Red Sox may have used Fitbit, not Apple Watch, to steal signs
Apple's smartwatch was initially identified as possibly helping tip off what pitches were going to be thrown by the New York Yankees.
Did the Red Sox have a Fitbit up its sleeve that was stealing signs?
An Apple Watch may not have helped the Boston Red Sox allegedly steal signs from the New York Yankees after all.
The Yankees filed a complaint earlier this month with Major League Baseball saying the Red Sox were stealing pitch signs by using the smartwatch during a four-game series last month in Boston, according to The New York Times. The Yankees provided a video showing a Red Sox staffer looking at his wrist wearable and relaying a message to players, possibly tipping off what pitches were going to be thrown.
The report identified the device as an Apple Watch, but a Boston reporter says it was in fact a wearable by rival Fitbit.
"Turns out there was no Apple Watch involved in Red Sox sign stealing. It was a Fitbit product according to a major league source," the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo said in a tweet Saturday. It wasn't immediately clear which Fitbit product the Red Sox might have been using.
While there is no rule against stealing signs, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has said using electronic means to do so is a violation and the allegations are under investigation. The Red Sox have admitted to having trainers relay information from their replay staff to players using electronic devices, a strategy that was in place for weeks.
The Red Sox organization didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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