Manfred: Eliminate Shifts

[33rdst]

And it won't make a noticeable difference in overall scoring.

I can't wait for teams to just switch the first and third basemen and the shortstop and second baseman when a left handed pull hitter comes up. That way the game can be delayed while the third baseman switches gloves.

Sure it makes a difference. Look five years ago there were roughly 2,500 shifts during the season. Lost year there were almost 14,000. The shift works. That's why it's being used so much and is likely to increase.

[Can_of_corn]

Sure it makes a difference. Look five years ago there were roughly 2,500 shifts during the season. Lost year there were almost 14,000. The shift works. That's why it's being used so much and is likely to increase.

And BABIP has gone down THREE POINTS!

The 2010 Orioles struck out 6.3 batters per 9. The 2014 club? 7.2. And the O's are not a team known for striking out hitters.

It's the K rate.

[crawjo]

I do think the shift is bad for baseball, but I wouldn't support rule changes. I think the hitters need to adjust to them to limit their effectiveness.

[scOtt]

Good a place to put it as any... Got this email from mlb.com today.

Dear Fans:

On the night of August 14, 2014, I left a Baltimore hotel after being elected Commissioner of Baseball. As I began to reply to the overwhelming number of congratulatory messages coming in, it hit me that I'd just been entrusted to protect the integrity of our National Pastime and to set a course that allows this great game to continue to flourish - now and in the years to come. Needless to say, I was deeply honored by the trust the owners placed in me.

Today is my first day as Commissioner, and I am incredibly excited to get to work. I am grateful to Commissioner Selig for his expertise and friendship. His leadership set a direction that led to historic success.

The mission before us is clear: To honor the game's history while welcoming new people to our great sport - people who will one day pass their love of baseball down through the generations. That is what our parents and grandparents did for us, and it is what we are doing for our own children. Baseball is a game firmly rooted in childhood experiences, and its vitality and growth rely heavily on giving young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to play and watch baseball.

This notion that baseball is the game of children is central to my core goals as Commissioner. Maybe that is because my own Little League experience in upstate Rome, New York was such an important part of my childhood. I will never forget my intense dedication to that club and to my teammates - each of whom I can still name to this day - and being part of a perfect game.

My top priority is to bring more people into our game - at all levels and from all communities. Specifically, I plan to make the game more accessible to those in underserved areas, especially in the urban areas where fields and infrastructure are harder to find. Giving more kids the opportunity to play will inspire a new generation to fall in love with baseball just as we did when we were kids. Expanding Little League, RBI and other youth baseball programs will also help sustain a steady and wide talent pool from which our clubs can draw great players and create lifelong fans.

As Commissioner, I will draw closer connections between youth baseball and MLB. I want to inspire children's interest in baseball and help parents and coaches foster that passion. In the coming years, MLB will work with college, high school, amateur and youth baseball programs to help grow our game and to ensure that the best players and talent have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. I call it "One Baseball" - a partnership between all professional and amateur groups involved in our game.

Our children can look at MLB today and find a wave of new stars worthy of emulating both on and off the field. Players like Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout and aces Madison Bumgarner, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw have powerful stories to tell - and MLB will tell them across every platform. We will continue to internationalize our game and to celebrate the fact that we have the most diverse rosters in the world. Our mission is to build upon this recent success by creating opportunities for the next wave of baseball talent. We also must continue to nurture inclusive environments for all the contributors to our game and our loyal fans.

Another priority for me is to continue to modernize the game without interfering with its history and traditions. Last season's expanded instant replay improved the game's quality and addressed concerns shared by fans and players. We made a dramatic change without altering the game's fundamentals. I look forward to tapping into the power of technology to consider additional advancements that will continue to heighten the excitement of the game, improve the pace of play and attract more young people to the game.

The Major League Clubs have bestowed an extraordinary opportunity upon me. My pledge is to work every single day to honor their faith in me and your love of this game.

Sincerly,

Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

[scOtt]

Lot of blah blah blah about everything. Like Duq-speak, Buck-speak.

[justcompete]

Mentioning he left a Baltimore Hotel is a clear shot over the bow.

He hates us.

Now where did I leave that tin foil hate?

[weams]

Mentioning he left a Baltimore Hotel is a clear shot over the bow.

He hate us.

Baltimore.

[scOtt]

I need to wake up earlier...

[33rdst]

And BABIP has gone down THREE POINTS!

The 2010 Orioles struck out 6.3 batters per 9. The 2014 club? 7.2. And the O's are not a team known for striking out hitters.

It's the K rate.

Now to be fair you are not being entirely forthright with your numbers. Yes, when looking at the "overall" average for all hitters left handed and right handed the decline is only three points. But when you isolate the population for whom the shift is designed, that is left handed pull hitters, their average declined on balls pulled to the left side, as Verducci's article says. 22 points last year and 85 points over the last 9 years. no matter how you look at it that's significant.

[LookitsPuck]

Eliminating the shift would be idiotic. It'd be like eliminating double coverage in football. Don't like it? Adjust. Hitters need to start bunting or slapping the opposite way, then.

[Oriole1940]

MLB just leave the game ALONE. It is the greatest sport even invented, or WAS until you folks, regardless who is the Comissioner, fouls it up. (No pun intended). Leave it alone, AFTER you make the same rules for both leagues.

[Can_of_corn]

Now to be fair you are not being entirely forthright with your numbers. Yes, when looking at the "overall" average for all hitters left handed and right handed the decline is only three points. But when you isolate the population for whom the shift is designed, that is left handed pull hitters, their average declined on balls pulled to the left side, as Verducci's article says. 22 points last year and 85 points over the last 9 years. no matter how you look at it that's significant.

No it isn't significant because left handed pull hitters don't make up a significant portion of the player base.

The shift does not effect fly balls, infield flies and only has a marginal effect on line drives.

Left handed pull hitters having a harder time getting ground ball hits is not causing the lower run scoring environment.

The strike zone expanding on the other hand is both decreasing walks and increasing strike outs both of which are significant factors in the current run scoring enviroment.

[33rdst]

No it isn't significant because left handed pull hitters don't make up a significant portion of the player base.

The shift does not effect fly balls, infield flies and only has a marginal effect on line drives.

Left handed pull hitters having a harder time getting ground ball hits is not causing the lower run scoring environment.

The strike zone expanding on the other hand is both decreasing walks and increasing strike outs both of which are significant factors in the current run scoring enviroment.

Well,the left handed pull hitter population was significant enough for teams to employ the shift almost 14,000 times last. Nearly six times more than just 5years ago. And that number is almost exclusively used for left handers. The shift is rarely used against right handed hitters.

[Can_of_corn]

Well,the left handed pull hitter population was significant enough for teams to employ the shift almost 14,000 times last. Nearly six times more than just 5years ago. And that number is almost exclusively used for left handers. The shift is rarely used against right handed hitters.

Same with relief pitchers, you want to do away with LOOGYs as well?

[33rdst]

Same with relief pitchers, you want to do away with LOOGYs as well?

I'd like to get rid of a few that pitch for us. But no, not in general.