MLB Bans Apple Watch From Dugouts During Games

In an odd turn of the events, Major League Baseball has officially ruled that the Apple Watch is not allowed in the dugout during games. While this may seem strange, it's an extension of the existing ban on smartphones. The addition to the rule came after the MLB spotted Ned Yost, the manager of the Kansas City Royals, wearing the Apple smartwatch during games. What makes this situation odd is that it was the MLB that gifted Yost the Watch after he managed the All Star Game last month.

A reporter with the Kansas City Star newspaper says that when the MLB called Yost about the smartwatch, the manager tried to explain that when the device is not near phone it's paired with, it's nothing more than a standard watch. "When you're away from your phone, all it is is a watch. It's just a clock," Yost said.

This exchange was detailed on Twitter by Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough, who seemed to defend Yost by saying the situation felt like entrapment because it was the MLB that gave him the Watch in the first place.

For what it's worth, Yost also said that he only uses the Watch during the day for its exercise tracking features and to check the weather, but swears he doesn't have his phone in his pocket while in the dugout. Maybe next time the MLB will have a better understanding of the gadgets it gives away to managers and players.

SOURCE Andy McCullough/Twitter 1, 2

VIA CNet