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

[weams]

26.2 in 2013 vs Fastball. FACTS

Good point.

[Babypowder]

26.2 in 2013 vs Fastball.

So he went from great against fastballs to pretty good against fastballs. That's not the same as saying "he couldn't hit a fastball". He did hit fastballs, and that's clearly not the explanation for a dropoff that steep.

[Guest]

So he went from great against fastballs to pretty good against fastballs. That's not the same as saying "he couldn't hit a fastball". He did hit fastballs, and that's clearly not the explanation for a dropoff that steep.

This is where numbers don't tell the whole story. Anyone with eyes last year saw he had problems with the fastball.

[33rdst]

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.

The infield fly didn't disadvantage hitters. It disadvantaged base runners.

Point taken. But it still IFR affected offense output. Wouldn't you agree?

[33rdst]

Don't know what to tell you then. There are significantly more flyballs to LF in 2013 vs. 2014. Check out his hit chart as well. Big difference to LF from 2013 to 2014. If you don't see it, it's because you don't want to see it.

What that tells me is that in 2014 pitchers were pitching to their defense. That's a double whammy against the offensive. Not only can't I pull it. When I try to go the other way they make me pull it by busting me inside. Or throw me off speed so I rollover and pull it. Hitting is hard enough we don't need to make more difficult.

[Babypowder]

This is where numbers don't tell the whole story. Anyone with eyes last year saw he had problems with the fastball.

He dropped significantly against every pitch type. In 2013, he was above average against all pitches. In 2014, fastballs were the only pitch he was significantly above average against. He dropped to average against sliders, he dropped to well below average against changeups and curveballs. I have eyes, they work as far as I know, and I saw a guy struggle with everything in comparison to 2013. I certainly wouldn't have put the entire blame of his season on his struggles against one pitch, especially not the only pitch he did hit at all. Even if I did see that, I trust data more than my own recollection anyway.

[Can_of_corn]

What that tells me is that in 2014 pitchers were pitching to their defense. That's a double whammy against the offensive. Not only can't I pull it. When I try to go the other way they make me pull it by busting me inside. Or throw me off speed so I rollover and pull it. Hitting is hard enough we don't need to make more difficult.

I imagine most pitchers are trying to strike Davis out. Why would you risk pitching to contact when he hit 53 HR the year before and averages 198 K/162?

[33rdst]

I imagine most pitchers are trying to strike Davis out. Why would you risk pitching to contact when he hit 53 HR the year before and averages 198 K/162?

I think they were trying to do both. I think to some extent we're missing the point by just focusing on Davis. All pull hitters are being effected by the shift. Verducci does a pretty good job of illustrating this too. Maybe a full ban is too strong but modifying could help.

[Enjoy Terror]

Don't know what to tell you then. There are significantly more flyballs to LF in 2013 vs. 2014. Check out his hit chart as well. Big difference to LF from 2013 to 2014. If you don't see it, it's because you don't want to see it.

Here are the official numbers. Your "big difference" is literally .6%. He pulled the ball way more in 2014, by 5.5%, almost ten times the increase of what went in into left field.

[Hallas]

Davis' problem isn't being a pull hitter. It is being a hitter that pulls ground balls. It's actually physically difficult to hit a ground ball hard to the opposite field. He doesn't exclusively pull other batted balls, like line drives or fly balls.

[MrOrange82]

What that tells me is that in 2014 pitchers were pitching to their defense. That's a double whammy against the offensive. Not only can't I pull it. When I try to go the other way they make me pull it by busting me inside. Or throw me off speed so I rollover and pull it. Hitting is hard enough we don't need to make more difficult.

Enough with these half measures. Baseball clearly needs a speed limit. Fine pitchers who throw anything faster than 85 mph. Getting rid of breaking balls altogether would also be advisable. If changes like that aren't made, we'll find ourselves in danger of losing an entire class of hitters (i.e., crappy ones).

[Morgan423]

I'm in the camp that thinks pull hitters should adapt.

These hitters learning to hit and bunt the opposite way will force defenses to relax some of the extreme shifts that they are playing.

I know we keep coming back to Davis... and bunting down the opposite-handed baseline is difficult to master... but if Crush could do it consistently, other teams would be forced to the decision of either backing off, or dealing with giving him a .500 OBP.

[AlbionHero]

No, why would you ban it?

[SteveA]

If it affected every hitter, I'd consider a rule change, but there are a lot of hitters who are talented enough to beat the shift through bunting, going the other way, switch hitting, etc. If you're unlucky enough to only know how to hit the ball to one spot every time you get up to bat, why do you deserve an exemption? Do players that routinely hit the ball up the middle have a case for banning the second baseman?

It would be equally silly for the NFL to ban double coverage on wide receivers.

Or for the NBA to ban zone defenses.

[weams]

i am in the no ban, hit it over the fence, camp.