The Boston Red Sox reportedly admitted to Major League Baseball that they used an Apple Watch to help them steal signs against the New York Yankees, but they seem determined to prove that their division rivals are guilty of the same type of behavior.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Red Sox have sent video evidence to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that they believe shows the YES Network, which is owned by the Yankees, using a camera to exclusively film Boston bench coach Gary DiSarcina during a recent game. A source told Olney that the Red Sox were so concerned about the filming antics that they had DiSarcina sit somewhere else in the dugout.
Here’s more:
An industry source also indicated that the Red Sox were aware of that particular camera angle being used by the New York Yankees on at least one other occasion, but that this time they had captured the images that were forwarded to the commissioner’s office.
Sources also indicated on Wednesday afternoon that as this issue began to fester in recent weeks, the hope of the commissioner’s office was that the rivals would keep their sign-stealing allegations under wraps and out of public consumption.
The Red Sox are already unlikely to face any serious sanctions for their own sign stealing shenanigans, but it would not be a surprise if Manfred waits to determine if the Yankees were guilty of the same before making a decision. If both teams are guilty, the commissioner may just tell them to knock it off and leave it at that.
With everything from Apple Watches to TV cameras to a mouthguard that was confused for a listening device, the accusations between the Red Sox and Yankees may be getting a bit out of hand. It’s no wonder Manfred was hoping to keep everything quiet.
