They're not. Teams win by out homering the competition. Castro got a squibber the other night, and Michael Brantley (who

Oct 21, 2021
3:26:24pm

shimmy Shane Belieber

is always willing to go the other way and is an avg. god) got some big base hits, but all of the other games have been about hitting tanks. Even when they are down multiple runs guys go for the long ball.

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shimmy

Previous username: AFCoug83
Bio page: shimmy
Joined: Jan 15, 2008
Last login: May 2, 2024
Total posts: 117,255 (37,029 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

On banning the shift:

Corn Pop

10/21/21 3:09pm

Banning the shift just seems weird. Would MLB say that the SS and 2B have to

garyfan

10/21/21 3:16pm

split sides of second and feet on the dirt.

shimmy

10/21/21 3:20pm

Yeah, I forgot about depth (dirt or outfield grass). Can’t regulate all that.

garyfan

10/21/21 3:23pm

It'd be a disaster and an affront to the spirit of the game. It'd create a wedge

Zooropa

10/21/21 3:21pm

Shift doesn't teach players to go the other way, it forces them to hit it over the shift even more. On a team level

shimmy

10/21/21 3:19pm

Agree 100%. It's like complaining about double-teaming defense in basketball.

goodcleanfun

10/21/21 3:19pm

Except a layup gets you 2 points

StantonMac

10/22/21 10:18am

Agreed. Reward dudes who can make teams pay for putting on a shift.

ballen

10/21/21 3:20pm

It isn't an effective way to score right now so those players aren't rewarded. Look at the pay of high OBP, low ISO guys

shimmy

10/21/21 3:21pm

In the playoffs it seems like guys are more willing to do that.

ballen

10/21/21 3:24pm

They're not. Teams win by out homering the competition. Castro got a squibber the other night, and Michael Brantley (who

shimmy

10/21/21 3:26pm

So maybe a better change could be moving fences back to old (1910's) averages?

Zooropa

10/21/21 3:25pm

Don't love that, but I have changed from "stay out of the way of the strategy" guy to "incentivize balls in play" guy

shimmy

10/21/21 3:27pm

I agree with you there. An inning with 2 base runners that scores a run is

ballen

10/21/21 3:33pm

Hitters simply won’t gap it the other way. People that expect the league to naturally employ this as a strategy against

YIsForBrigham

10/21/21 3:22pm

Plus hitting to the opposite field, especially for lefties, is incredibly

BigD Coug

10/21/21 3:29pm

just posted this table of the 3 true outcomes in FO. This is not a good trend for baseball, the exhilaration of a HR

shimmy

10/21/21 3:31pm

This is the most compelling argument; fewer balls are being put in play today...

CougaReb

10/21/21 3:39pm

I mean, there is still a bit to go before defenders are irrelevant. There are

Not Applicable

10/21/21 3:48pm

The trend is because pitching has become so dominant for sure. Nothing you can do to make pitchers not throw as hard

shimmy

10/21/21 6:06pm

Move the mound back

YIsForBrigham

10/21/21 8:58pm

I'm coming around to this suggestion. I think it works increase offense, cut...

CougaReb

10/21/21 11:25pm

It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy though. It's like the midrange game in

goodcleanfun

10/21/21 3:35pm

I like the parenthetical. haha

eysikal

10/21/21 3:26pm

Beating the shift provided the Dodgers their only runs last night.

Not Applicable

10/21/21 3:43pm

The shift is at old as baseball. Advanced stats has just made it too prescribed

bluelands

10/21/21 3:44pm

Give batters a cricket bat. That would be fun.

Jeremy

10/21/21 3:52pm

Just learn to hit is a bit overstated. Best in the business get hits 3

Zak

10/21/21 4:06pm

Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports IMO

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