Opening Week for Major League Baseball is here, and Apple has improved Siri’s knowledge of the game. While the personal assistant may have increased its knowledge about the game, even covering 28 other leagues in addition to the majors, a few test questions shows Siri still has a way to go before it can pitch a perfect game.
The Verge notes Siri first started answering sports-based queries in iOS 6, and Apple has updated the assistant’s knowledge over time. The latest baseball-related update allows users to ask more detailed questions about careers, statistics, and baseball history. However, a few of the test questions we threw at Siri blew right past her, as it was a swing and a miss.
When asked about legendary Cincinnati Reds all-star catcher from the 1970s and 80s Johnny Bench, she replied with what looked to be the correct stats, but indicated that he played third base. A query about catchers with the most career home runs displayed the two catchers that have hit home runs so far in the ypung season, instead of career totals for anyone. Siri did score well when asked who the Nashville Sounds were, replying correctly that they were a Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, based in the Nashville area.
Siri’s upgrade comes in the wake of an announcement that Major League Baseball is now allowing the use of 12.9-inch iPad Pros in the dugout during games, offering coaches and managers the chance to access stats, to allow more informed in-game decisions.
T-Mobile is also offering a free one year premium subscription to MLB.TV, allowing T-Mobile customers to view live streams of games on their devices. More information on how to activate a free subscription is available here.
