Red Sox protection gear, sleep room among latest investments in roster development
The Boston Red Sox have recently made two investments in new products that they hope will improve the performance of their players on the field.
A new Boston Red Sox protection gear partnership along with a new sleep room are the two most recent attempts by the franchise to provide opportunities for its players to get better.
The Red Sox have made a wearable tech company called G-Form their official protection partner, according to a press release. Among the articles now available to Boston’s players are an extended elbow pad, wrist guard, shorts, and two different types of shirts.
G-Form’s gear is made from molecules that react to impact, stiffening to protect the wearer then returning to normal after the impact has been absorbed. It is G-Form’s hope that its gear will be comfortable enough for players not to have to take off when they reach base.
That’s an innovation the Red Sox have made for game action. The next is a player amenity that is reserved for when Boston’s players are in their least-active state.
The Red Sox’s training facility now includes a soundproof and windowless sleep room available to players whenever the facility is open. In addition to the two bunk beds, Josh Freedland of SportTechie reports that each player on the roster has his own custom pillow thanks to a partnership with Bedgear.
The pillows are made to stay cool and fit for each player’s specific body frame and sleeping position preference. Bedgear collected the data for the pillows during Spring Training, and the completed sleep room was unveiled on Monday.
It may be difficult to quantify exactly how much of a positive impact on the players’ performances these products will have. Both of them make sense for the Red Sox and other professional sport teams, and if Boston is able to defend its AL East division title this season, they will have played a part in that success.