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Jason Giambi bets on virtual reality to train better batters
Virtual reality has made substantial strides in gaming and entertainment, but there's another area where the technology could also prove useful: sports training. Kansas City-based EON Sports VR has been working on interactive simulators for football and, now, it's tackling baseball. Its latest, Project OPS, uses custom software and a smartphone-powered SIDEKIQ VR headset to train batters on strike zone awareness and pitch recognition through real-time, 360-degree video challenges. And to give this a sense of credibility, the startup recruited Jason Giambi, a 20-year MLB veteran with an American League MVP title, two Silver Slugger Awards and five All-Star badges under his belt.
Cubs fan uses jukebox app to troll St Louis fans
In the hours ahead of the decisive game four for the NLDS, a Cubs fan who goes by Clue Heywood on Twitter, and lives in Arizona, pranked Cardinals fans. Hoowee, he pranked them hard. Using a jukebox app, the kind that let you pick a song from the bar's Whurlitzer, he plunked down $50 worth of "Go Cubs Go" by Steve Goodman at various bars throughout the St. Louis area.
DraftKings is expanding its online gambling services to eSports
Online gambling site DraftKings told Re/code on Wednesday that it will expand its fantasy services beyond professional baseball and American football. Beginning next month, DraftKing users will be able to test their fantasy team management mettle in the rapidly-growing realm of eSports. In fact, the new service is slated to debut in time for the start of the League of Legends World Championship in October. Additionally, the company will partner six eSports teams for in-event promotions.
Radar turns your smartphone into a baseball speed detector
Want to know if your baseball team's pitching skills are up to snuff without carrying a dedicated (and frequently not-so-smart) speed detector? Scoutee might have something up your alley. It's crowdfunding a baseball radar peripheral that turns Android phones and iPhones into pitch speed detectors. Plunk the device in the right place (including on the back of your phone, if you like) and it'll tell you just how quick that fastball really was. You can not only add notes, but record video with a speed overlay -- you'll know whether or not that curveball was slow from the start.
MLB allows Apple Watch in dugouts, but phones remain off limits
For coaching in its annual All-Star Game, Major League Baseball gave Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost an Apple Watch. As you might expect, Yost has been wearing quite a bit -- even during games when cellphones and other devices are banned from the dugouts. The wearable raised some concerns over cheating, but after the league reached out to the manager for an explanation, the Apple Watch can remain on the wrists of team staff seated on the bench. Until now, the only approved device was telephone used to call from the dugout to the bullpen to discuss pitching changes. Of course, without an iPhone close by, the Apple Watch isn't much more than a... well, watch. And that's exactly what Yost told the league. [Image credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images]
Yankee Stadium to fans: Scan your thumb and skip the line
Welcome to the future, sports fans – you can use your smartphone to track trades, Twitter can tell you who's on the DL, and now your fingerprints can get you into the ballpark faster. Beginning August 7th, Yankee Stadium will roll out the Clear biometric security service to visitors, which allows fans to use a "Fast Access" line by registering their fingerprints and driver's licenses.
MLB's Advanced Media arm inks deal to create content for NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, MLB's interactive and online broadcast arm, have come to terms on a deal that would give the NHL access to the same Emmy award-winning production assets that the MLB enjoys. The six year deal would effectively create "a fully integrated global hub of digital content that encompasses video, live game streaming, social media, fantasy, apps, along with statistical and analytical content." Basically, all the cool stuff that baseball fans enjoy at MLB.com is coming to hockey fans at the start on next year.
Recommended Reading: Kentucky distillery uses music to flavor its brandy
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. This Kentucky Distillery Is Blasting David Bowie Songs to Flavor Its Brandy by Ashlie Stevens Munchies Sounds strange, right? I thought so too, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The vibrations of the barrels triggered by subwoofers placed around the Copper & Kings distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, constantly circulate the company's brandy. This means that liquid spends more time in contact with the oak barrels, much more than the typical, stationary aging process allows.
Comcast's TV sports app delivers baseball stats when they matter
If you're a baseball stats hound, you probably don't enjoy tearing your eyes away from the game just to dig up facts about the latest at-bat matchup. You might not have to distract yourself for much longer if you're a Comcast subscriber, though -- the cable TV giant has introduced a Baseball Extras feature to its Xfinity Sports app that turns your X1 set-top box into a real-time stats machine. Fire it up and you'll get a carousel of info that pops up as it becomes relevant, such as the batter's chances of defeating the pitcher or post-game recaps. You can also use it to track a game even when you're watching something else, so you don't have to interrupt your kids' show to get a better sense of how your favorite team is doing. This isn't as unintrusive as keeping your phone out while you watch, but it's definitely more convenient.
