Mookie Betts Says He Was Aware Red Sox Used Video Feeds to Steal Signs in 2018

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said he was aware that the 2018 Boston Red Sox were using live video feeds to steal signs.

"Yeah," Betts said Sunday per Dylan Hernández of the Los Angeles Times. "Everybody was."

Betts was a member of that team, winning the American League MVP award en route to leading the Red Sox to a five-game World Series victory over the Dodgers.

This year's Dodgers team now employs J.T. Watkins, who served as the Red Sox's video replay coordinator, to help with hitting game planning. He played a key role in Boston's sign-stealing scheme, which Hernández explained:

"Before and after games, Watkins was tasked with decoding opponents' signs, which was legal. As the team's video replay coordinator, however, he also used his access to live game feeds to 'supplement or update' his work, according to the commissioner's office. This in-game use of video to decipher signs was illegal.

"The details gathered by Watkins were passed to the bench and used by runners who reached second base, who in turn would steal the catcher's sign and signal to the hitter the kind of pitch that was about to be delivered. Therefore, the commissioner's office concluded, "The information was only relevant when the Red Sox had a runner on second base."

Watkins was suspended for the entire 2020 season. As Hernández noted, he was the only member of the Red Sox staff to receive any punishment.

The league office also noted that the Red Sox scheme, "by its very nature, was far more limited in scope and impact" than the one conducted by the 2017 Houston Astros.

Betts also noted that the Red Sox did not use the sign-stealing system during the World Series. He further said that the team didn't use the system on a daily basis.

"No!" Betts said as he smiled. "This is what I'm trying to say. People are trying to make it like we're cheating. Give us credit. We had a good team. Give us some credit. We had Cy Young winners. We had MVPs. We had Gold Glove winners. We had Silver Sluggers. We had all that. Take that into account."

As far as how often the Red Sox used the system, Betts said: "Every now and ... it's kind of hard to remember."

The 29-year-old Betts is a six-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner and two-time World Series champion. He hit 35 home runs with 82 RBI and a .873 OPS last year.