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Cardinals scout sentenced to 46 months for hacking another team
Last June, the FBI began investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for hacking computers of the Houston Astros to access confidential scouting reports on the teams players. Christopher Correa, the Cardinals' former director of baseball development, plead guilty to five charges of unauthorized access of a protected computer back in January. Today, the FBI in Houston announced that Correa was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for tapping into the Astros' player files without permission. He's also required to pay $279,038 in restitution for the incident.
Intel brings 360-degree replays to Major League Baseball
Intel is determined to make 360-degree replays a staple of the sporting world. The chip designer has announced that it's bringing 3D capture technology to Major League Baseball games, starting with the All-Star Week events at San Diego's Petco Park (the All-Star Futures Game, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game) between July 10th and July 12th. Its technology will string 28 cameras around the field to show plays from nearly any angle. In short, there shouldn't be any doubt whether or not that runner is safe -- you'll almost always have a good view.
The After Math: Pay up
This was a week of folks getting theirs. Brazil locked down $6 million of Facebook assets in its ongoing battle of WhatsApp. Disney shelled out $3.5 billion for the company that runs MLB At Bat. Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown squeezed $600,000 out of EA for its unlicensed use of his likeness. And Apple is reportedly about to spend big bucks buying Tidal from Jay-Z. Numbers, because how else are you going to measure financial debt?
Blast Motion's swing sensor data is coming to baseball broadcasts
Major League Baseball had already approved Blast Motion's swing analyzer for use in training sessions, but now that the gadget is official hitting sensor of the league, it's going to be used for a lot more. Data from the $150 device will be used in television broadcasts, starting with the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 10th. While that matchup is only an exhibition of the baseball's up-and-coming young talent, Blast says other "select television broadcasts" will feature stats collected by the swing tracker.
Major League Baseball team uses VR for batting practice
Virtual reality made its way into the NFL last year, when the Dallas Cowboys became the first team in the league to use the technology for training. Now, on the Major League Baseball side, a similar path is being followed by the Tampa Bay Rays. The team has started utilizing a simulator from EON Sports VR known as iCube, which lets players step inside a virtual batting cage and practice their swing. Coaches are fans of this method because it takes less physical wear on an individual, plus it allows batters to experience throws that mimic those of pitchers across MLB -- like Giants' own Madison Bumgarner.
Major League Baseball approves wearable tech for in-game use
Major League Baseball season started this week, and the league's rules committee will allow wearables to hit the diamond for the first time. During games, MLB players can wear a Motus Baseball Sleeve to keep tabs on elbow stress and the Zephyr Bioharness heart and breathing monitor. For now, those are the only two approved devices for in-game use. Yes, this means gadgets like Jawbone, Fitbit or other more consumer-friendly devices are still prohibited.
Yahoo expands sports streaming with daily MLB games
Opening Day is like Christmas for baseball fans, and Yahoo is giving them another reason to celebrate. 180, to be exact. Yahoo Sports announced today that it will stream one Major League Baseball game per day throughout the 2016 season. That's right, you'll be able to tune in free of charge to a daily matchup until the postseason begins. Each game will have commercials and, unfortunately, will remain blacked out in local markets as is typically the case with MLB broadcasts. There will also be plenty of analysis with Yahoo's Big League Stew baseball blog.
Apple and the MLB team up to put iPad Pros in the dugout
When the commentators during a baseball broadcast refer to the tablets Major League Baseball coaches are holding as "iPads," unlike pro football announcers, they'll actually be correct. Apple and the MLB have signed a deal that'll put 12.9-inch iPad Pros in dugouts and bullpens around the league, offering up everything from performance stats, videos of plays from past games to pitcher-batter matchups, according to The Wall Street Journal. All that data comes from a custom app co-developed by Apple and the league, MLB Dugout.
Major League Baseball takes Snapchat to the dugout during games
Snapchat isn't new to sports coverage, but with Major League Baseball this season, the social channel is making a big push at the ballpark. The collaboration between the app and the league kicks off next Friday (March 11th) when MLB will allow players to use cellphones in the dugout for the first time. Before, during and after Spring Training games, players will be permitted to post their own snaps and selfies. Oh yeah, there's a special selfie stick for the occasion: the SnapBat. Yes, really.
MLB.tv's baseball subscription is $20 cheaper after lawsuit
Major League Baseball was due in court last month to answer for its practice of region-locking games. The policy basically meant that a die-hard Red Sox fan in the southeast US had to pay extra for things like Extra Innings package through a cable provider or an MLB.tv streaming subscription. Even with the latter option, in-market games were still blacked out or unavailable locally. In other words, if you didn't have cable, you weren't be able to watch your in-town team because of existing TV deals. MLB settled before the class-action lawsuit got going in court, agreeing to offer MLB.tv single-team packages priced at $85 a year. However, if your team doesn't do well, you won't be able to stream the playoffs or World Series.
The lawsuit that can change how you watch Major League Baseball (updated)
Major League Baseball is in court today to defend its practice of region-locking game broadcasts, Bloomberg Business reports. MLB's broadcast deals force some fans to purchase bloated TV and internet packages like DirecTV's Extra Innings or MLB.TV in order to watch the games they want, plaintiffs argue. Comcast and DirecTV join MLB as defendants against a class of fans certified by US District Judge Shira Scheindlin.
Former Cardinals official pleads guilty to hacking another team
The Justice Department announced back in the June that it was investigating the St. Louis Cardinals for allegedly accessing another team's scouting reports. Today, the Cardinals former director of baseball development plead guilty to five charges of unauthorized access of a protected computer after accessing the Houston Astros' player files without permission.
DraftKings, FanDuel and the feds: The daily fantasy story so far
This season, if you're a sports fan or are even sports fan-adjacent, two words have become nearly inescapable: daily fantasy. The suddenly booming industry has steamrolled TV, radio and the internet with ads promising that playing this "game of skill" can turn your intimate knowledge of sports into big bucks. Its annoyingly bombastic ads alone are enough to make anyone skeptical, since even in this fantasy not everyone can wind up an instant million dollar winner. All of the publicity has worked in FanDuel and DraftKings' favor, making daily fantasy games more popular than ever. That is, until a leak that showed the possibility of insider trading sparked a backlash. Now daily fantasy has the full focus of powerful government figures who may decide if the games will continue.
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.
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]
Recommended Reading: How baseball's tech team changed television
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. The Changeup by Ben Popper The Verge The streaming tech that powers HBO Now? It was built by Major League Baseball Advanced Media (BAM). Yes, the same outfit that handles MLB.tv and announced a partnership with the National Hockey League to handle its streaming services this week. The Verge takes a behind-the-scenes look at the department and what it's doing to build the future of television.
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.
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.
