Blue Jays Discussion: Off-Season IV: Off-season progression! (Lockout over: Jays acquire Chapman for 4 prospects!)

[Blitzkrug]

If guys swallowed their pride and bunted against the shift that would put an end to it real quick.

MLB 21 isn't real life but I was flabbergasted by how easy it is. Straight up just lay one down and watch it trickle far enough where the defense doesn't have a play on it.


Might have saved a guy like Ryan Howard's career if he did.

 

[Kurtz]

It isn’t ideal but every sport has a rule where you can stand before a play. If you’re in violation then you get penalized.

-NFL: Illegal Formation before the snap (yardage penalty)
-NBA: Line up at Tip off and on the foul line for free throws (other team gets possession and possibly a team foul)
-NHL: Face offs (thrown out the circle and possibly a penalty)

Even other sports like tennis; you’re only allowed to start a play on certain parts of the court when serving and returning.

To me the simplest rule is you’re only allowed 2 infielders on one side of 2nd base and the remaining 2 on the other side before the pitch is thrown. And if you violate then the play is blown dead and the batter gets a ball in the count and if it’s done with 3 balls, you get a walk.

Good point. A good corollary to the NBA is the 3 seconds in the key rule, which prevents a centre from simply standing under the basket all game on defense.

 

[KapG]

Hitting a baseball in the majors is already hard enough. You think they can just magically guess every pitch is coming so they can hit the ball to the opposite field ? Have you played baseball at a high level before ?

Are you actually making excuses for mlb hitters lmao? The pull heavy ones no less lol. Give me a break. Drop a bunt down the third base line and you get a free base essentially. God forbid a player do that though *eye roll*

 

[KapG]

It isn’t ideal but every sport has a rule where you can stand before a play. If you’re in violation then you get penalized.

-NFL: Illegal Formation before the snap (yardage penalty)
-NBA: Line up at Tip off and on the foul line for free throws (other team gets possession and possibly a team foul)
-NHL: Face offs (thrown out the circle and possibly a penalty)

Even other sports like tennis; you’re only allowed to start a play on certain parts of the court when serving and returning.

To me the simplest rule is you’re only allowed 2 infielders on one side of 2nd base and the remaining 2 on the other side before the pitch is thrown. And if you violate then the play is blown dead and the batter gets a ball in the count and if it’s done with 3 balls, you get a walk.

Drop a bunt down the third base line every time they have a heavy shift and it’s like a free hit. This is pathetic.

nba has actually become more lenient in some ways. Once upon a time no zone defence allowed. They got rid of that dumb rule though.

 

[KapG]

Maybe next they can make it so curveballs are only allowed to be thrown during certain counts.

 

[Discoverer]

While I think bunting against the shift is vastly under-used, I also think bunting off a major league pitcher is much, much harder than people think.

 

[Blitzkrug]

While I think bunting against the shift is vastly under-used, I also think bunting off a major league pitcher is much, much harder than people think.

I don't think anyone is arguing that the act of bunting itself is easy. I think the argument is more it's so easy in the sense it's a free hit if you can pull it off so teams should try and do it more.

 

[GreytWun]

Are you actually making excuses for mlb hitters lmao? The pull heavy ones no less lol. Give me a break. Drop a bunt down the third base line and you get a free base essentially. God forbid a player do that though *eye roll*

Sorry don’t buy your argument.

 

[canucksfan]

Watching players bunt for base hits isn’t exciting

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Watching players bunt for base hits isn’t exciting

Neither is a seeing-eye hit being picked off by the 3rd baseman in short right field.

 

[KapG]

Sorry don’t buy your argument.

That’s fine, I am not asking anyone to agree with me.

I’m allowed to think banning the shift because certain players are incapable of hitting the ball the other way is a complete joke.

 

[phillipmike]

 

[phillipmike]

 

[dredeye]

It isn’t ideal but every sport has a rule where you can stand before a play. If you’re in violation then you get penalized.

