Could the Shift get das Banhammer

[BigMac1212]

Quick story: I was watching MLB Network. The show I was watching was mentioning the possibility MLB banning infield & outfield shifting to combat declining batting average & scoring. Are you in favor of this possibility?

I'm not. If you don't beat the shift, you shouldn't get a hit. Besides, shifts have been around since Ted Williams' day. Why penalized the defense if the batter can't hit the other way (I wish there is a one-word term for other-way hits).

If you have a defense for the ban, I would like to hear the rebuttal.

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[GIN ANTONIC]

Quick story: I was watching MLB Network. The show I was watching was mentioning the possibility MLB banning infield & outfield shifting to combat declining batting average & scoring. Are you in favor of this possibility?

I'm not. If you don't beat the shift, you shouldn't get a hit. Besides, shifts have been around since Ted Williams' day. Why penalized the defense if the batter can't hit the other way (I wish there is a one-word term for other-way hits).

If you have a defense for the ban, I would like to hear the rebuttal.

Oppo-taco

 

[Winger98]

tacos sound good.

Shifts shouldn't be banned, hitters should learn to take advantage of it. The team shifting might not like it, but I'd be entirely for guys just bunting on every time.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Quick story: I was watching MLB Network. The show I was watching was mentioning the possibility MLB banning infield & outfield shifting to combat declining batting average & scoring. Are you in favor of this possibility?

I'm not. If you don't beat the shift, you shouldn't get a hit. Besides, shifts have been around since Ted Williams' day. Why penalized the defense if the batter can't hit the other way (I wish there is a one-word term for other-way hits).

If you have a defense for the ban, I would like to hear the rebuttal.

Wait just looked at poll results... why did you vote yes to banning? Your position in your post says you're in favour of the shift

 

[Terry Yake]

no it won't and it shouldn't, because then there would have to be strict guidelines establishing each player's position and that would be a huge mess

hitters need to start learning how to bunt. blows my mind that they haven't already started doing that to take advantage of the shift

 

[rangerssharks414]

Why should the shift be banned? Hitters have to adjust. Should zone defenses be banned for the NFL/NBA?

If anything should be banned, it should be no doubles (I mean, more singles) defense.

 

[BigMac1212]

Wait just looked at poll results... why did you vote yes to banning? Your position in your post says you're in favour of the shift

DOH! Changed it.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Most pitchers throw pitches against the shift set up because they know the hitter won't go that way, even with only a single defender on the infield and outfield.

Hitters need to hit it that way to force a more straight up allignment.

 

[NJDevs26]

If you have a defense for the ban, I would like to hear the rebuttal.

The defense (albeit a bit devils' advocate) is there's precedent for a sport limiting positioning in basketball where you can't stand in the paint for more than three seconds without guarding someone.

Plus it's easy to say pro hitters should learn how to bunt but when you literally haven't had to do it at any level of baseball (there aren't too many shifts in the minors or college) it's a little hard to start learning in MLB. I do think they should learn to hit the other way in the minors but that's just common sense - you limit yourself as a player unless you're Ted Williams if you can't go oppo field with all the metrics and scouting there is out there these days.

 

[Unholy Diver]

I voted to ban it because the Pirates suck at it, and it would be one less thing for Clint Hurdle to screw up.

Now if only they would ban Sean Rodriguez as well that would solve another issue

 

[Tecumseh]

I voted to ban it because the Pirates suck at it, and it would be one less thing for Clint Hurdle to screw up.

Now if only they would ban Sean Rodriguez as well that would solve another issue

Totally agree with banning Sean Rodriguez. That guy is beyond horrible.

As for the shift, as others have said, maybe learning how to bunt might help. You shouldn’t ban a common tactic because teams are too inept to adapt. They’re giving you a whole side of the field unoccupied. Learn to use it.

 

[darko]

Stop being a pull hitter and learn to go the other way. Watch them stop shifting.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

.

 

[Cassano]

Poor Ryan Howard

 

[King Mapes]

tacos sound good.

Shifts shouldn't be banned, hitters should learn to take advantage of it. The team shifting might not like it, but I'd be entirely for guys just bunting on every time.

I don't understand why more don't. The shift can get so severe on Smoak all he needs to do is bunt it down third base line and no way they get him out

 

[King Mapes]

The larger issue is the number of balls in play to begin with. But, people will say balls in play are down because hitters go for the 'all or nothing' approach of HR or SO because the shift will just steal their hits. Essentially shifting is why balls in play are down.

