New commissioner Rob Manfred open to defensive-shift ban

[Jumper_Dad]

Why on the SS?

 

What about outfielders?

 

#1 Just to keep two IF on each side of the field.

#2 LF needs to stay to the left of a line from Home to Center Field

[sweet16]

In other news football can not can't blitz anymore.

 

In the NBA, trapping will no longer be allowed.

[dpeevh]

He cannot be serious, can he? If you don't want the other team to deploy a huge shift against you, take an easy bunt single 5 times in a row and they will stop. It drives me crazy when players don't. Jay Bruce could have bunted .500 or better last year but refused to. Why?? Is he too proud not to...but is OK hitting .210??

 

So he could have raised his average to around .250 if he gets some bunts down? Not too sure that's why he makes 10 million+. If everyone should bunt on a shift then when Mike Trout comes up, I'd put my whole infield in the outfield.

[AverageJoesGym]

No way they should ban shifts. Are they going to not allow the infield to play in with a runner on 3rd and less than two outs? How about make the outfielders play regular depth with the winning run on 3rd and less than 2 outs in the 9th? I used to understand why players didn't bunt when the shift was on--but that was when everyone was juiced up and middle infielders were blasting 35 homers. Now that offense is down there's no reason for LHs not to push a bunt towards third. If enough people did it the shifts would go away on their own.

[AverageJoesGym]

So he could have raised his average to around .250 if he gets some bunts down? Not too sure that's why he makes 10 million+. If everyone should bunt on a shift then when Mike Trout comes up, I'd put my whole infield in the outfield.

 

 

If you only count bunt hits. However, if getting some extra hits caused the defense not to shift he'd be getting some more hits on balls to the right side as well.

 

And if you let Trout continue to bunt his way on you'd likely see him steal 45+ bases again.

[gametime]

All the rules could really change is not allowing the SS to be on the right side of 2nd. I'd have zero problem with that change. If you want to shift, do it with the RF and take your chances...

[MJAlltheWay24]

I don't like changing the rule.

 

But I won't like the rules they put in to speed up the game even more. Money out of my pocket.

[rjs4470]

If you only count bunt hits. However, if getting some extra hits caused the defense not to shift he'd be getting some more hits on balls to the right side as well.

 

And if you let Trout continue to bunt his way on you'd likely see him steal 45+ bases again.

 

Again, I think teams would consider that a fair trade. They'll gladly take opposite field singles over homers and extra base hits. There's a reason you only see the shift deployed on left handed power hitters. You WANT them to try to take it the opposite way, or trying to drop down bunts.

 

In addition, Trout is right handed, so the shift doesn't affect him.

[bugatti]

I do not like the proposal, but I can appreciate thinking outside the box.

[Capernicus41]

I do not like the proposal, but I can appreciate thinking outside the box.

 

Yes. I like that they're having these conversations. Maybe this isn't the right call but you're at least heading in the right direction.

[mcpapa]

Instead of outlawing "gimmick defenses", we can have pitchers only throw fastballs.

[Jumper_Dad]

Crazy ideas to boost offense.

 

Move the mound back 1-2 feet (NBA 3 pointer is longer than NCAA 3pointer, so why not move the mound back in MLB)

Shorten the base paths to 85 feet, no more fumbling the ball two or three times and throwing someone out.

Allow 3 PED exemptions per team! (no pitchers)

Bring back lively balls for 4 innings each game, batting teams manager determines which innings they bat against lively ball.

Starting pitchers must go a minimum 6 innings barring injury, limit of 3 pitchers per game per team.

[UKMustangFan]

One change I'd love to see enacted, although it's not feasible, is make ballpark dimensions uniform. Only sport there is that the playing field isn't uniform.

[AverageJoesGym]

Again, I think teams would consider that a fair trade. They'll gladly take opposite field singles over homers and extra base hits. There's a reason you only see the shift deployed on left handed power hitters. You WANT them to try to take it the opposite way, or trying to drop down bunts.

 

In addition, Trout is right handed, so the shift doesn't affect him.

 

I'm fully aware that Trout bats right handed. The poster that I was responding to said that if batters would bunt when a gimmick defense was employed that he would play his infielders in the outfield when Trout came up.

[footmaster]

He cannot be serious, can he? If you don't want the other team to deploy a huge shift against you, take an easy bunt single 5 times in a row and they will stop. It drives me crazy when players don't. Jay Bruce could have bunted .500 or better last year but refused to. Why?? Is he too proud not to...but is OK hitting .210??

 

Totally agree with this... And it's not just Jay Bruce, but lots of guys in MLB.

It doesn't even have to be a bunt, but just work on developing an "inside-out" swing when you see an extreme shift. Even on inside pitches, guys like Ted Williams could go opposite field just to show them "he can if he wants to". Granted, he still tried to muscle through shifts more often than not, but in a tight game... If they're giving you a hit, take it.