This article was originally published on January 10th, 2020.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Baseball news I am interested in -
Major League Baseball appears to have yet another sign-stealing saga on its hands. MLB says it will investigate allegations the Boston Red Sox illegally used their video replay room to steal signs between opposing pitchers and catchers during their 2018 World Series championship season.
Furthermore, MLB's investigation into the Astros' sign-stealing is expected to be completed by the end of January. With the possibility that discipline could be the "harshest in baseball history," with the potential of a record number of fines exceeding $5 million.
Technology I am researching -
Monsterful VR signed a deal with TrinityVR to acquire an exclusive license to its technology. Several MLB clubs are known to already use Trinity’s DiamondFX batting simulation platform.
The idea of virtual reality training for baseball is that hitters can face ultra-realistic simulations of real pitchers they might be scheduled to play in real life, fine-tuning their skills and responses with extra reps. Through tracking swing power, bat speed, and launch angle, the systems can also track performance improvements.
Rugby News I am learning about -
After the success of the French side Catalans Dragons and the Toronto Wolfpack, Serbian team Red Star Belgrade has confirmed that they will make a bid to join the third tier of English rugby league. The Serbian side last year competed in England's Challenge Cup competition for the first time.
Merchandise story I am interested in -
Serie A club Fiorentina has partnered with Genuino to use blockchain technology to identify official team shirts and stop counterfeiting. Fiorentina say is the first of its kind for a soccer club, was initially trialed last month, where shirts worn by players during Serie A games were fitted with a special chip and combined with a unique blockchain code to prove authenticity.
What I am reading -
Find Your Yellow Tux by Jesse Cole (@YellowTuxJesse). Cole shares his insights into how to stand out and how he managed to create such a successful baseball team in the Savannah Bananas. Find Your Yellow Tux does not focus on the sport of baseball, but it is about how you can use the knowledge Cole has collected to create a business to connect better with customers and make them feel more than just purchasers of a product or service.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan