As shifts suppress offense, time has come to consider a rule change - MLB - SI.com

Really? Why don't we just ban the slider at the same time and call it a day? If you can't beat 'em, ban 'em I guess.


from SI.com
As shifts suppress offense, time has come to consider a rule change - MLB - SI.com:

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.” 

Support of an “illegal DEFENSE” rule – or at least the consideration of it – is gaining some traction in baseball. Such a rule might stipulate, for instance, that you cannot have three infielders on one side of second base. A shortstop would be able to shift as far as directly behind second base on a lefthanded hitter, but no farther.

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This MLB hitting coach ought to just resign. It is interesting to note that his name is not put next to the quote.

It's not as if we haven't had shifts throughout the history of baseball (see illustration above). The shift giveth and the shift taketh away.

I put this hitting coach in the same camp as the pitchers who complain about pitchers who carp about hitters bunting against the shift.

Both need a big dose of STFU!!!