Recommended Reading: Why the Cardinals hacked a bad MLB team
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Why Astros' Sophisticated Database Would Be Worth Hacking by Johnette Howard ESPN In 2013, the Houston Astros finished the Major League Baseball season 51-111 -- fifth in the five-team American League West Division. They had a bad year, to say the least, and it followed two straight seasons of finishing last in the National League Central. So why would the St. Louis Cardinals want to hack the team's player database? A former St. Louis exec is the Astros' general manager, and his work on a similar collection of advanced stats helped the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series and five minor league championships. Oh yeah, the Astros, just three years later, are leading the division thanks to a remarkable turnaround this season.
FBI investigating St. Louis Cardinals for hacking another team's files
Sports teams employ questionable methods to gain an advantage over their opponents, but the FBI is looking into whether or not one team took to hacking. The Justice Department is investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for allegedly hacking into the Houston Astros' network and accessing files containing player information. According to the New York Times, investigators discovered evidence that front-office personnel hacked into the Astros' databases and looked at scouting reports, stats and info about potential trades. This is the first "known" incident of a pro sports franchise hacking another, as professional hackers, companies and groups operating in foreign countries are typically the culprits.
MLB Network starts streaming live broadcasts on mobile devices
If you're a baseball fan, chances are you're already aware of the Major League Baseball's At Bat app for streaming live games with a MLB.tv subscription. Now, the league is bringing it's 24/7 news, analysis and more from the MLB Network to your computer and mobile device, too. As Forbes reports, this is the first time that a league-owned TV network has offered a live authenticated stream of its around-the-clock broadcast on the desktop, iOS and Android. All of the network's studio shows, original programs, game telecasts and more will stream to the At Bat app, but there's a catch: you'll need a cable subscription to access it.
Adidas' RBZ baseball bat can boost your swing speed and power
There are plenty of gadgets out there to help you improve your baseball skills, including motion-sensing connected sensors. But Adidas wants to take that to a whole different level, for recreational players and college-level athletes alike. Meet the EQT X3 RBZ, a bat designed to increase the speed and power behind a player's swing. To make that possible, the sporting goods company is relying on materials like carbon composite and precise weight distribution throughout the bat, while a new EQT grip tape control aims to provide a tighter fit in players' hands. For being a baseball bat, the EQT X3 is as sleek as it gets -- and it would probably look great next to your Nike Vapor 360 glove. Adidas is launching the RocketBallz bat tomorrow for $400, in celebration of this year's College World Series.
Major League Baseball doesn't want you livestreaming its games (update: it's cool)
You may want to think twice about livestreaming that baseball game for the sake of your friends back home. Major League Baseball tells the Wall Street Journal that it's reminding teams not to allow services like Meerkat and Periscope in their stadiums, since the live video violates broadcast rights. At least some of the organizations are taking that warning seriously -- the San Francisco Giants will be watching their WiFi network for relevant traffic, and may eventually block it.
