The office of Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday that the use of advanced electronic positioning (similar to GPS) during pregame warmups was allowed so long as it did not continue during actual games.
But concerns raised by the Mets following the opening of a three-game series against the Dodgers at Citi Field in New York did prompt MLB tp send notices to all teams reminding them of the policy, the commissioner’s office said.
“We have reminded all clubs about what our rules entail regarding the use of range-finders and markings of the field for purposes of defensive positioning,” said league spokesman Mike Teevan, MLB’s vice president of communications.
“Pregame use of electronic devices is permissible, but in-game use would clearly constitute a violation,” he said.
Teevan also said the Mets-Dodgers opener, won by New York by a 6-5 score, resulted in another reminder to visiting teams to not leave anything on the field after they practice.
The decision has, at least for the moment, mollified concerns raised by the Mets at the start of a three-game series with the Dodgers at Citi Field in May.
The two teams are involved in early pennant races in separate divisions of baseball’s National League, with the Mets trailing the Washington Capitals in the NL East and the Dodgers just behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
The Mets had contacted the commissioner’s office after receiving reports that the Dodgers had used the technology before the May 27 series opener.
The Mets also raised concerns that the Dodgers had marked the outfield with paint to better direct their players.
But Teevan said a preliminary investigation done by his office revealed no evidence that the Dodgers had done anything improper.
“We have also informed clubs that teams are prohibited from leaving anything on the playing field,” Teevan said.
The issue arose last week after Mets’ General Manager Sandy Alderson told ESPN.com that his team had seen “members of the Dodgers organization” using advanced technological devices on May 27,
“We weren’t sure that was appropriate,” Alderson said last week, prompting the call to MLB.
But Teevan said league investigators could find no proof that the Dodgers had done anything improper.
“We did not find that they broke any rules,” Teevan said.
The Dodgers went on to win the final two games at Citi Field, 9-1 and 4-2, to close out the season series against Mets with four wins in seven games.
