Sports

Jays’ Jackson: I was tipping pitches vs. Judge

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2023

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ESPN News Services

May 17, 2023, 12:51 PM ET

Blue Jays pitcher Jay Jackson said he was tipping his pitches while facing Yankees star Aaron Judge, who has received widespread scrutiny for a sideways glance before his mammoth home run off the Toronto right-hander.

Television cameras showed Judge quickly glance toward the Yankees’ first-base dugout before his 462-foot homer in the eighth inning Monday against Jackson.

The Blue Jays’ broadcasters speculated that Judge was looking for some kind of signal, and Toronto manager John Schneider called the slugger’s glance “kind of odd,” but Jackson offered a straightforward explanation during an interview with The Athletic.

“From what I was told, I was kind of tipping the pitch,” Jackson told The Athletic as part of a report published Wednesday. “It was [less] my grip when I was coming behind my ear. It was the time it was taking me from my set position, from my glove coming from my head to my hip. On fastballs, I was kind of doing it quicker than on sliders. They were kind of picking up on it.”

It was the second homer of the night for Judge, who said after the game that he was trying to identify “who was chirping from our dugout” at plate umpire Clint Vondrak.

The Blue Jays, however, did not buy Judge’s explanation, and Schneider mentioned that the reigning American League MVP could have been receiving signals from Yankees first-base coach Travis Chapman.

“If they knew it was coming and he clipped me, he clipped me,” Jackson told The Athletic. “I’m glad he hit it as far as he did.”

Judge’s homer came on a 3-2 slider from Jackson — the sixth consecutive slider he threw in the at-bat. Jackson, who was demoted to the minors before Tuesday’s game, said multiple members of the Blue Jays informed him that he was tipping pitches.

“One of the guys told me I might have been tipping my pitches,” he told The Athletic. “Then the video guy came back later and said, ‘Hey, we might have picked something up on the difference between your slider and fastball. It might have been something those guys were keying off of. Just be conscious of it. You might want to change it up next time.'”

The Yankees have not been accused of using electronic equipment to decipher the Blue Jays’ signs, which is against Major League Baseball rules.

“If you’re doing things in plain sight, I think that you have to be able to correct them and you have to be willing to have the consequences be what they are,” Schneider told reporters, according to The Athletic. “If it’s done fairly — that’s part of the game. Everyone’s looking to help their teammates, everyone’s looking to pick up on tendencies, so anything that’s happening on the field in the right way — totally fair game.”

The Blue Jays did again raise the topic of where Chapman and third-base coach Luis Rojas were standing during Tuesday’s game, leading to a brief shouting match that involved Schneider, Rojas, Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker.

Deciphering an opponent’s signals without electronic equipment and relaying them to a batter is not against MLB rules, and Boone said he found the arguments over coach positioning to be “tired.”

“It’s just silliness,” Boone said. “It’s ridiculous and I think everyone — I hope on both sides — realizes it.”

Judge’s response to the situation was another monstrous home run — a two-run blast that broke an eighth-inning tie and lifted the Yankees to a 6-3 victory Tuesday. The 448-foot drive to center field broke part of a white maple leaf sign — Canada’s national symbol, and the logo for Canada’s West Jet airline, sponsor of the center-field bar area.

The Yankees and Blue Jays conclude their three-game series Wednesday night in Toronto.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Sports

Ex-QB McCarron running for Alabama Lt. Gov.

Published

1 hour ago

October 23, 2025

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Ex-QB McCarron running for Alabama Lt. Gov.

Associated Press

Oct 23, 2025, 02:36 PM ET

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron, who helped lead the team to back-to-back national championships, announced Thursday that he is running for lieutenant governor of Alabama.

McCarron made the announcement in a video posted to YouTube on Thursday. McCarron, a first-time candidate, described himself as a political outsider. He cited conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September, as his inspiration to “get off the sidelines.” McCarron, who is running as a Republican, also stressed his 2016 endorsement of President Donald Trump.

“Today, Alabama’s conservative and cultural values are under attack from every direction. That’s why Charlie Kirk’s assassination affected so many of us so deeply,” McCarron said in the video.

McCarron is seeking to be the latest figure to channel sports fame into a political win. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and is running for governor of Alabama. Former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl had considered a run for Senate but decided against it.

“The Montgomery insiders and career politicians have had their chance. It’s time for political newcomers and outsider candidates like me to lead the battle,” McCarron said.

McCarron joins a crowded GOP field that includes Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, pastor Dean Odle and businessperson Nicole Jones Wadsworth.

McCarron was the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback and led the team to national championship wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals and other NFL teams.

The state primaries are May 19, 2026.

Sports

Source: Texas Tech to again start QB Hammond

Published

1 hour ago

October 23, 2025

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Source: Texas Tech to again start QB Hammond

Texas Tech redshirt freshman Will Hammond will start at quarterback against Oklahoma State on Saturday, a source told ESPN, marking his second straight start for the No. 14 Red Raiders.

Starting quarterback Behren Morton is recovering from a leg injury and will be available for the game, the source added, as he continues to improve. The Red Raiders have a bye after this week’s matchup with the Cowboys that will afford Morton more time to get healthy, with growing optimism he’ll return after the bye.

Hammond started last week’s 26-22 loss to Arizona State, finishing 22-for-37 for 167 yards and two touchdowns, along with 47 yards rushing and a rushing score for the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech’s offense struggled for three quarters against ASU, but Hammond led two late scoring drives that he capped with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard touchdown pass.

He also ran in a two-point conversion to give Texas Tech a late lead, only to have the comeback foiled by a late ASU touchdown drive led by quarterback Sam Leavitt in the final minute of play.

Morton has put together a dominant season for the Red Raiders. Prior to the injury, he completed 68.4 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,501 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Morton’s improved health will be crucial for Texas Tech’s finishing stretch. They play at Kansas State on Nov. 1 and host No. 11 BYU on Nov. 8.

Oklahoma State has lost six consecutive games, including a 49-17 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday night.

Sports

OU installing padding on walls, weeks after injury

Published

1 hour ago

October 23, 2025

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OU installing padding on walls, weeks after injury

Associated Press

Oct 23, 2025, 04:31 PM ET

Oklahoma is installing padding around Owen Field after receiver Keontez Lewis ran headfirst into a brick wall three weeks ago.

A school spokesman confirmed padding will be added to both end-zone walls and the sideline walls outside the team bench areas in time for Saturday’s game between No. 13 Oklahoma and No. 8 Ole Miss. The OU Daily, the school’s student newspaper, was first to report the change.

Lewis was injured in the first quarter of Oklahoma’s 44-0 win over Kent State on Oct. 4. A pass by Michael Hawkins Jr. was a bit overthrown, and Lewis’ momentum took him into an unpadded section of the wall behind the end zone. He was carted off, prompting concerns from fans.

Most of the wall was not padded, and it is close to the field boundaries. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables had said the plans for the change were in the works within days of the injury.

Lewis played the next week against Texas, but missed Saturday’s 26-7 victory over South Carolina. He is listed on the SEC injury report as doubtful for this Saturday’s game.