the shift

[blgridesagain]

I'd love to see Yankee batters (when it applies) just try and hit routine grounders to the vacated areas of the shift in at least one at bat per game.

I think its time for for the hitters to make an adjustment and balance things out. Could be interesting, and fun, watching opposing managers deal with having a couple of baserunners reaching base in a few innings by hitting ground balls to (totally lol) vacated areas.

In the recent Yankee/Cardinal series.....the Cards' Matt Carpenter started a rally scoring inning by hitting a routine ground ball to the shortstop area.....but there was no "shortstop" there.....single !
The first base coach was chuckling and patting Carpenter on the back as he was standing on first base.

It really was amusing...and quite smart. The shift looked very DUMB.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

I'd love to see Yankee batters (when it applies) just try and hit routine grounders to the vacated areas of the shift in at least one at bat per game.

I think its time for for the hitters to make an adjustment and balance things out. Could be interesting, and fun, watching opposing managers deal with having a couple of baserunners reaching base in a few innings by hitting ground balls to (totally lol) vacated areas.

In the recent Yankee/Cardinal series.....the Cards' Matt Carpenter started a rally scoring inning by hitting a routine ground ball to the shortstop area.....but there was no "shortstop" there.....single !
The first base coach was chuckling and patting Carpenter on the back as he was standing on first base.

It really was amusing...and quite smart. The shift looked very DUMB.

I still can't understand why more Pro's cannot place hit....? hell we were expected to do as much by Pony League. On top of becoming adept switch hitters too. Not that hard to learn when one is still young. Then there's the bunt to the open side....!

 

[blgridesagain]

In some cases, all it requires is for a lefthanded batter to stick his bat out and hit a weak ground ball ANYWHERE towards 3rd base.....and sometimes there's runners on base!!!!
The defense is getting away with grand larceny and it's becoming annoying.

 

[yankeesince59]

...the shift does work and the numbers prove it.

...and the shift is successful most of the time because of the myopic hitting approach of many of today's hitters.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

In some cases, all it requires is for a lefthanded batter to stick his bat out and hit a weak ground ball ANYWHERE towards 3rd base.....and sometimes there's runners on base!!!!
The defense is getting away with grand larceny and it's becoming annoying.

Yep, just reach out and catch the ball with your bat, swat....holes are for hitting through...!

 

[Rick2583]

Yep, just reach out and catch the ball with your bat, swat....holes are for hitting through...!

All it takes is an inside out swing to punch the ball the other way. Why its not practiced more often is beyond me.

 

[Rick2583]

...the shift does work and the numbers prove it.

...and the shift is successful most of the time because of the myopic hitting approach of many of today's hitters.

I'll tell you Ron, I'm all for putting on the shift for PROVEN hitters. By that I mean 250-260 & above. But what I find really dumb is when I see a shift put on for guys barely hitting the mendoza line. There was a game a week or so back (I honestly forget the team) but the guy was hitting 187 & Girardi put the shift on. Later in the game another guy hitting around 210 & Girardi puts it on again. BTW: both batters made out via a pop up & a strike out.

And I can't even fault our idiot manager alone for this, its a f'king epidemic. It doesn't matter if you're hitting 210 or 310. The odds are that 95% of the time its going to work on a proven dead pull hitter like Teixeira. But seriously its just out of hand. JMO.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

I'll tell you Ron, I'm all for putting on the shift for PROVEN hitters. By that I mean 250-260 & above. But what I find really dumb is when I see a shift put on for guys barely hitting the mendoza line. There was a game a week or so back (I honestly forget the team) but the guy was hitting 187 & Girardi put the shift on. Later in the game another guy hitting around 210 & Girardi puts it on again. BTW: both batters made out via a pop up & a strike out.

And I can't even fault our idiot manager alone for this, its a f'king epidemic. It doesn't matter if you're hitting 210 or 310. The odds are that 95% of the time its going to work on a proven dead pull hitter like Teixeira. But seriously its just out of hand. JMO.

We share the same sentiments...The shift seems sooo over used. Not since the days of Ted Williams have I heard it used this much, often by damn near every team.

Even then, Williams still punched them where no one was. Or as Wee Willie Keeler said: "Hit 'em where they aint".

 

[yankeesince59]

I'll tell you Ron, I'm all for putting on the shift for PROVEN hitters. By that I mean 250-260 & above. But what I find really dumb is when I see a shift put on for guys barely hitting the mendoza line. There was a game a week or so back (I honestly forget the team) but the guy was hitting 187 & Girardi put the shift on. Later in the game another guy hitting around 210 & Girardi puts it on again.

...can't argue with you there, rick. And it's not just Joe, I see it happening often...there's certain situations and certain batters that call for a shift and there's times when you should play them straight away.
...but until enough teams get burned by it, it will be a way of life in MLB.


...one of the managers who does not employ the shift all that often is Buck Showalter...still one of my favorite managers.

 

[blgridesagain]

wouldn't it be funny if the batters consistently hit against the shift successfully (70%?) to the point where the opposing team surrenders and takes off the shift?
I mean....there has to be a point where every and any team gets tired of getting pecked to death with routine ground balls.

I wouldn't be surprised if we reach a point where this does happen and some team makes it sort of a "game plan" to attack the shift.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

wouldn't it be funny if the batters consistently hit against the shift successfully (70%?) to the point where the opposing team surrenders and takes off the shift?
I mean....there has to be a point where every and any team gets tired of getting pecked to death with routine ground balls.

I wouldn't be surprised if we reach a point where this does happen and some team makes it sort of a "game plan" to attack the shift.

I relish the thought and day we see this happen...I know here in L.A. Donnie BB has been working with the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Dee Gordon, et al. (anyone who will listen), to hit to the opposite field. With some successes too.

pretty much anyone should be able to, at this PRO level of play.