For Chris Davis' and Baseballs sake, should "The Shift" be banned?

[Guest]

Have a great day

Only 55m on the books next year. No reason not to keep your own.

[Guest]

Did you read Verducci's article?

Davis couldn't hit the fastball last year that was his problem not the shift.

[Enjoy Terror]

I recently asked a veteran major league hitting coach what can be done to inject more offense back in the game. His first response was to address the new defensive positioning.

"The shifts," he said. "Get rid of them. You need to come up with a definition of illegal defense. I know you'll say, 'Well, you're a hitting coach. Of course you would [say that]'. But it's something that has really changed the game."

As opposed to doing work and teaching players to bunt or not pull the ball so much. Of course if you ask a hitting coach his response is going to be "ban the shift". "But I'm Biased, you see... but seriously, ban the shift"

[weams]

Only 55m on the books next year. No reason not to keep your own.

I think he wants to have a 55 million dollar budget. Don't you?

[ChuckS]

Teams should be able to line up players where they want on the field.

That's like asking if we should ban sliders because some hitters struggle against them.

[33rdst]

No, but that's doesn't change the FACT that Davis hit a lot more doubles and home runs to LF in 2014 than he did last year.

Check it out I think you'll enjoy it. Davis went from a .402 hitter on balls pulled to right field to a.188 hitter on balls pulled to right. I don't think those additional hHr and Diubled to left offset the shift.

[Enjoy Terror]

No, but that's doesn't change the FACT that Davis hit a lot more doubles and home runs to LF in 2014 than he did last year.

Chris Davis just had more hits in 2013 than he did in 2014 (167 in 2013 vs 88 in 2014). The spray charts are more or less identical otherwise.

[Guest]

Chris Davis spray chart for hit types comparing 2013 to 2014.

http://www.fangraphs.com/spraycharts.aspx?playerid=9272&position=1B&type=battedball&pid2=9272&ss1=2013&se1=2013&ss2=2014&se2=2014&cht1=hittype&cht2=hittype&vs1=ALL&vs2=ALL

He had a lot more hits to LF in 2013 than 2014. Are we going to blame that on the shift as well?

Nope he just couldn't hit a fastball in 2014.

[33rdst]

Here's another point for those who argue that you shouldn't altar adefensive strategy. How about the infield fly rule? Today most people would argue that the IFR is a fair strategy. It was necessary because, without it, the hitter was disadvantaged on short pop ups to the infield with men on base. By overloading one side of the field with players it unfairly disadvantages hitters as well.

[Babypowder]

Nope he just couldn't hit a fastball in 2014.

According to Fangraphs he was 12 runs above average against fastballs in 2014. He was well below average against both curveballs and changeups.

[weams]

According to Fangraphs he was 12 runs above average against fastballs in 2014. He was well below average against both curveballs and changeups.

Facts, what are they good for.

[Guest]

According to Fangraphs he was 12 runs above average against fastballs in 2014. He was well below average against both curveballs and changeups.

26.2 in 2013 vs Fastball.

[weams]

The infield fly rule is to prevent fielders for "intentionally" not catching a ball to get a double play on a pop up. If you want to argue that it alters defensive strategy I guess you can make that argument but I think it's on a very small scale.

I'd agree with that.

[Guest]

Facts, what are they good for.

26.2 in 2013 vs Fastball. FACTS

[weams]

26.2 in 2013 vs Fastball.

But he was still real good. Right? You know, like Trout. One year and then the next?