Learn the mental part of defense with Baseball Academics
Growing up I learned to play baseball the same way millions of youngsters have learned and continue to learn, by playing the game. The most difficult part of learning the game was the mental part. Hitting, catching, and throwing the ball are physical efforts that you can master through repetition. What to do in certain situations while on defense has to be taught and learned through study. That takes time and seldom is there enough practice time to teach all aspects of that part of the game. Baseball Academics offers youth coaches and fathers a way to expose their charges to all kinds of defensive situations without having to try and duplicate them on the field. This free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later. A premium upgrade with a monthly subscription will be added soon. More on that in a bit. Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost was involved in the development of the app. Users choose one of the nine defensive positions and the app offers a sequence of baseball situations for the user to decide where he should throw the ball once it is hit to him. These situations will vary according to how many outs in the inning, where and how many baserunners are on base. For example if you are the shortstop, the game is scoreless in the fourth inning with a runner on third and less than two outs where do you throw, home or first? Each training session runs thirty seconds and the aim is for the user to make decisions in as many situations as you can during that time. Users will see the diamond with the runners and tap the base they think is the right one. To master the exercise users need to think quickly just like in a real game. After you finish the sequence you can check to find out how many you got correct and how long it took you to decide. The Premium addition will be released by the end of February. In this edition of Baseball Academics, users will be able to advance from the first level up to level seven. As the user advances the situations they face change. In addition to how many runners and where they are, users will also have to figure in what inning the game is in and what the current score is. These factors can often change the decision players have to make. For a pitcher in level 7, there are almost 12,000 different scenarios possible. In the Premium version, players receive a Baseball Academic Rating or BAR. The rating is a compilation of the users' accuracy and speed of response. The upgrade carries a US$10 per month subscription fee. According to developers they may launch another method to advance through to higher levels for a single purchase but that version will not track and record a user's performance. The premium version does offer that service. The goal is for coaches, college recruiters and even professional scouts to be able to use this data in evaluating younger players who want to play in college or become professionals. It also will help local coaches track the development of their players. The developers want to establish a standard so users can see how they rank against comparable age players locally and around the country. The overall concept and execution of Baseball Academics is right on target for teaching young baseball players to think about situations and be prepared when they field a batted ball. The developers goal of setting a defensive standard for comparing players is a tough one to get everyone to accept but is worth their efforts. The free version of Baseball Academics can be useful to all young players and is worth a look. The Premium version as it stands now with its US$10 a month fee is aimed at serious players, those that hope to advance to be good high school and college players, or even have aspirations of playing professionally. Overall I think the app offers a unique approach and is one that coaches and parents should consider if their youngsters want to play baseball at a high level.
Settle those sports arguments with Who Won Sports
Many of us love to argue or rather have animated discussions about a variety of topics, politics, religion, where to go for the best hamburger and the king of argument starters: Sports. Now with Who Won Sports you and your friends can settle those disagreements by just pulling out your phone and using this free universal app. Who Won Sports is a simple app that tells you at a glance just what the name implies, who won. You will find team championships, individual award winners and more for all the major sports. Choose your sport, then select which category you want and Who Won Sports in most cases, provides you with a list of winners by year going back as far back as the beginning of the competition or as long as the award has been given. In the baseball category you can choose from twenty-two different championships or awards. You will find World Series winners going back to 1903, Cy Young winners, home run champs, Gold Glove winners, Manager of the Year awards for both leagues and many more including the winners of the College World Series in Omaha and the first player picked in the annual amateur draft held each summer. Did you know Rick Monday was the very first player picked back in 1965? You would if you had Who Won Sports. Overall the app has eight categories from which to choose: baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, hockey, and the Canadian Football League. Golf and tennis feature the four grand slam events in each sport. Tennis includes the Women's winners but no LPGA winners in golf. However the app does include Ryder Cup winners. Who Won Sports makes it much easier to access all this data than using a browser and search engine on your phone. The navigation within the app is a breeze. However I did find a couple of issues that troubled me. For baseball and hockey you will get the winners in whatever year you select but nothing about which team they beat or how many games the series took. However, in the NBA you get a paragraph detailing the outcome of the series and the number of games. In the football category the listing is for NFL Champions but only goes back to the first Super Bowl in 1967. For each winner it tells you what number Super Bowl it was, where it was played and the two teams that played. Why do they provide more details for two of the sports but not the others? Also what about all the NFL Championship games that were played before the Super Bowl started. And what about the American Football League? After all without the success of the AFL, we would have never had a Super Bowl. A little more attention and information would have made this app more complete. I believe you will find Who Won Sports a handy app to keep on your phone and for the most part it will settle a lot of discussions about who won what. You won't find the answer to who is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time but you can see who won the 1928 Stanley Cup if that become important - It was the New York Rangers if you need to know.
Smart sleeve helps pro baseball players avoid injury
While the average Joe might use a wearable to see how many calories he burned on the way to Starbucks, such devices can be infinitely more useful for pro athletes. The Motus Sleeve (shown below) can even help Major League Baseball (MLB) players, especially pitchers, to perform better and avoid injuries or possible career-ending Tommy John's surgery. It has a removable 3D sensor sensor with six accelerometers and gyros that's placed in a pouch on the player's elbow. The Sleeve then collects data like arm speed, pitch counts, elbow torque and other pertinent data for hurlers, and swing data for batters.
