. However, it remains to be seen what it’s findings will be, regarding the Red Sox, and what repercussions there will be, if any.