McAdam: J.D. Martinez worried about losing access to in-game at-bats

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As part of the fallout from the sign-stealing mess created by the 2017 Houston Astros, and to a lesser extent the 2018 Red Sox, commissioner Rob Manfred said Sunday that Major League Baseball is in negotiations with the MLB Players Association to limit player access to in-game video in 2020.

And J.D. Martinez is not happy.

Few players use video as extensively as Martinez. He has one of the Red Sox' video staff members film his daily batting practice sessions so he can review them. He uses video in the offseason to address hitches in his swing or set-up. And he's constantly tinkering -- sometimes in the middle of games -- and making adjustments.

If Manfred's promised policy is enacted, it will change Martinez's preparation in a significant way.

"One hundred percent,'' said Martinez. "That's who I am. Obviously, I heard that, too. I think to go out there and take all video out and you're not allowed to look at at-bats, I think is a little ridiculous in my opinion. When I was in the minor leagues, Double A, Triple A -- we had video systems. It's something we grew up with. You can go back and kind of check something in your swing. It helps you throughout the game and to all of a sudden take that away is a little extreme.

"If you want to delay it an inning, or you want to do something



(else)...I promise you now that (watching) the at-bats doesn't help anything in the sign-stealing type-deal. The way the at-bat system works is kind of like you're watching the game live, like from NESN. You watch the games on NESN - can you steal the signs? It's too hard. It's cutting in and out (on the angle that shows the catcher's signs).

"I think they should become more informed on what exactly what you can do (with the video) and actually talk to players that played. 'Hey, what can we do? Does this help?' If you want to monitor or delay it. Whatever you have to do, but to take that away....For me, (watching at-bats) is what makes me me. I'm a very analytical guy. I like to study my swing, what my back foot is doing, my elbow...whatever it might be. And there's a lot of guys nowadays who are like that. That's the way the game has gone.''

Part of the problem is that The Athletic reported that the Red Sox used the monitor in the video replay room to help decode opponents' signs. The signs would then be flashed by players in the dugout to baserunners in scoring position who would, in turn, convey the signs to the hitter.

That practice, coupled with the Astros' model in which a center field camera feed was shown on a monitor near the dugout, with staff members banging loudly on a trash can to alert hitters about what pitch was coming, has MLB looking to limit exposure to real-time video.

"You want to get rid of the replay (room)? Move the replay (room), move it up to the press box,'' said Martinez. "Put the (other team's video) guy and some security and close the door and you don't have to worry about anything. Follow the live feed. I think they've got to do a better job at that. And I think that's what they're going to do because it's kind of what they have to do.

Video is such an essential self-evaluating tool for hitters everywhere that Martinez believes it's untenable to restrict them from in-game use.

"All of a sudden, you're going to take that away from hitters who have grown and developed on that...I think that's a little harsh,'' said Martinez. "It's not fair.''

Depending on the ballpark and the camera positioning, the angles are different for hitters.

"It's hard enough already,'' said Martinez. "This is what I do, I break down swings, and it's hard enough now with the angles that we can get. There's certain places where you get a specific angle. For example, in Toronto, you get (an overhead) angle. You don't get that everywhere. All of a sudden, you might see something from that angle and say, 'Wow - I didn't know I was doing that.'

"The point being if you start taking angles away, you're just making it harder. And what does the commissioner want? He wants offense -- that's what he keeps talking about, right? But you're going to limit the hitters from doing that. It's just tough.''