Follow MLB, NFL, and NBA rumors with Trade Rumors app
For a large number of fans, what happens to their favorite teams off the fields and courts is just as important as the action that takes place in the games. Now with a single app users can follow all the latest rumors about trades, cuts, waivers, hirings, firings and just about everything else dealing with roster changes in the Trade Rumors app. The origin of this app began with a web site put together as a hobby by a fan who loved the baseball "hot stove" season. He poured over Internet sites looking for information on all the player movements during the off season. His hobby grew into a full time job and now his site MLBTradeRumors.com is one of the most wide read sites of its kind on the web. It is used by fans, reporters, and team officials to keep up with player movement. The site compiles reports from other web sources including well known insiders such as Ken Rosenthal of Fox, Buster Olney and Jason Starke of ESPN and Hall of Fame reporter Peter Gammons. The baseball site was successful and grew into similar sites for football and basketball. Now you can access all of this information in this single free universal app. The other sites are ProFootballRumors.com and HoopsRumors.com. Users can choose to receive news feeds from all three sports or just the one or two that holds the most interest. Additionally users can select news feeds dealing with their favorite teams and just about every player active in MLB, the NFL, and the NBA. The app contains all of the stories posted on the three web sites and is separated by sports and teams or players. Just tap on the story you want to read or slide the graphics left and right to find the one that interests you. Then a single tap opens the story for your perusal. Once you read that story you can slide the stories left and right again to read more without going back to the main page. Trade Rumors also offers users the ability to share stories with friends through all the major social networking sites plus email, texts and more. You won't get game stories and scores in this app but you do receive a compilation of information from some of the most outstanding reporters working on the web. So if trades, waivers, roster changes, etc. are of interest to you, this app should be one you download. I have used the original sites for years and was thrilled when I found I can now get all that same great information the Trade Rumors app. It is now on my iPhone and iPad.
MLB announces that Apple Pay will work at both World Series stadiums
Major League Baseball in recent years has been particularly receptive to new technologies, as evidenced by its forward thinking MLB.com At Bat app and its early support of digital ticketing via Apple's Passbook app. So with the World Series starting today, it's no surprise that the two ballparks involved -- Kauffman Stadium in KC and AT&T Park in San Francisco -- will be the first two major league stadiums to offer support for Apple Pay. Forbes reports: Just in time for the World Series on Tuesday, MLB Advanced Media, the digital media company of Major League Baseball announced on Monday that MasterCard is bringing contactless acceptance to ballpark food and beverage concessions, enabling fans to make payments using a variety of NFC-enabled devices and services, including the newly introduced Apple Pay. The report adds that MLB is also planning to roll out in-app support for Apple Pay next season, thereby allowing fans to purchase tickets directly from their iOS device. Notably, MLB Advanced CEO Bob Bowman said back in September that Apple Pay is poised to be much bigger than analysts realize and that fans will soon need to bring nothing to the ballpark except their smartphone.
All things college athletics with the official NCAA app
Mention the NCAA around most sports fans and you can expect a litany of complaints about the organization that oversees college athletics. However the official NCAA app should satisfy most followers of collegiate sports. The free universal app runs on iOS 7.0 or later and covers a lot more than just football and basketball. Similar to other apps that cover college sports you can get the latest news updates on major sports such as football, basketball, both men and women's, and baseball. The NCAA app goes further with coverage of all the NCAA sports: Wrestling Volleyball Field Hockey Ice Hockey Cross Country Track & Field Lacrosse And about a dozen more. If you have someone involved in any of the athletic competitions taking place at NCAA member schools you can follow them with the NCAA app. Users can choose up to three favorite schools and the app pulls news, video, scores, and more from each of those schools so you can find it in a single location. No browsing through hundreds of stories or score to get your favorite's. And you can set up alerts for your favorite teams for news and or score updates. The hardest part of picking your favorite is finding the school on the huge list of colleges and universities included in the app. Every school that is an NCAA member is listed in alphabetical order from big universities like Notre Dame, Southern Cal, and Alabama to small schools like Agnes Scott College, College of St. Elizabeth, and Judson College and all the colleges and universities in between. Regardless of what your favorite college sport is, you will find stories and other features included in the app. Plus users can find out the latest rankings of teams in all the sports. So if you want to see how your college cross country team is doing, select cross country from the sports list then choose rankings and you will find Northern Arizona at the top of the Division 1 list followed by Oklahoma State and Colorado. The app provides numerous videos for users to watch both in the team pages and in the general news coverage. I checked several and all were preceded by a fifteen second commercial announcement and unfortunately it appears the same commercial appears before each video so be prepared to sit through the same ad time after time if you watch a lot of videos. Despite this failing, the official NCAA app is still worth having for those fans of some of the less popular and highly covered sports that take place on college campuses around the country.
