Players and coaches will always find ways to gain an edge on their opponents, sometimes by no matter what slimy or questionable means it takes. While signal reading has been a part of baseball since its inception, the practice of signal reading had members of the front offices from the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at one another’s throats over the weekend. In a slew of complaints and accusations, both teams have been accused by the other of using technology to cheat and investigations are taking place over the situation.

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In the waning days of the professional baseball season, the Boston Red Sox sit atop the AL east by three and a half games. They are followed by long time arch enemy the New York Yankees. Although there is still another month before the MLB Postseason, toppling their divisional opponents and sworn enemy appears a long shot. In their last meeting on August 1, 2017 the Red Sox defeated the Yankees 4-1, somewhat securing their spot ahead of New York in the race to October. Although the victory was a decisive one, the controversy that has emerged out of this game has given the long time rivalry a welcomed dose of gasoline.

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Shortly after the three game series concluded, Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman filed a complaint with Major League Baseball about an alleged cheating scheme going on within the Red Sox organization. The complaint detailed a relationship between signal reading and Apple Watches used by players and coaches of the Red Sox.

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Signal reading is the practice of watching your opponents coaches pitchers and catchers as they exchange information through a variety of hand gestures and body language. After deciphering the signals it’s easier to understand every detail of your opponent’s strategy down to knowing what pitch is coming across the plate next. In a game of milliseconds and millimeters any edge can prove critical. The practice typically works best with a runner positioned on second base who can relay live reports to the bench through their own signals and body language. That information is then disseminated among the rest of the team.

       

The complaint filed by the Yankees, the repercussions by the Red Sox, and the investigations that followed were outlined in an article published last week in the New York Times. The article claimed that the Yankees had video evidence of Red Sox managers utilizing their watches inside the dugout as a way to read signals utilized by the Yankees. According to the article, the investigators for Major League Baseball have knowledge of the Red Sox actively cheating through the use of their smartwatches, adding a modern day catch 22 with the immersion of technology into one of America’s past times. They also note the practices have stopped since the opening of this investigation.

       

While it’s clear that the act of using technology to create an edge over another team during competition is at it’s core cheating, signal reading has never technically been considered illegal in baseball. Signal interpreting has been a part of the game since it’s inception. In a press conference held last week, David Dombrowski, Head of Baseball Operations for the Red Sox, explained, “I’ve been in the game for forty years, I’ve known of it (signal stealing) for 40 years.”     

 

Previously though, a team had to go through a long process to read signals by studying them over a series of games or stringing information through a line of individuals, starting with the production team and ending with players on the field. The major difference between the current controversy and practices of past is the instantaneousness of the signal reading by the addition of technology, in this case the Apple Watch.

       

Being a grey area, it’s unclear whether the MLB will pursue legal action, or if they have the power to do so. While league policy states using technology to spy on your opponents is cheating, interpreting another team’s signals is not necessarily a form of cheating and is in fact encouraged by the league and fans alike.

       

Along with these accusations by the Yankees, the Red Sox’ front office has also filed a complaint detailing the Yankees’ use of the local YES broadcast to read signals as well, only adding another spin to this ethical paradox. While it may appear to be a lot of work for such a small edge over opponents, it’s important to point out that Boston went five for eight while they had a runner on second base in the first meeting. In the other two meetings, they were less favorable, going one for six in the second meeting and three for ten in the third.