New baseball commissioner Rob Manfred open to defensive-shift ban

[scho63]

OH BROTHER!

Another asshole commissioner on his way to screwing up an entire sport! WTF is wrong with the morons? They are becoming worse than politicians.



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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-bi...172529801.html

New baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has been in office a little more than 12 hours and he's already making some interesting waves. In an interview that aired on ESPN on Sunday morning, Manfred made it clear that examining the pace of the game is first on his list of priorities, but not far behind will be finding ways to "inject additional offense into the game."

Without being prompted for an example, Manfred specifically mentioned he'd be open to pursuing the elimination of defensive shifts, which he says give the defensive team a competitive advantage.

Defensive shifting is something we've seen implemented more and more in recent years as teams begin to shift — pun most certainly intended — to more sabermetric based research. It's more regularly reserved for strict pull hitters, which in most cases could be identified without a ton of research, but we're also seeing more creative — and even extreme — uses of defensive positioning that go beyond such tendencies. In some ways, it has become as important as pitch selection, which is sometimes influenced by positioning.

Now, this is a shift. pic.twitter.com/55I1lXERop
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) August 30, 2014

How Manfred would go about proposing the change and what his suggested guidelines would be are unclear. He'd almost have to create a specific zone that each defender has to stay within when each pitch is delivered. If that's the case, does that mean we'd see more lines drawn on the field, or is it up to umpire discretion? Can a defender creep in anticipating a bunt, or is that unfair? We'd be opening up a whole new can of worms here.

Those questions aside, Yahoo's Jeff Passan has learned that key figures within the game, including general managers who believe in sabermetrics, are actually open to such changes.

This is very telling: I ran Rob Manfred's idea to limit defensive shifts by two sabermetrically inclined GMs -- and both said they agree.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015
Both essentially said same thing: The game is better when the casual fans gets the product they want. Big concern baseball isn't delivering.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015
To paraphrase: Who do casual fans want to see compete, Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout or Andrew Friedman and Jerry Dipoto?
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015

So perhaps the potential change has traction, but we're not entirely sure it's a change fans would get behind. Would more offense be great? Of course it would. Most would agree to that. But fans also enjoy the strategy that goes into the game, and eliminating something like the shift takes away one layer of discussion and second-guessing that we all like to engage in.

Which side of the argument are you on? Do you think the shift belongs in baseball, or would you like to see it banned?

[DaveNull]

not far behind will be finding ways to "inject additional offense into the game."

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by KC native

Terrible idea.

If you don't want teams to pull the shift on you, learn to hit the ball the other way.

This. Mother****ing this. And I'm a fan of a team that has Mike Moustakas on it.

[Pitt Gorilla]

They have GOT to do something about breaking pitches. That's just not fair.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by lewdog

How about actually enforcing the time between pitchers, how ****ing long the pitchers take and shaking off numerous signs and stepping off the rubber and limiting a batter stepping out of the batter's box all the ****ing time (Cain, I'm looking at you adjusting your batting gloves between EVERY pitch even when you don't swing).

This.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

I wouldn't have any issue if they wanted to limit step-offs by the pitcher and 'time-outs' by the batter. Those have gotten to the point of ridiculous. Old school players would never stand for that crap.

[Saul Good]

I fully support this and trust that the new rules will prevent Left Fielders from lining up like a woman is batting in a coed softball league. /Nori Aoki

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by scho63

What really slows down the game is all the marketing and gimmicks they do between innings!

-Give each team 2 minutes to take the field after the last out and throw the first pitch.
-Pitcher has 10-15 seconds to throw his next pitch unless he goes to first base or else it's an automatic BALL

Those are a couple I can think of without screwing up the game too much

But that woukd hurt ad dollars..

[Valiant]

If they want dumb ideas to increase offense, maybe limit your star pitchers. One game a week, a maximum of 6 innings.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I fully support this and trust that the new rules will prevent Left Fielders from lining up like a woman is batting in a coed softball league. /Nori Aoki

The new rules will also prevent people from impersonating "outfielders". See: Matt Stairs.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Valiant

If they want dumb ideas to increase offense, maybe limit your star pitchers. One game a week, a maximum of 6 innings.

Or, they could simply work to make the hitters unnaturally stronger and more durable.

[Nickel D]

Big time waster that needs to be changed: Unlimited trips to the mound by the catcher; i.e., to straighten out pitchers who are "crossed up" by the signs. Pitchers and catchers need to do their homework before the game to know the signs, both primary and secondary (when they believe the runner on 2nd might be trying to steal them, for example). Even if the pitcher isn't sure what pitch is called, the catcher normally gives a sign designating where the pitch should be thrown (inside and low, for example) and ALWAYS shows the targeted area with his glove. Tuff-titty if the pitcher then gives up a homer by throwing a fastball (instead of a signaled slider, for example) to a fastball hitter in a situation where the hitter's sitting on a fastball. Allow catchers/infielders quick visits to the mound immediately after hits, strike-outs, walks, etc., but the emphasis still must be on QUICK, meaning players must hustle (not walk) to/from their position.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Or, they could simply work to make the hitters unnaturally stronger and more durable.

Well played, sir.

[wazu]

Want to make the game better, Commish? Fix salary discrepancies.

[Nickel D]

Yankee games are guaranteed to be 15 minutes faster on average now that Jeter's no longer around to step out of the box between EVERY pitch to adjust his batting gloves, helmet, jockstrap, etc.

[Eleazar]

Great. Another ******* comes in and assumes we need more offense.

He and Goodell should be dropped in a life raft with a pistol and set adrift.