Apple scoops up Toronto Blue Jays assistant GM for App Store position

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple is pulling from the Toronto Blue Jays' bench to secure a new executive, as reports have the baseball team's assistant general manager Jay Sartori leaving to take over management of part of the App Store.


Sartori (center) will be leaving the Blue Jays next month to head up the Sports section of the App Store.
(image via SportsNet)


Sartori has been with the Blue Jays since September of 2010, will be leaving the post for a job handling the Sports section of Apple's App Store, according to SportsNet. The Jays manager will leave his position next month, and Toronto has yet to name a replacement.

Prior to his position as assistant general manager for the Blue Jays, Sartori directed baseball operations for the Washington Nationals. From 2005 to 2009, he managed salary and contract administration for Major League Baseball. A graduate of Boston College, Sartori has also held positions at Pacific Growth Equities and Robertson Stephens.

Sartori's exact duties with Apple are as yet unknown, but the position he is heading to is said to be at an executive-level.

AppleInsider has reached out for more information regarding the new hire and will update when a response is received.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    But the Blue Jays were awful this season! :P
  • Reply 2 of 19
    snovasnova Posts: 1,281member

    Apple is doomed. /s

  • Reply 3 of 19
    Apple wants to offer more sports on Apple TV. They already offer MLB. Could NFL Sunday Ticket be next? I'd buy!
  • Reply 4 of 19
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Apple is buying the A's and renaming them the iTeam or the iAthletics.
  • Reply 5 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Masteric View Post



    Apple wants to offer more sports on Apple TV. They already offer MLB. Could NFL Sunday Ticket be next? I'd buy!

     

    UFC fights!!! : )

  • Reply 6 of 19
    Hmm... That's an interesting hire. I expect more of this as they boost their sports content.
  • Reply 7 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post



    Apple is buying the A's and renaming them the iTeam or the iAthletics.

     

    the A9x's 

  • Reply 8 of 19
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    With subscriptions for all the major sports on Apple TV it might add up to be more expensive than cable and they will still black out local games.

  • Reply 9 of 19
    mstone wrote: »
    With subscriptions for all the major sports on Apple TV it might add up to be more expensive than cable and they will still black out local games.

    How does one black out local games on a mobile device? I think since the iPad media is not being broadcast via local stations, it can not be blacked out.
  • Reply 10 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Masteric View Post



    Apple wants to offer more sports on Apple TV. They already offer MLB. Could NFL Sunday Ticket be next? I'd buy!

     

    The guys resume' is that he's got financial savvy and back office skills.  While sunday ticket is wishful thinking…  He could be the 'exec' in charge of coming up with the money plan that makes FB, basketball and hockey win win for apples and the leagues. 

     

    ...or this is just MLB's big play and they wanted 'one of them' in at Apple before they expanded their iOS offerings (after looking at football, I'm thinking that Apple sports entree' is better suited for Baseball as a first major partner in streaming content in a new model [per game purchase] or maybe a national iOS passbook ticket purchasing system).  

  • Reply 11 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post





    How does one black out local games on a mobile device? I think since the iPad media is not being broadcast via local stations, it can not be blacked out.

    GPS.  If app driven the app can require location services.  then they  know where you are, and that's all they need.

  • Reply 12 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    With subscriptions for all the major sports on Apple TV it might add up to be more expensive than cable and they will still black out local games.


     

    who is 'they?'   Apple… no.   The local Franchise, yes, maybe, and that's their prerogative.   Remember, blackouts are for one reason… free or semi-free (cable) TV keeps people out of the stands.   If the stream is Pay Per View at $10 vs a $16 bleacher seat, the team may think that's close enough, and the game won't be blacked out for purchased games.

     

    NFL Football is the only sport I know that blacks out as a rule… that's a national rule (they want full stadiums for the ambiance).   My guess is that they'll figure out a price for blacked out games so you can watch them on your iDevice…. the NFL doesn't turn down revenue;-)

  • Reply 13 of 19
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    the A9x's 

    And then Apple will buy the Mariners and rename them the M7's!
  • Reply 14 of 19
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    who is 'they?'   Apple… no.   The local Franchise, yes, maybe, and that's their prerogative.   Remember, blackouts are for one reason… free or semi-free (cable) TV keeps people out of the stands.   If the stream is Pay Per View at $10 vs a $16 bleacher seat, the team may think that's close enough, and the game won't be blacked out for purchased games.

    NFL Football is the only sport I know that blacks out as a rule… that's a national rule (they want full stadiums for the ambiance).   My guess is that they'll figure out a price for blacked out games so you can watch them on your iDevice…. the NFL doesn't turn down revenue;-)

    Baseball blacks out as well. If you're in the team's home area, you can't stream it with the at bat app.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff View Post

     

     

    who is 'they?'   Apple… no.   The local Franchise, yes, maybe, and that's their prerogative.   Remember, blackouts are for one reason… free or semi-free (cable) TV keeps people out of the stands.   If the stream is Pay Per View at $10 vs a $16 bleacher seat, the team may think that's close enough, and the game won't be blacked out for purchased games.

     

    NFL Football is the only sport I know that blacks out as a rule… that's a national rule (they want full stadiums for the ambiance).   My guess is that they'll figure out a price for blacked out games so you can watch them on your iDevice…. the NFL doesn't turn down revenue;-)


     

    Baseball also has blackouts but it is based on television contracts/rights.  

     

    I'd take NFL blackouts over MLB blackouts. MLB blacks outs nationally televised games if there happens to be a "local" team playing. If you're local team stinks like say the Marlins or Astros, you're screwed. You can't watch any other nationally broadcast game(ESPN, MLB Network etc)

     

    At least with the NFL if your "local" team is blacked out,  at least you'll get 2 nationally broadcasted game on Fox or CBS.

  • Reply 16 of 19
    I'm not American, and not into watching sports. That said, why is everyone talking about the software side of things? Can't the guy be hired because Apple is making a hardware device and wants his input? Like a heart rate monitor, integrated into a wrist device ...or something? I understand he's for the App Store position; meaning software, but that could be hardwired, related to hardware, so to speak(?)
  • Reply 17 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by snova View Post

     

    Apple is doomed. /s


     

    No surer sign of nothing upstairs than this refrain.

  • Reply 18 of 19
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Keep in mind the NFL is the US thing, yes it is big money in the US and does have a large following, But soccer is a world sport and has a much large viewing audience than the NFL. Add this kind of sports to the ATV is going to bring more money than the NFL since soccer fan tend to watch their favorite players and teams even if they are not local to their market. But Not sure how hiring a guy from a so hum baseball team will make a difference. You have to believe this guy did a great sale job to have Apple to consider a coach for a position in retail sales. He must bring something interesting to the table.

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