Shift Banned in MLB

[Comebakatz3]

Apparently, starting in 2023 MLB will ban the shift.

I absolutely hate this. I hate the shift and think it is dumb, but the way to get rid of it is to prioritize the promotion of players that can hit to all fields and stop promoting pure pull hitters.
I am unreasonably mad about this. lol

 

[mrschwump]

I'm 75 years old, a lifelong baseball fan. I'm to the point now that I really don't care what they do. This is about a bunch of greedy billionaires arguing with a bunch of greedy millionaires while driving away their fans in droves. Baseball, watching/attending games used to be fun. Not. Any. More. They can all line up between 1B and 2B and stand on their heads as far as I'm concerned, it would actually make about as much sense.

 

[Comebakatz3]

I'm 75 years old, a lifelong baseball fan. I'm to the point now that I really don't care what they do. This is about a bunch of greedy billionaires arguing with a bunch of greedy millionaires while driving away their fans in droves. Baseball, watching/attending games used to be fun. Not. Any. More. They can all line up between 1B and 2B and stand on their heads as far as I'm concerned, it would actually make about as much sense.

To be fair... it isn't that so much. One of the biggest sticking points in this discussion is about the pay of minor leaguers. The average salary of a minor leaguer in AA in 2018 was under $9,500 a season/year. For AAA it is about $15,000. So, it is this that the major league millionaires are arguing needs to be changed; and the billionaire owners are rejecting.

 

[mrschwump]

To be fair... it isn't that so much. One of the biggest sticking points in this discussion is about the pay of minor leaguers. The average salary of a minor leaguer in AA in 2018 was under $9,500 a season/year. For AAA it is about $15,000. So, it is this that the major league millionaires are arguing needs to be changed; and the billionaire owners are rejecting.

Minor league salaries have always been a sticking point. Guys have told me they got more meal money in college than in lower minor leagues. Don't know about now but years ago Appy League teams had 6, that's SIX, to a motel room. Unless things have changed, AAA players can negotiate their own contract.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Minor league salaries have always been a sticking point. Guys have told me they got more meal money in college than in lower minor leagues. Don't know about now but years ago Appy League teams had 6, that's SIX, to a motel room. Unless things have changed, AAA players can negotiate their own contract.

Yea, but I think it is a major part of this discussion, and moreso than ever before. So, to me, this isn't just the millionaire MLB players being greedy, but it is looking out for those guys down in the minors who are trying to live out their dreams and seem to be pretty underpaid.

 

[drew_ukfan]

I’m just glad baseball is back. I don’t agree with banning the shift or the DH but it’s whatever. At least they’re getting rid of 7 inning doubleheaders and the Manfred runner in extra innings. Baseball is back, Time for cake

 

[Tskware]

Did they really vote to ban defensive shifts? What about bottom of 9th, winning run on 3rd with less than 2 outs, can you bring outfield in to very shallow depth, knowing that a medium or long fly ball ends the game, whether it is caught or not?

Very dumbass decision, if that was what was decided.

I suppose it is impossible to ask MLB players to bunt to the open side of the field or hit the opposite way? That would stop the shift crap pretty quickly.

 

[CB3UK]

I hate the shift, but I don't have a valid argument as to why it shouldn't be legal. I'm not gonna complain that it's gone.

 

[CB3UK]

Dirty Mike and the boys are back baby!!

 

[KYExtemper]

I think pitch clocks and banning the shift will increase offense, which should help the game a bit. Just too much pitch & catch going on in the status quo. I'm in favor of making the DH universal at this point too. Helps the Reds because they can plug Votto there over the long-term.

 

[Tskware]

Actually they just voted to study rule changes like pitch clock and the shift next year nothing will change this year

 

[Comebakatz3]

I think pitch clocks and banning the shift will increase offense, which should help the game a bit. Just too much pitch & catch going on in the status quo. I'm in favor of making the DH universal at this point too. Helps the Reds because they can plug Votto there over the long-term.

I think you're going to see strikeout numbers increase even more as the HR and pull hitting gets prioritized even more. Basically becomes HR derby with strikeouts. It will likely increase offense though, and that is all MLB cares about.

 

[mrschwump]

What moves will the Reds make? They've functioned as a high AAA team with a handful of 4As for a few years now. Will owners finally put together a true Major League roster? I'm not holding my breath.

 

[KYExtemper]

I think you're going to see strikeout numbers increase even more as the HR and pull hitting gets prioritized even more. Basically becomes HR derby with strikeouts. It will likely increase offense though, and that is all MLB cares about.

