MLB Bullets is looking for a sign

What year is this?

• The Red Sox have admitted to using an Apple Watch to steal signs and relay the information to the batter in the recently-completed series against the Yankees.
• In a press conference, commissioner Rob Manfred stated that while there is no rule against sign stealing, there is a rule against using technology like an Apple Watch on the field.
• Whitney McIntosh rounds up reactions on the web from Red Sox camp, Yankees camp and MLB.
• Red Sox team president Dave Dombrowski doesn’t seem to be taking the allegations very seriously. He also said that if the Yankees had a problem with what the Red Sox were doing, they should have called him and not blabbed to The New York Times.
• David Schoenfield has a primer on everything you need to know about sign stealing.
• Michael Baumann thinks the solution is for the Yankees to make their signs harder to steal.
• Tom Verducci believes that the real issue here is the slow pace-of-play that gives teams the time to get the signs to the batter before a pitch is thrown.
• Bob Nightengale calls for banning all technology from the field. And then he wants all those kids to get off his lawn.
• Will Oremus thinks we’re all missing the real news in this story: Somebody actually found a good use for the Apple Watch. I’m a pretty big Apple guy, but even I won’t spend money on an Apple Watch.
• Your 2017 Roberto Clemente Award nominees.
• Craig Calcaterra points out that MLB celebrates every single holiday that takes place during the baseball season except Labor Day, and that’s not a coincidence.
• Mike Lupica argues that what makes baseball wonderful is that any team that makes the postseason could win it all.
• David Schoenfield recommends a game to watch for every day in September.
• However, it’s looking like Hurricane Irma could have a major impact on some of the September pennant races. Obviously that’s not the first concern of the people in Florida.
• The Marlins are taking along their families on the upcoming road trip to get them out of the path of Irma.
• Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez hit four home runs against the Dodgers on Labor Day.
• Joe Posnanski estimates how unlikely it is for someone to hit four home runs in one game.
• Neil Paine looks at how Martinez went from a weak slap hitter to a bigtime power threat.
• Martinez is a free agent at the end of the season but he says he’d like to stay with the Diamondbacks.
• Jeff Sullivan examines how the Diamondbacks have gotten so good this year.
• And Dave Cameron writes that while the Dodgers have been really bad lately, it’s nothing for Dodgers fans to be concerned about.
• Cliff Corcoran looks at the Indians recent hot streak and believes that the Indians are a big threat to win it all this season.
• The Angels used an American League record 12 pitchers in an 11-inning game. That’s a problem.
• Travis Sawchik examines the bold extreme shift that the Diamondbacks used against Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu.
• Mets third baseman David Wright will have rotator cuff surgery. This is why the Mets can’t have nice things.
• Giants reliever Mark Melancon will undergo elbow surgery, either now or in the offseason.
• The Diamondbacks got a favorable MRI on Paul Goldschmidt’s elbow. He’s day-to-day.
• John Perrotto spoke to five “major-league executives” and all five said the Marlins should not trade Giancarlo Stanton.
• The Brewers are taking a gamble by playing Jonathan Villar in center field, writes Adam McCalvy.
• The odd story of Barry Bonds’ 762nd and final home run. In particular, no one at the time thought it would be his final home run, so no one paid much attention to the ball.
• Jon Wertheim interviews Mets (and Seinfeld) legend Keith Hernandez about life after baseball, broadcasting and living in New York. No mention of Jerry Seinfeld, but Keith Richards does come up.
• Lake Elsinore Storm player River Stevens played all nine positions in the final game of the year on Monday.
• Whitney McIntosh is upset with Bryce Harper’s new hairdo.
• And finally, watch the University of Louisville baseball team make a Rube Goldberg-ish trick shot in pool basketball.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.