2021 MLB Season Thread

[KelVarnsen]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1499463976509657088

Lol

[GirlySports]

MLB bans the shift.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/03/...m-the-lockout/

All four infielders have to be on the dirt when the pitch is thrown and two players have to be on each side of second base.

They should take a page out of cricket and have powerplays.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

MLB bans the shift.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/03/...m-the-lockout/



They should take a page out of cricket and have powerplays.

Good. The shifts have gotten out of control.

Get off my lawn.

[flamingred89]

I totally agree. A 110mph line drive through the infield should be a hit. Not a line out to a 3rd baseman playing between first and second. This will also separate the truly special infielders from the moderate ones that just so happen get placed in the right spot.

[bluejays]

I've never seen a problem with the shift at all. I can't understand why an MLB player can't lay down a bunt to the 3rd base. Totally within the rules.

[Jiggy_12]

No shift? Interesting.

I don’t like the shift, but I don’t agree with stifling the game’s natural adaptations either.

Other than the P and C, there is no other inherent positions to baseball. Teams could put all 7 fielders in the OF if they wanted to, or stack them all in the IF if they chose to. Of course that would be bad strategy so they don’t.

To stifle strategy which developed naturally and mathematically seems really regressive to the game.

Don’t like the shift, but I hate this even more

[flamingred89]

I’m curious to see what this will do to a true outcomes player like Joey Gallo. Will he swing more and see a progression in average but more strikeouts(as if he could get higher amirite?) and fewer walks.

Somewhere Adam Dunn is rolling his eyes as he could’ve had a Jim Thome-esque career and instead fizzled out in hilarious fashion because the shift destroyed his soul.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

No shift? Interesting.

I don’t like the shift, but I don’t agree with stifling the game’s natural adaptations either.

Other than the P and C, there is no other inherent positions to baseball. Teams could put all 7 fielders in the OF if they wanted to, or stack them all in the IF if they chose to. Of course that would be bad strategy so they don’t.

To stifle strategy which developed naturally and mathematically seems really regressive to the game.

Don’t like the shift, but I hate this even more

It’ll increase the value of having defensive witches at positions like 2B. And make the game more entertaining.

Remember Orlando Hudson? His Jays teams won like 70 games a year, but he was the most watchable player they had outside Halladay.

Good Defense is aesthetically pleasing - shift defense is ugly garbage.

And guys don’t lay down a bunt because they can’t - it’s not a skill they’re taught anymore, and it’s harder to bunt a 95 mph ball than it looks.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

It’ll increase the value of having defensive witches at positions like 2B. And make the game more entertaining.

Remember Orlando Hudson? His Jays teams won like 70 games a year, but he was the most watchable player they had outside Halladay.

Good Defense is aesthetically pleasing - shift defense is ugly garbage.

And guys don’t lay down a bunt because they can’t - it’s not a skill they’re taught anymore, and it’s harder to bunt a 95 mph ball than it looks.

I definitely don’t disagree with any of that. I groan whenever I see a team utilize the shift.

I’m just not a fan of stifling strategy…I feel like that’s a fine line to walk

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah I don't like rewarding bad hitters who can't do something as simple as go the other way, even with something as simple as a drag bunt. Instead of making hitters learn to bunt or hit it the other way, you punish defenses who figured out how to improve their odds of getting an out.

[Jason14h]

The problem is it isnt as simple as "Go the other way" or "Just Bunt"

The pitcher is also pitching the the strategy of the D

Pitching has gotten better - Faster and more movement

It is almost impossible for a batter to go the other way or bunt up the 3rd base line on an inside 95 MPH or a cutter running in.

I don't actually like banning the shift - And I dont think this will actually matter that much as the SS will stand right behind 2nd (Just removes the 2nd in the OF)

But it isn't as easy as "Just go the other way" for most players

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Yeah I don't like rewarding bad hitters who can't do something as simple as go the other way, even with something as simple as a drag bunt. Instead of making hitters learn to bunt or hit it the other way, you punish defenses who figured out how to improve their odds of getting an out.

Pitchers will generally pitch inside to induce hits into the shift. I don't think a hitter is doing himself any favors by trying to hit inside pitches the other way. I also don't think you really want your power lefty hitter trying to drag bunt too often.

I'm not necessarily in favor of banning it, but it is effective at stifling ground ball hits. Baseball keeps moving more and more to a 3 true outcome game, and anything that helps bring back more ground balls into play is probably a good thing I suppose.

[Barnes]

I honestly don't know how much this ban will do. There are certainly a number of lefty pulled balls fielded by a shortstop in shallow right but the biggest thing the shift has done is taken away hits on ground balls up the middle. The second baseman plays pretty much up the middle and that takes away hits on hard hit ground balls up the middle for both lefty and righty hitters.

Even righty hitters saw the shift 18% of the time last year and it's not something that's recognized as 'the shift' because it's just the second baseman moved over towards the middle or even the 3b side and you can't shift the 1B.

[GirlySports]

There actually aren't even that many balls put in play. Isn't it mostly strikeouts, walks and home runs these days?

[Barnes]

Most definitely there are way less balls in play although BAbip hasn't changed much because of the increase in HR on the numerator and K's on the denominator.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

There actually aren't even that many balls put in play. Isn't it mostly strikeouts, walks and home runs these days?

The existence of a ban on the shift could change this though as the approach to the plate and the types of players who succeed could change. The slap ball contact hitting types that existed in the 80s/early 90s could make a come back.

[Sylvanfan]

Forcing guys to be on the dirt, will probably have the bigger impact, but still be pretty light overall. Some of these well hit balls won't have that guy 30 feet back of the first baseman in shallow right getting that one hop screamer as a routine play. From what I remember watching Baseball in the 80's and early 90's was that ground balls that got past the pitcher tended to be base hits. Now those get fielded by the Shortstop or 2nd baseman. I don't expect that to change as teams see too much defensive value in taking that part of the field away when it comes to ground balls.

[GirlySports]

They also played on astroturf/concrete in the 80s.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Forcing guys to be on the dirt, will probably have the bigger impact, but still be pretty light overall. Some of these well hit balls won't have that guy 30 feet back of the first baseman in shallow right getting that one hop screamer as a routine play. From what I remember watching Baseball in the 80's and early 90's was that ground balls that got past the pitcher tended to be base hits. Now those get fielded by the Shortstop or 2nd baseman. I don't expect that to change as teams see too much defensive value in taking that part of the field away when it comes to ground balls.

And players are just much more athletic and better at defense then 20 years ago

Its a catch 22 - You need more 'room' to get a base hit with faster, bigger, better athletes, but that would require moving the bases further apart which allows the INF to play further back and allows them to have more range!

I agree forcing the INF to play closer would actually solve a lot more problems (maybe even moving the dirt/grass line closer to home and requiring you to be in more)

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The problem is it isnt as simple as "Go the other way" or "Just Bunt"

The pitcher is also pitching the the strategy of the D

Pitching has gotten better - Faster and more movement

It is almost impossible for a batter to go the other way or bunt up the 3rd base line on an inside 95 MPH or a cutter running in.

I don't actually like banning the shift - And I dont think this will actually matter that much as the SS will stand right behind 2nd (Just removes the 2nd in the OF)

But it isn't as easy as "Just go the other way" for most players

Standing close to the base is fine - that sort of strategy makes sense to people.

Putting the 3B in shallow right field is what gets people to throw up their arms and say “this is stupid”.