5/27 vs Braves

[Natick to NC]

Celtics fold tonight just like Redsox will do if changes aren't made

[Larry Cook]

Sale just did not have any movement today. Hopefully it is just a one off!

[jung]

It also just seems wrong to change the rule, to me. Players should be able to stand anywhere they want.

 

If a batter can't hit it to a wide open spot on the field, then so be it.

 

I know it's frustrating to see a Sox player rip a line drive right at a "misplaced" fielder, but I think we noticed it more, because we were kind of late on applying the shift on opposing teams.

 

 

Its not a matter of what the hitters can or can't do. It is a matter of what the league wants them to do, what the agents want them to do, what the league rewards them financially to do and more importantly what it is doing to the game, the way it is turning a game of diversity and balance into a one dimensional game. In fact it is doing it in a way that is not panning out as they had hoped. There is more disparity between the best teams and the worst teams in the league than there has been and worse, they are headed for a 10% reduction in overall attendance. this in a franchise business that counts its attendance gains year over year by numbers like 3-4% overall. 10% is a big big number. Its ratings are not doing much better. That is the part that actually makes sense because the game is not more interesting played this way. It is less interesting played this way and the league big shots are just about to find out that it doesn't work.

 

It is not me that is trying to change the game. It is them because they believe that this one dimensional game is more attractive and/or more appealing and its not.

 

Actually there is no current rule regarding the shift. However the way to mitigate its effect on the game is simply to disallow overloads. Two infielders across the infield on either side of second base. Put them wherever you want to with that one restriction. Put the outfielders wherever they want. So if they want to move an OFer into what is now one of the overloaded infield positions in short OF, so we can be treated to watching OFers run after balls hit over their heads while the batter rounds the bases, they can knock their minds out. The field positioning we have now makes them look like a semi-pro softball league as it is. So it can't hardly get more embarrassing aesthetically than it is already.

Edited May 28, 2018 by jung

[moonslav59]

The shift has nothing to do with the further unbalancing of the league into good and bad teams.

 

The game has always changed. Many earlier changes were much more radical than the shift.

[S5Dewey]

The shift has nothing to do with the further unbalancing of the league into good and bad teams.

 

The game has always changed. Many earlier changes were much more radical than the shift.

 

The shift may not have anything to do with the unbalancing of the league but I do believe it's changed the game. IMO it's what's responsible for the uppercut swings and the number of K's now. The power (and pull) hitters learned that the opposing team is going to overload to the strong side lessening the chances of getting a hit that's not a HR. The hitters solution is to alter their swing to hit more HR's even if it means they K more.

[Bellhorn04]

The shift may not have anything to do with the unbalancing of the league but I do believe it's changed the game. IMO it's what's responsible for the uppercut swings and the number of K's now. The power (and pull) hitters learned that the opposing team is going to overload to the strong side lessening the chances of getting a hit that's not a HR. The hitters solution is to alter their swing to hit more HR's even if it means they K more.

 

The shifts are definitely not a great thing for the game.

 

I was reading about what happened in a Mets-Marlins game recently. The Marlins had men at first at second and the Mets had a huge overshift to the right. The Marlins runner at second was able to virtually jog over to third unmolested for a 'stolen base' because the Mets had no one close enough to third base to stop it. It was embarrassing, Mickey Mouse stuff.

[mvp 78]

Sorry about yesterday. We lost because I was wearing a Braves hat all morning (i coach my son’s baseball team). I had it offprior to Sale giving up any runs.

[Spudboy]

You had to catch Rodney live to really catch Rodney. But my favorite clean, Bang Bang, Rodney Dangerfield joke is appropriate for this time of year:

"My wife's cooking is so bad that the fleas took up a collection, chipped in and paid to have the screen door repaired."

 

Don't you mean flies?

[Spudboy]

Celtics fold tonight just like Redsox will do if changes aren't made

 

You should get a job at the White House.

 

You consistently say the wrong thing.

[Slasher9]

Sorry about yesterday. We lost because I was wearing a Braves hat all morning (i coach my son’s baseball team). I had it offprior to Sale giving up any runs.

 

#forgiven

[moonslav59]

The shift may not have anything to do with the unbalancing of the league but I do believe it's changed the game. IMO it's what's responsible for the uppercut swings and the number of K's now. The power (and pull) hitters learned that the opposing team is going to overload to the strong side lessening the chances of getting a hit that's not a HR. The hitters solution is to alter their swing to hit more HR's even if it means they K more.

 

Yes, it has changed the game, so did changing the mound height, how RP'ers are used, dead balls/live balls, the DH, and more.

 

They used the shift against Ted Williams.

 

I'm not saying I like the shift or that it hasn't changed the game, but I think changing the rules of the game so drastically is not warranted.

[Bellhorn04]

You had to catch Rodney live to really catch Rodney. But my favorite clean, Bang Bang, Rodney Dangerfield joke is appropriate for this time of year:

"My wife's cooking is so bad that the fleas took up a collection, chipped in and paid to have the screen door repaired."

 

That's a good one, but I think the all-time Rodney joke is the 'second opinion' one. I never get tired of it.