OT: MLB Thread XLVII

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Crease

Chief Justice of the HFNYR Court
Jul 12, 2004
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I could live with the 7-inning doubleheader. I'm not so bothered by that. The ghost runner, I absolutely f***ing detest and the sooner it's gone, the better.

Agreed.

I would also mandate that all infielders start on the dirt each pitch, in response to the crazy shifts currently being deployed.
 

romba

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
6,796
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Why? What problem does this solve? Defensive shifts have been around for 100 years.
Was every hitter shifted against 100 years ago, with all infielders put on one side at times? Hitters clearly can't adapt so something needs to be done to make the game more exciting and turn a few outs into more singles and doubles.
 

nyr2k2

Can't Beat Him
Jul 30, 2005
46,142
34,167
Maryland
I think it will take a full generation of players to adjust to the shift. Guys that are 30 and have had the same pull-oriented approach for the last 20 years of their lives, they can't just flip a switch and start smacking the ball the other way. I think using the whole field will again be something that is preached to kids throughout their youth careers and into the minors, as a means to avoid the crazy shifts we see now. Again though, it will take some time. The shift has been around for a long time but these severe shifts I feel like are a relatively new introduction (with a few exceptions) and eventually players will adapt to them.
 

LaffyTaffyNYR

Registered User
Feb 25, 2012
17,113
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My lord....Gallo and the short right field porch of Yankee Stadium is a marriage made in heaven.
My lord....Gallo and the short right field porch of Yankee Stadium is a marriage made in heaven.

He can also play the OF and he's LEFT HANDED and is signed for next year. Should be a no brainer if they can pull it off.

Of course these next 11 games with Boston and TB this month likely will decide the season pretty much he would be signed for next year.
 

sbjnyc

Registered User
Jun 28, 2011
6,107
2,159
New York
Was every hitter shifted against 100 years ago, with all infielders put on one side at times? Hitters clearly can't adapt so something needs to be done to make the game more exciting and turn a few outs into more singles and doubles.
We've all complained about the lack of fundamentals in baseball - if other hitters can't or won't adapt that's on them. Or do you want to eliminate outfield positioning, guarding the lines, etc. as well? Maybe restrict pitchers from pitching inside while we're at it. To my knowledge, no other sport restricts how you position your defense (aside from maybe the 3 second rule in the NBA).

I think it will take a full generation of players to adjust to the shift. Guys that are 30 and have had the same pull-oriented approach for the last 20 years of their lives, they can't just flip a switch and start smacking the ball the other way. I think using the whole field will again be something that is preached to kids throughout their youth careers and into the minors, as a means to avoid the crazy shifts we see now. Again though, it will take some time. The shift has been around for a long time but these severe shifts I feel like are a relatively new introduction (with a few exceptions) and eventually players will adapt to them.
They've already had years to adapt. This is not a new phenomenon.

Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could benefit from elimination of defensive shifts
 

Crease

Chief Justice of the HFNYR Court
Jul 12, 2004
24,501
26,876
I think it will take a full generation of players to adjust to the shift. Guys that are 30 and have had the same pull-oriented approach for the last 20 years of their lives, they can't just flip a switch and start smacking the ball the other way. I think using the whole field will again be something that is preached to kids throughout their youth careers and into the minors, as a means to avoid the crazy shifts we see now. Again though, it will take some time. The shift has been around for a long time but these severe shifts I feel like are a relatively new introduction (with a few exceptions) and eventually players will adapt to them.

I see Instagram videos of kids at these “velocity centers” snorting pre-workout and trying to break their velocity PRs with the worst technique imaginable, so I don’t have much hope for the next generation.
 

nyr2k2

Can't Beat Him
Jul 30, 2005
46,142
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Maryland
They've already had years to adapt. This is not a new phenomenon.

Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could benefit from elimination of defensive shifts
When I said it's relatively new "with a few exceptions" Ortiz was one of those that came to mind. Still though--this article was from 2015 when Ortiz was 39! You think guys can play until their late 30's then change their approach? I was also talking about the dramtically increased prevalence of shifts--ten years ago you'd see certain big sluggers with some kind of shift, but now half of more of the guys in a game see some sort of shift.

Anyway, as I said, it takes a full generation--and maybe more--to fully adapt. The article seems to peg 2008 as the time period where shifts started affecting Ortiz, with Joe Maddon allegedly being the instigator. If you say shifts started becoming en vogue in 2005 (I think that's early, but for the sake of argument), a full generation of players is going to take you until 2025 or so before you start seeing the tides turn. So, we'll see.

