The Red Sox Cheated With an Apple Watch: Why it Matters

If you're not a baseball fan, you're probably thinking, "What's the big deal?" Well, in the case of Moreland's big hit, the difference between pitcher Tommy Kahnle's fastball and slider is roughly 11mph. At a distance of 60 feet and 6 inches, hitters have roughly 0.40 seconds to determine the type of pitch being thrown in their direction—a fastball? a slider?—and the pitch's location before deciding what kind of swing to put on the ball (whether to pull it, hit it back toward the pitcher, or push it the other way). That's about the time it takes to blink. The difference in reaction time required for Kahnle's 98mph fastball and his 87mph slider is approximately 0.05 seconds. In real life, that time amounts to an eighth of a blink; in baseball time, 0.05 seconds is the equivalent of a lifetime.

Stealing signs isn't against baseball's lengthy charter of written and unwritten rules. In fact, it's commonplace for pitchers and catchers to switch signals mid-game to ensure that the opposing team hasn't caught onto a specific pattern. Whenever runners reach second base (which is in clear view of the catcher's hidden signals), pitchers and catchers switch to a second set of signs for this exact purpose.

However, a 2001 memo from EVP of Baseball Operations, Sandy Alderson, forbade teams from using electronic equipment "for the purpose of stealing signs or conveying information designed to give a club an advantage."

Major League Baseball is investigating the Red Sox's infractions to determine the extent of the cheating and what, if anything, should be done to punish the franchise. Despite harsh penalties for players caught using performance enhancing drugs, Major League Baseball is actually pretty mellow with regards to players gaining competitive advantages under less-than-ideal circumstances. Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was tossed from a 2014 showdown with the Red Sox because he'd been illegally applying pine tar to balls in order gain a better grip on his pitches. Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry is known to have put Vaseline on his zipper in order to moisten pitches. And players add cork to their bats in order to generate more resistance when pitches meet barrels.

These transgressions are banned, and all cheaters caught conducting these, or similar, transgressions are suspended. However, the suspensions are usually minimal, and the reaction around the league is the equivalent of a collective shrug.

The Red Sox have reportedly admitted to Major League Baseball that they committed the violation. To make matters even more intriguing, the team filed a counterclaim with the league accusing the Yankees of using the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network TV crew to conduct a similar form of cheating.

This isn't the first time technology has played a role in illegally aiding a sports franchise. As far back as 1951, the New York Giants were rumored to have used a telescope to relay signs to pitchers in the bullpen who would then relay the information to hitters. Perhaps the most famous home run of all time, Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard Round the World" was hit that same year. It's highly possible he knew which pitch was on its way.

A St. Louis Cardinals scouting director named Chris Correa was caught in 2015 hacking into the internal database of the Houston Astros in order to gain a competitive advantage with regards to talent evaluation and player trade value. MLB forced The Cardinals to pay $2 million and forfeit two draft picks to the Astros. Correa was sentenced to 46 months in prison for 12 counts of corporate espionage for his actions.

In 1997, the New York Mets reportedly used a camera near home plate to relay signs. The 2011 Philadelphia Phillies were also accused of binocular peeping. Former Major League manager Jackie Moore once said the White Sox would position someone in center field with binoculars to read the catcher's signals. The White Sox had a light in their scoreboard that would be illuminated if the man with the spyglass indicated an off-speed pitch was on its way. The Royals accused the Blue Jays of stealing signs via binoculars during the 2015 postseason. Although he wasn't on that particular team, former Blue Jay Greg Zaun admitted that during his time in Toronto from 2004-2008 the team stole signs and "We were happy to do it."

Baseball isn't the only sport that's suffered its share of technology-induced cheating. The New England Patriots ran what is perhaps the most well-known technology-enabled cheating operation in 2007. The team was caught illegally videotaping an opposing team on restricted areas of the sidelines during a game. The NFL fined head coach Bill Belichick $500,000, the team $250,000, and the NFL docked the team a subsequent first round draft pick.

What happens to the Red Sox is still undecided. Major League Baseball is investigating the incident and will enforce a decision. MLB could force the Red Sox to forfeit the games during which messages were relayed, or, more likely, fine the team and force them to vacate future draft picks. Either way, MLB will likely use this occasion to take a firm stance on technologically aided cheating.