Infield shift drives me nuts!

[BBCgalaxee]

OFFENSIVELY speaking, I just don't get it, I really don't.

The combination of Teixeira and McCann means shifts galore every game.

Look, I know the yanks and every team don't pay these sluggers to bunt, but they also don't pay them to make out.

I know McCann, teixeira, Ortiz never ever bunt BUT try to drop a few down until the opposing teams stop shifting.

Even if they mostly go foul over the course of many games, just the act of showing it/ doing it will stop shift.

 

[gt2590]

It wouldn't stop it, but at least curtail it. But it'll never happen IMO.

Heck, Ryan Howard, the first to really face the Shift has 2 career bunts...:lol:

 

[scotty216brs]

Thankfully Ortiz is decent at hitting it through the shift but yeah I definitely understand the frustration. Teams would rather have Ortiz hit a bunt single every time up to the plate rather than potentially hitting a HR every few games. Doesn't help that he doesn't run well so teams don't mind putting him at 1st. Now they play a RH shift on Napoli where there are 3 guys on the left side of the IF and a guy at 1st base...no one between the first baseman and second base. The shifts work most of the time though, the hitters either can't or won't adjust to it.

 

[joey12508]

A smart player would adjust to the shift.
If they dont. The shift is here to stay.


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[jcmint]

They are professional hitters why not hit the ball the other way.

 

[Todd44]

Raul Ibanez bunted against the Nationals' shift last week. Next time up, they didn't shift on him.

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Raul Ibanez bunted against the Nationals' shift last week. Next time up, they didn't shift on him.

I don't know if he was successful, but his point was made either way.

"Shift me and I'll drop a bunt for a nearly guaranteed hit"

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[Topnotchsy]

Thankfully Ortiz is decent at hitting it through the shift but yeah I definitely understand the frustration. Teams would rather have Ortiz hit a bunt single every time up to the plate rather than potentially hitting a HR every few games. Doesn't help that he doesn't run well so teams don't mind putting him at 1st. Now they play a RH shift on Napoli where there are 3 guys on the left side of the IF and a guy at 1st base...no one between the first baseman and second base. The shifts work most of the time though, the hitters either can't or won't adjust to it.

If teams felt that way they could walk a player every time.

While some may not like advanced metrics, they have clearly shown that there has never been a player to play yet who would be worth walking every time.

 

[Todd44]

Yes, it was successful. Also, I've noticed Adam LaRoche going the other way a little more against the shift, with some success.

I don't know if he was successful, but his point was made either way.

"Shift me and I'll drop a bunt for a nearly guaranteed hit"

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[D-Lite]

As a Yankee fan, the shift annoys the hell out of me. That said, the Yankees themselves now shift the 2nd most in all of baseball. I'm thinking about having my kids' Little League teams shift now.

 

[cards01fan]

Matt Adams has been shifted every time this year, and he goes oppo every now and then.

 

[u2me57]

Jim Thome, one of the first players to face the shift, adjusted well to it. Since he wasn't a great bunter and not real fast he started going the other way and ended up hitting a lot of opposte field home runs.

 

[rsmath]

A smart player would adjust to the shift.
If they dont. The shift is here to stay.

not necessarily. There was an article today in the local media about how the shift has come to the minor leagues and the poster child in the article was the Isotopes' Nick Buss. Manager Damon Berryhill was quoted as saying they'd like to tell Nick to alter his swing to work around the shift, but they're worried if he alters his swing because of the shift, his swing mechanics will get messed up.

Nick seems smart enough to tweak the swing when a shift is on, but it sounds like he might have a setback offensively by doing so.

 

[rsmath]

Here's a good way to end a shift!

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/638175...nge-safe-call-at-third-in-9th/?query=bogaerts

 

[bobthewondercat77]

A comprehensive look at bunting against the shift in this free blog series at BP:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23816

 

[Hawk8]

Friday when I was at the Cubs game, I forget who the batter was, Starlin Castro was playing shortstop almost on second base and the first baseman, second baseman, and the third baseman were all between first and second base. I believe the hitter hit a bloop single to left field so the shift didn't effect anything.

 

[u2me57]

I was watching the Rays/M's game today and there was a foul ball hit between 3B and the outfield that would have been caught by the 3B man or SS if shift wasn't on.

 

[Crewfan82]

Shift is here to stay because it works. Yes, they are professional hitters, but if you have been hitting one way your entire life it is hard to adjust later in your career. Some can and some can't.

Best way to beat it is for guys to learn to be a professional hitter who can go to all fields early in life, high school, college, minors. These days guys get too pull happy chasing the glory of the HR.