Either way, I wouldn't do anything about it. I think it's a legitimate strategic tool and the batters just have to figure it out eventually, which they will.
I see Instagram videos of kids at these “velocity centers” snorting pre-workout and trying to break their velocity PRs with the worst technique imaginable, so I don’t have much hope for the next generation.
That's a valid point, and certainly possible. However, if hitters know they're going to be shifted and outright refuse to adjust, even though they have their whole career ahead of them...then f*** 'em, that's on them. I wouldn't amend the rules for players who refuse to even attempt to adapt.
 
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will1066

Registered User
Oct 12, 2008
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We've all complained about the lack of fundamentals in baseball - if other hitters can't or won't adapt that's on them. Or do you want to eliminate outfield positioning, guarding the lines, etc. as well? Maybe restrict pitchers from pitching inside while we're at it. To my knowledge, no other sport restricts how you position your defense (aside from maybe the 3 second rule in the NBA).


They've already had years to adapt. This is not a new phenomenon.

Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz could benefit from elimination of defensive shifts
The NHL instituted the trapezoid behind the nets to prevent goalies from going beyond it to play the puck. It's a defense positioning restriction.

Yeah, I'm a smart ass.
 

Machinehead

HFNYR MVP
Jan 21, 2011
147,938
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NYC
On top of everything else, the Yankees are antivaxxers apparently. Good to know.

This is their second huge covid outbreak post-vaccines. Has it happened to any other team?
 

LaffyTaffyNYR

Registered User
Feb 25, 2012
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On top of everything else, the Yankees are antivaxxers apparently. Good to know.

This is their second huge covid outbreak post-vaccines. Has it happened to any other team?

The people who have tested positive have gotten the vaccine.. Its not perfect and you can still get covid just like the flu if you got the flu shot lol

and yes its happened to other teams (maybe not as many) in both MLB and NBA
 

Machinehead

HFNYR MVP
Jan 21, 2011
147,938
126,700
NYC
The people who have tested positive have gotten the vaccine.. Its not perfect and you can still get covid just like the flu if you got the flu shot lol

and yes its happened to other teams (maybe not as many) in both MLB and NBA
This is the second time this season it's gone through the whole team. The vaccination rate is definitely not what the Yankees are claiming it is.

Nobody said it's perfect but it should work at least a little bit.

The Yankees are allegedly over 85%. This number one bullshit.
 

romba

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
6,796
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New Jersey
To my knowledge, no other sport restricts how you position your defense (aside from maybe the 3 second rule in the NBA).
Goalies can't play the puck outside the trapezoid, illegal defense (limiting zone-type defense) in NBA, there is some precedent.
 

nyr2k2

Can't Beat Him
Jul 30, 2005
46,142
34,167
Maryland
Goalies can't play the puck outside the trapezoid, illegal defense (limiting zone-type defense) in NBA, there is some precedent.
There's definitely precedent, no doubt.

I could maybe go for something like all infielders must have at least one foot on the infield when the pitch is thrown, to avoid having the 2B in mid-shallow right and that stuff. What I don't like is trying to keep the SS/2B to their respective sides of second; I think if you want to have three guys on one side of the bag you should be able to.

The astronomical strikeout totals are IMO the biggest problem. Guys make so little contact. Honestly I think the shift, if guys put the ball in play more, people wouldn't mind it as much because you'd invariably get some guys--either intentionally or unintentionally--going the other way against it, and just more action in general.
 
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romba

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
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This is the second time this season it's gone through the whole team. The vaccination rate is definitely not what the Yankees are claiming it is.

Nobody said it's perfect but it should work at least a little bit.

The Yankees are allegedly over 85%. This number one bullshit.
You think they lied abt vaccination rates so they can avoid the restrictions? That would be a hell of a story if true. If they start getting severely sick I'll be more skeptical of the 85% number but I've come to realize integrity no longer exists outside of like 2% of ppl, and when there's $ involved even less, so you might be right here.
 

Doctyl

Play-ins Manager
Jan 25, 2011
23,304
7,093
Bofflol
This is the second time this season it's gone through the whole team. The vaccination rate is definitely not what the Yankees are claiming it is.

Nobody said it's perfect but it should work at least a little bit.

The Yankees are allegedly over 85%. This number one bullshit.
I think I saw that the positive players all had the J&J vaccine. It’s much less surprising than if they had gotten one of the other two.

Its doing its job though, they’re not really sick. Only 2 have mild symptoms from what I saw.
 
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