The Boston Red Sox stole signs via video from opposing pitchers and catchers during the 2018 regular season, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
Three people who were part of the team that year told The Athletic that the signs were stolen by players who went to the video replay room to figure them out, and then sent the information to the dugout.
Someone on the bench then shared the signs with baserunners, who used body movements to let the batter know what pitch was coming.
The system was not used in the postseason because Major League Baseball had monitors posted in all video replay rooms in the postseason, The Athletic reported.
The Red Sox beat the Dodgers in five games in the 2018 World Series.
“We were recently made aware of allegations suggesting the inappropriate use of our video replay room,” the Red Sox said in a statement to The Athletic. “We take these allegations seriously and will fully cooperate with MLB as they investigate the matter.”
Major League Baseball already is investigating allegations that the Houston Astros stole signs electronically during the 2017 season. While sign stealing is commonplace, the use of electronics to do so, such as cameras from center field toward the opposing catcher, is forbidden by rule.
“It’s cheating,” one of the sources with the 2018 Red Sox told The Athletic. “Because if you’re using a camera to zoom in on the crotch of the catcher, to break down the sign system, and then take that information and give it out to the runner, then he doesn’t have to steal it.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora is a common denominator between the two teams. He was the Astros’ bench coach in 2017 before moving on to Boston.
