Major League Baseball has increased security for its game balls this season in the wake of the NFL's Deflategate controversy.

An MLB representative watches the baseballs while a clubhouse assistant carries them from the umpires' room to the field. In addition, if the supply runs low during the game, an MLB security person is now sent to retrieve more from the umps' room.

In the past, a ball boy or ball girl did those jobs alone.

MLB said many changes in the policy for ball security and storage were discussed by equipment managers last December at the winter meetings, before Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were accused of deflating footballs in the AFC Championship Game.