4/12 N1: With Arizona’s outfield possibilities depleted by injury, they hit Tim Tawa, Alek Thomas, and Jorge Barrosa 7th, 8th and 9th yesterday, sending everyone scrambling to the record books (this one seems beyond Stathead).
I planned to comment on Sunday, but must have gotten distracted. Was just going to say that the shift ban isn’t my favorite thing, but I swear that it feels wrong to rip a hard ground ball up the middle and have it not be a hit. But even with the shift banned at the first two A’s games I went to this year, multiple shots up the middle became groundouts to barely moving MIFs, so I suppose the ban merely fixed things for lefty pull hitters.
In a broader sense, though, I too have been fond of the changes during the Manfred era, especially the ABS challenge system which is legitimately fun in person. I never thought I’d get behind any of it, but I enjoy this version of baseball and games move swiftly enough that casual fans can enjoy games, too.
Conversely, the balls grounded right at the old shortstop position that now go for hits also seem strange. I suppose shifts have made it clear that what is and isn't a hit on grounders has always had randomness to it (not that exit velocity doesn't count for something). The breakdown of the shift as an actual defender in Defensive Runs Saved is weird but an apt description, yet somehow we want to think that balls hit in certain location are automatically hits.
Very true. It’s the exact inverse of that rocket up the middle where I get “oh…OH” instead of “OH…oh”.
The shift as a defender reminds me of Football Outsiders including the Hole in the Zone Defense as a defender. Hole was the second worst player one year; Jason David beat him. I think they may have sold mock Saints #0 Hole in the Zone jersey shirts.
I planned to comment on Sunday, but must have gotten distracted. Was just going to say that the shift ban isn’t my favorite thing, but I swear that it feels wrong to rip a hard ground ball up the middle and have it not be a hit. But even with the shift banned at the first two A’s games I went to this year, multiple shots up the middle became groundouts to barely moving MIFs, so I suppose the ban merely fixed things for lefty pull hitters.
In a broader sense, though, I too have been fond of the changes during the Manfred era, especially the ABS challenge system which is legitimately fun in person. I never thought I’d get behind any of it, but I enjoy this version of baseball and games move swiftly enough that casual fans can enjoy games, too.
Conversely, the balls grounded right at the old shortstop position that now go for hits also seem strange. I suppose shifts have made it clear that what is and isn't a hit on grounders has always had randomness to it (not that exit velocity doesn't count for something). The breakdown of the shift as an actual defender in Defensive Runs Saved is weird but an apt description, yet somehow we want to think that balls hit in certain location are automatically hits.
Very true. It’s the exact inverse of that rocket up the middle where I get “oh…OH” instead of “OH…oh”.
The shift as a defender reminds me of Football Outsiders including the Hole in the Zone Defense as a defender. Hole was the second worst player one year; Jason David beat him. I think they may have sold mock Saints #0 Hole in the Zone jersey shirts.
Sports!