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

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Oct 21, 2021
3:33:28pm

ballen All-American

much more fun than an inning with two strikeouts and a HR.

This message has been modified

Originally posted on Oct 21, 2021 at 3:33:28pm

Message modified by ballen on Oct 22, 2021 at 11:19:27am

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ballen

Bio page: ballen
Joined: Mar 7, 2011
Last login: May 2, 2024
Total posts: 16,255 (147 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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