If the 2b is playing SS and the SS is in short left field (thus mirroring a shift vs LHB), then the 1b has to cover the entire right side of the infield and still be able to take a throw at 1b. In a shift vs LHB, the third baseman doesn’t have that same level of responsibility. Sure he has the entire left side, but he doesn’t also have to cover 3b…
Also most 2b lack the same throwing arm as shortstops, meaning that just fielding the grounder makes for a more difficult play…
Here's an Fangraphs article on the righty shift.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-righ...s-petered-out/
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
I’m going to start an online petition to reinstate the shift…
This is great news! I'm tired of watching these ridiculous shifts. It's like I'm watching slowpitch softball with a rover in the outfield. You have a position for a reason. What's the point of being a 3rd basemen if you're playing over half your position at shortstop/second base? It's dumb. Why name positions then if you want to allow the shifts? And people say , well the hitter needs to learn to hit the other way. This is MLB where pitchers throw 90+ with junk. It's not easy to hit the other way. Just making contact is hard. Play your darn position.
Offer Papi 150 million over 5.....kinda joking
It turns out that banning the shift will, on the whole, improve BABIP by only a couple of points over the season, about 6 extra hits per 1000 balls put in play, a difference that viewers will not even notice. The number of hits is not going to drastically increase by banning the shift. What will change is that some of the balls put into play that we think should be a hit will now be a hit rather than being an easy out to a shifted infielder.
The league batting avg is 233.
A lot of this has to do with these shift. If they don't ban it it will just keep getting worse and worse. Players are too focused to hitting HR so they won't bunt to get on base.
Here's a question that also ties into the deadened ball - what is the optimum amount of offense for a baseball game, on average, and over 162 games? Because they've been tinkering with stuff like adding the DH, lowering the mound, now banning the shift, to boost it, while also juicing the ball.
So, what's the optimum, how do you get to that point while keeping an honest contest between hitter and defense? I'm asking because I genuinely don't know. I do know the amount of HRs nowadays is ridiculous and skewing the contest. But who decides how much is enough and what to do about it?