Anything is possible but I think making pitchers make quicker decisions with the pitch clock might have an effect of decreasing strikeouts. The "swing for the fences" approach, though, is definitely a problem that no rule can fix.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Anything is possible but I think making pitchers make quicker decisions with the pitch clock might have an effect of decreasing strikeouts. The "swing for the fences" approach, though, is definitely a problem that no rule can fix.

Pitch clock takes about 12 minutes off games, but I haven't really noticed that it rushes pitchers. Most of them will have at least some experience with it as they had it in the minors and in college baseball, so I don't think it'll change a ton for them.

 

[Tskware]

Pitch clock takes about 12 minutes off games, but I haven't really noticed that it rushes pitchers. Most of them will have at least some experience with it as they had it in the minors and in college baseball, so I don't think it'll change a ton for them.

Said on MLB channel last night a 14 second clock knocked 20 minutes off of minor league games when they used it.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Said on MLB channel last night a 14 second clock knocked 20 minutes off of minor league games when they used it.

Ohh nice. I read something that the 20 second clock knocked off 12 minutes. Didn't realize minors were doing 14 seconds. 20 minutes is a decent chunk. Will also be good to see fewer of the silly between bat rituals from hitters. Just get in the box and do work.

 

[CB3UK]

The shift isn't in and of itself a problem. The real problem is we've got a generation of guys who, thanks to analytics, no longer care about striking out. When I played (90s) that was the worst thing you could do. Especially a backwards K.

Now, you see guys hitting against the shift and they'll still try to pull or push over the shift by swinging for the fences. It's Adam Dunn ball.....all or nothing. Major leaguers like Joey Votto understand how to put the ball in play and how to hit to areas. Pete Rose was obviously the greatest at it.

I don't think it's that MLBers can't play against the shift.....its that they won't because they're being told by numbers guys that they're better off swinging away anyway.

Analytics has ruined a lot of what makes baseball great.

One other issue I feel with offense is the prolific pitching we've got today. It's never been nastier. So many flamethrowers out there. I never cared about the steroids. I say open it back up. There was some glorious baseball played in those days.


The bottom line is pace of play isn't the issue. That's bullshit. Baseball has always been what it is. You go to live football game and there is less actual action than a baseball game when you look at all the stoppage in play.

1. The media. They don't cover baseball
like they used to. And it's because they choose not to. Whether you like it or not, people are idiots and they care about what they're told to care about. ESPN is in bed with the NBA and so they push the NBA so much more than they push MLB these days. Also underlying political reasons behind that.

2. Generation with short attention spans. That's not going to change.

3. Baseballs archaic blackout policy. You have to make the games accessible. I understand how the teams get kickbacks from all cable subscribers. Figure out the cost to offset that and apply it to MLB.TV. Sell more rights for games to be on FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC. NFL and NBA have made it stupid easy to watch any game you want and NHL TV is pretty affordable.

4. Regionalization of baseball. You've got to do more to promote the good teams that aren't named New York Los Angeles Boston St Louis. I understand the big names draw ratings and you stick with them because they're your bread and butter. But helping promote the othermarkets when they're good ie San Diego right now helps the strength and health of the game long term and nationally.

5. Promote your stars. Insane that guys like Mike Trout are playing right now and he's not a household name in America. More people would probably name Rod Carew first if you asked them to name an Angels great before they named Trout.

 

[Tskware]

^
disagree with some points above, but as to point 4, I think they are going to even out the schedules and quit playing so many teams from the same division, how many times do we have to see the NYY sweep the Orioles (who are annually pathetic)? More intersectional matchups will be good for the game, instead of 18 games vs. the Pirates like the Reds seem to play every year

 

[Kybluedude]

Like to see baseball go to 7 inning games

 

[Comebakatz3]

Like to see baseball go to 7 inning games

I get it in terms of games not being so long, but I can't get behind 7 innings. Most starters can, at least, go 6. So, at that point the bullpen has very little importance as you can rely on starters going the distance, or only maybe 1 other bullpen guy. Just takes a lot out of the game to shorten it even by 2 innings.

 

[trueblujr2]

What moves will the Reds make? They've functioned as a high AAA team with a handful of 4As for a few years now. Will owners finally put together a true Major League roster? I'm not holding my breath.

Nope, They got a taste of the Playoffs and decided to go into sell mode. Hopefully the youth and guys like India and Stepenson will be enough to keep them competitive. Feel like Castillo will be on the market soon too. Hope Hunter Greene's arm can hold out throwing 100MPH stuff all season long. Hope Lodolo is ready too. looking like there's going to be room for both of them to make the roster at this point.