Cherington

PAWTUCKET — Big Brother is watching.

The Boston Red Sox and general manager Theo Epstein have a new tool in the organization’s scouting department this season, and it’s called a Slingbox. Cameras have been installed at the home fields of Triple-A Pawtucket, Double-A Portland and Class-A Lancaster to have live shots of Boston’s minor-league affiliates.

Boston’s baseball operations staff can’t always get to all of the games, so a wireless image from a center-field camera is sent back to the offices at Fenway Park, allowing Epstein and his staff to watch every game. The angle isn’t the best, but it allows team officials to see the pitcher’s mound and home plate, two crucial areas.

“It’s been pretty good,” said Red Sox vice president of player personnel Ben Cherington. “Actually, it’s been something Theo has wanted to do for a while. We started slowly; we’ve actually had a camera (at McCoy Stadium) for a while. We would have the games on discs, so if we wanted to review them we could. This year is the first time we’ve been able to do it live, and it was just a matter of waiting for the technology.”

Cherington said the Red Sox were waiting for the equipment to be cost-effective, with a high-quality picture, before making the investment. The Red Sox are ahead of the game in this area because not many other major-league organizations use the technology.

This season, especially with the Class-A affiliate now in California, it’s not like player development officials can take a short drive to watch the prospects. And it’s not unusual for Epstein and his staff to watch a Red Sox game at Fenway and then turn on the in-house feed to watch the JetHawks from the West Coast.

“We’re able to see the games live, and it’s been good,” said Cherington. “Obviously, we get game reports every night and we can keep an eye on how things are going, but there’s something about seeing it in person that’s different. For pitching and hitting, (the technology) has been a good tool. But there’s still nothing like personal contact. It’s important to get here and spend time with the players and the staff.”

Because Big Brother Theo is always watching, Cherington joked that the players and staff have to be on their best behavior.

In fact, there was one incident this season when a certain pitcher was taking ground balls when he shouldn’t have been, and the staff in Pawtucket received a phone call. Overall, it’s been a good scouting tool for the Red Sox.

“It’s worked out pretty well,” said Cherington.

A midseason treat

Last week it was announced that PawSox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury would play in the Futures Game at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Francisco July 9-11. When Pawtucket returned home from its eight-game road trip yesterday, Ellsbury was asked about the honor.

“When I was told, I was obviously very happy,” he said. “I’m excited to play against different up-and-coming players of tomorrow.”

He doesn’t feel he’s in that group, but in reality he is.

“As a player, you don’t look at it from that standpoint,” he said. “Anytime you’re acknowledged for your play, it’s a great honor.”

Entering last night’s game, the 23-year-old outfielder was hitting .280 with 10 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 46 games since his recall from Double-A Portland on May 4. Sea Dogs pitcher Clay Buchholz will join Ellsbury in San Francisco.

jmcdonal@projo.com