Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcellus
And the pussification of America continues.
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I know some guys who make the same argument - "well why not make them call out the pitch while they're at it!?!"
And when I ask them how the shift helps the entertainment value of the game, they don't really have an answer. Just that it helps teams win and therefore should be legal.
My counter is that EVERY sport has rules designed to maintain competitive appeal. It's stuff like illegal formation or illegal man downfield in the NFL. Prohibitions on certain kinds of defenses in hockey and basketball. Or hell, goaltending in basketball; afterall, if you have a guy tall enough to swat a ball away on its way down, why shouldn't you be allowed to do that?
Eliminating the shift will make the game more entertaining. It will create renewed emphasis on speed, defense and contact. It's a GOOD thing for the product on the field.
I just cannot understand the opposition to it unless it's just the idea that baseball should be a free for all out there and whatever it takes to win is fine. Spitballs, sign stealing, all of it. So long as everyone's on a level playing field, why not?
I can't get there. This will improve the game. The shift blows.