I don't think balls in play would go up if you banned shifting so I think that's a flawed premise. Pitchers throw harder than ever and the game has evolved into three true outcomes

Teams utilize their bullpen more today as well. Starter can go 6 and then bring out flamethrower. The game has changed.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Pretty close poll...

 

[rangerssharks414]

Per The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, support for banning the shift—or at least limiting it—is growing around baseball. At November’s owners meetings, MLB’s competition committee signaled a desire to Commissioner Rob Manfred to “put something in place” to reduce the number of shifts. As Stark reports, the shift has been one of Manfred’s bugaboos since he took office, and with owners now potentially on board, the league may soon approach the players’ union about doing away with the shift. Stark expects that they’ll also be on board, noting that both hitters and pitchers aren’t fans of it either. “I think it’s a lay-up to get approved by the players,” an anonymous executive told him.

Banning defensive shifts won't make baseball livelier

Welp.

 

[Belieber]

I find spreadsheet baseball painfully boring. Will it be a home run? a strikeout? or an out into the shift? are pretty much the only options these days. Whatever leads to more diverse outcomes is fine with me. I miss hit and runs and stealing. It used to be the pitcher had to pitch away from the hitters strengths, now he pitches to them and the hitter has to change his strength and hit in a completely different way or hit a home run to overcome it. It's annoying watching guys line up all over the place, the third baseman is almost in right field, the second baseman is at short, the third baseman is behind second base. Play your position.

 

[darko]

Play your position? I didn't realize we had line markings outlining each position. Maybe we should stop pitchers from throwing breaking balls.

You want to beat the shift? Hit it the other way. The way they are shifting these days you are guaranteed base hits if you go the other way.

 

[Belieber]

Play your position? I didn't realize we had line markings outlining each position. Maybe we should stop pitchers from throwing breaking balls.

You want to beat the shift? Hit it the other way. The way they are shifting these days you are guaranteed base hits if you go the other way.

Why even have position names? A third baseman shouldn’t be allowed to be closer to first base and second base than he is to third base. Teams want batters to try to hit the other way because it eliminates all their power, screws up their swings, and even if it’s a hit it’s as much damage as a walk.

Fans don’t pay to see Harper and other power hitting stars pretend to be Ichiro slapping balls the other way all game. It’s ridiculous.

It used to drive me crazy with Mark Teixeira, it was either a home run or a ground out or fly out into the shift and announcers would say say to slap it the other way but he was still hitting 30 home runs, that’s what he was paid to do. You can’t expect these guys to have two separate swings, it’s tough to stay in rhythm with one swing.

 

[darko]

Why even have position names? A third baseman shouldn’t be allowed to be closer to first base and second base than he is to third base. Teams want batters to try to hit the other way because it eliminates all their power, screws up their swings, and even if it’s a hit it’s as much damage as a walk.

Fans don’t pay to see Harper and other power hitting stars pretend to be Ichiro slapping balls the other way all game. It’s ridiculous.

It used to drive me crazy with Mark Teixeira, it was either a home run or a ground out or fly out into the shift and announcers would say say to slap it the other way but he was still hitting 30 home runs, that’s what he was paid to do. You can’t expect these guys to have two separate swings, it’s tough to stay in rhythm with one swing.

It wouldn't be for long. Keep going the other way and teams will stop shifting. Guaranteed.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I dont want to see it completely banned, but a rule limiting it would be good.

for example:

Make 2nd base the "you cant pass here pre pitch" line.

As in, the SS can not set up on the right side of the bag, and the 2B can not set up on the left side. So that the furthest you could shift either is to directly behind 2nd base.

 

[rangerssharks414]

Why even have position names? A third baseman shouldn’t be allowed to be closer to first base and second base than he is to third base. Teams want batters to try to hit the other way because it eliminates all their power, screws up their swings, and even if it’s a hit it’s as much damage as a walk.

Fans don’t pay to see Harper and other power hitting stars pretend to be Ichiro slapping balls the other way all game. It’s ridiculous.

It used to drive me crazy with Mark Teixeira, it was either a home run or a ground out or fly out into the shift and announcers would say say to slap it the other way but he was still hitting 30 home runs, that’s what he was paid to do. You can’t expect these guys to have two separate swings, it’s tough to stay in rhythm with one swing.

I think I mentioned this earlier in the thread... should zone defenses be banned in basketball and football? The players would be in different spots.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I think I mentioned this earlier in the thread... should zone defenses be banned in basketball and football? The players would be in different spots.

a true zone defense is banned in the NBA (3 second rule in the paint)