-NFL: Illegal Formation before the snap (yardage penalty)
-NBA: Line up at Tip off and on the foul line for free throws (other team gets possession and possibly a team foul)
-NHL: Face offs (thrown out the circle and possibly a penalty)

Even other sports like tennis; you’re only allowed to start a play on certain parts of the court when serving and returning.

To me the simplest rule is you’re only allowed 2 infielders on one side of 2nd base and the remaining 2 on the other side before the pitch is thrown. And if you violate then the play is blown dead and the batter gets a ball in the count and if it’s done with 3 balls, you get a walk.

I’d be down with something like this. I hate the shift.

 

[dredeye]

Also, it's not that unusual for leagues to change what the defense is allowed to do with the idea of increasing offense.

I wonder how it work if you had a system likes yours for limiting shfts but penalties only took place after the first 3 (or 2 or whatever) times a team did it. This would allow a manager to use the shift strategically.

They literally took away the red line or two line pass In Hockey to speed up the game. I actually hate that change. But I think the shift needs to go away. I think it makes baseball look ridiculous.

 

[dredeye]

Are you actually making excuses for mlb hitters lmao? The pull heavy ones no less lol. Give me a break. Drop a bunt down the third base line and you get a free base essentially. God forbid a player do that though *eye roll*

Ah yes because everyone is a great bunter and it’s super easy to do. I also can’t wait to pay big bucks to watch Vlad put down a bunt to “beat the shift”

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Nobody wants to see Vlad bunting. It might get Buck off but everyone else would rather see him take a full hack and hit the ball 450 feet. Among the list of changes that have been talked about getting rid of the shift is probably one of the only ones I wouldn't mind seeing happen and would be the easiest to adjust to as a viewer.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

I absolutely loathe the shift, so anything that mitigates or eliminates it gets my stamp of approval.

 

[KapG]

Ah yes because everyone is a great bunter and it’s super easy to do. I also can’t wait to pay big bucks to watch Vlad put down a bunt to “beat the shift”

Why cant he learn to put an inside out swing on the ball? Why is hitting the ball the other way such an unheard of concept these days?

it’s obviously not the end of the world but it’s still pathetic hahaha.

 

[Discoverer]

I don't think anyone is arguing that the act of bunting itself is easy. I think the argument is more it's so easy in the sense it's a free hit if you can pull it off so teams should try and do it more.

Fair enough, but I think a lot of people do think bunting is super easy and a free hit.

 

[Blitzkrug]

Nobody wants to see Vlad bunting. It might get Buck off but everyone else would rather see him take a full hack and hit the ball 450 feet. Among the list of changes that have been talked about getting rid of the shift is probably one of the only ones I wouldn't mind seeing happen and would be the easiest to adjust to as a viewer.

Idk I'd get pretty moist watching Vlad drop a bunt.

"Ooh yeah baby. Work that OBP"

 

[dredeye]

Why cant he learn to put an inside out swing on the ball? Why is hitting the ball the other way such an unheard of concept these days?

it’s obviously not the end of the world but it’s still pathetic hahaha.

Some guys can spray a ball better than others and subsequently the shift is a little looser with them. The problem with that approach is you lose power hitting like that and if you miss you're going to be making a lot more soft contact. I understand why the shift is used and it's a valid defensive play. The problem is baseball already isn't the most exciting sport and the shift IMO makes it a little worse.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I'm not a fan of banning the shift. I'm a big fan of strategy games, so seeing teams try to find their optimal strategy is something I like. Now they're going to make 1 thing they do illegal. I get it, the game is probably more exciting for the average fan if there's more offense, but it feels like you're handicapping the strategy.

I'm also quite annoyed that in-adaptable players who complained about the shift are about to get their way over guys who can use the whole field.

 

[canucksfan]

Neither is a seeing-eye hit being picked off by the 3rd baseman in short right field.

Agreed. That's why I think MLB needs to step in rather than waiting for players to break the shift by bunting all the time.

 

[canucksfan]

Hopefully some potential progress