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SPORTS Saturday 18 January 2020
To stop sign stealing, MLB could fight tech with more tech

By DAVID BRANDT Computers are even being
AP Sports Writer employed to call balls and
PHOENIX (AP) — If Ma- strikes at lower levels of the
jor League Baseball re- sport and could be coming
ally wants to stop its teams to the big leagues in the
from electronically steal- near future.
ing signs, it might consider Yet signs from catcher to
fighting technology with pitcher are often fairly easy
more technology. to decipher, especially with
In a sport that's increas- the help of video.
ingly driven by analytics Former big league pitcher
and advancements, the Jay Powell, who played
majority of signs between 11 seasons and was the
players and coaches are winning pitcher in Game
still transmitted by low-tech 7 of the 1997 World Series
hand signals that have with the Marlins, said there
been used for decades. would be plenty of logistics
Those hand signals are eas- to sort out. Infielders might
ily captured by the loads of need earpieces, too, since
video equipment around they're often positioned
MLB stadiums that are used according to the type and
for television, replays and location of a pitch.
all kinds of stat tracking. Still, it's certainly possible.
All that technology can In this Oct. 31, 2018, file photo, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora rides with the trophy during "It might actually speed up
be — and obviously has a parade in Boston to celebrate the team's World Series championship over the Los Angeles the game," Powell said. "If
Dodgers.
been — used for cheating. Associated Press they ever went that route
The Houston Astros were it would have to be similar
hit with stiff punishment on to relay signs to the pitcher baseball instead of music." a topic for a few years," how an offensive coordina-
Monday after an MLB in- the old-fashioned way with Under MLB's current setup, Hazen said shortly after the tor communicates with a
vestigation found the team hand signals, but Mainieri the sport has tried to draw news broke that the Astros quarterback — it's live for
used electronics to steal said there's no reason why a distinct line about what's were being investigated by 10 seconds or five seconds
signs during the franchise's pitchers couldn't eventu- allowed and what's not MLB. "There's a lot of restric- and then it's cut off."
run to the 2017 World Series ally be included in the con- when it comes to sign steal- tions in place, there's a lot Martinez agreed that
title and again in the 2018 versation. It's more com- ing. It's a legal and time- of guidance in the club- something similar might
season. Manager AJ Hinch mon for coaches to call honored part of baseball house, oversight, in a good work. He said MLB could
and general manager Jeff pitches in college, while as long as it is done with the way." also limit access to replay
Luhnow were suspended catchers usually handle naked eye. Using technol- But the temptation is ev- rooms and make sure in-
for a season and then fired those responsibilities in the ogy is prohibited. erywhere. There are ways game video wasn't avail-
by Astros owner Jim Crane. big leagues. There's a wide variety of to capture just about every able to players and coach-
Boston manager Alex Cora MLB expects to show play- opinion about how much movement on a baseball es until after the game.
was fired on Tuesday for his ers some prototypes of technological cheating is field. Teams measure ev- The answers might not be
involvement with the As- pitcher-catcher commu- actually happening and erything from the launch simple, but the longtime
tros' scheme and a sepa- nication devices at spring how effective it can be. Ar- angle of the baseball off catcher said they need to
rate ongoing investigation training camps this year, izona Diamondbacks gen- a bat to the spin rate of a be found. Baseball should
that involves the Red Sox. but there are no plans to eral manager Mike Hazen pitcher's breaking ball. Vid- be decided between the
Considering those devel- put any of them in place. said in November that he eo is used to break down players in the game, not by
opments, it might be wise It would be unrealistic for a didn't think it was a wide- the minutiae of a pitcher's who has the best technol-
to save players and coach- big league catcher to talk spread problem. motion or a batter's swing ogy.
es from themselves. with the pitcher with a bat- "I think MLB has done a re- in an effort to find any de- "You've got to keep it on
A partial model is already ter standing right next to ally good job of cleaning tail that could improve per- the field," Martinez said.
in place: The NCAA's South- him. Ole Miss coach Mike up all of that stuff. It's been formance. "There's no question."q
eastern Conference has Bianco said there could be
used electronic commu- ways to work around that Rockies to honor Larry Walker by
nication between coach- problem, suggesting that
es and catchers during a clicker or some other de- retiring his jersey number
league games for the past vice could be employed.
two seasons, which allows Former MLB catcher Buck DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies will en aback I am by this gesture. I am both
the coach to talk strategy Martinez, who played 17 retire the jersey number of outfielder Larry thrilled and honored and I look forward
with the catcher through seasons, said the technol- Walker in a ceremony during the upcom- to seeing my number hanging next to the
an earpiece. It's much like ogy is available and to- ing season. greatest Rockie of all time, #17!"
the NFL, where an offensive day's generation of players The Rockies announced Friday they will There may be another upcoming honor
coach tells plays to a quar- would adapt to earpieces honor Walker on April 19 when they play for Walker, who's on the Hall of Fame bal-
terback. quickly if that's the route another one of Walker's former teams, the lot for the 10th and final time this year. The
No hand signals needed. the sport wanted to take. St. Louis Cardinals. results of the vote will be announced Tues-
"I don't know why every- "I think most of these young- Walker's No. 33 will be displayed next to day.
one isn't doing it — it's er generation kids have Todd Helton's No. 17 in the right-field area In parts of 10 seasons with Colorado, Walk-
fantastic," LSU coach Paul earpieces in their ears most inside Coors Field, alongside the initials er hit .334 with 258 homers and 848 RBIs. He
Mainieri said. "It allows the of the time anyway," Mar- "KSM" for the Rockies' late president Keli ranks first in team history in batting aver-
coach to speak directly to tinez said laughing, ref- McGregor. age, on-base percentage (.426) and slug-
the catcher and speeds erencing the ubiquitous "There is no bigger honor an organization ging percentage (.618). He also won the
up the game." In the SEC's AirPods. "It's just normal. It can give a player than retiring his num- 1997 NL MVP during a season in which he
system, the catcher still has would just be listening to ber," Walker said. "I can't tell you how tak- hit .366 with 49 homers.q