# MLB: April **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 31, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986 "2014-03-31T14:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/161 "2014-04-14T16:24:36Z")
Yup- overall, shifts work. It’s one of the reasons the MLB is being increasingly dominated by pitching. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/162 "2014-04-14T16:27:03Z")
Seems like just last year or so that only the Rays did it, and then only against Ortiz. The question is why it took so long to become standard practice. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/163 "2014-04-14T18:27:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Seems like just last year or so that only the Rays did it, and then only against Ortiz. The question is why it took so long to become standard practice. Because major league managers are perhaps the most conservative creatures on Earth. They would vastly prefer to do the “standard” thing and lose than try something different. Last year the Pirates started shifting extremely aggressively (behind only the Rays I think) and improved dramatically on defense. The Cardinals have started doing it more too - and if even Matheny is doing it you know it’s officially mainstream. The hardest part about it is avoiding confirmation bias. We (fans and managers) seem to remember the times it doesn’t work far longer than the times it does. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/164 "2014-04-14T18:31:25Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Because major league managers are perhaps the most conservative creatures on Earth. They would vastly prefer to do the “standard” thing and lose than try something different. And stats are meaningless to a lot of baseball people, unless it’s batting average or RBIs. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/165 "2014-04-14T18:57:23Z")
Hey, is Derek Jeter retiring this year? I wish ESPN would interrupt their non stop Boston Marathon bombing anniversary coverage and report on what brand of toilet paper the Yankees are stocking in the locker room for the retirement tour. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/166 "2014-04-14T20:13:33Z")
Why don’t more batters bunt against the shift? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/167 "2014-04-14T20:28:52Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Why don’t more batters bunt against the shift? Carlos Santana tried yesterday. But, he pushed it foul. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/168 "2014-04-14T20:38:04Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Why don’t more batters bunt against the shift? Cano \*doubled \*with a bunt into the Red Sox shift once last year. But your answer is probably “Not that many batters \*know \*how to fucking bunt anymore”. If the shift stays prevalent, you’ll probably see more pull hitters practice doing it, though, just to straighten out the shift. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/169 "2014-04-14T21:21:33Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Seems like just last year or so that only the Rays did it, and then only against Ortiz. The question is why it took so long to become standard practice. At least for the last two years the Blue Jays have been putting on a lot of shifts, against Ortiz and others, where Brett Lawrie moves from third all the way to playing a sort of second/right field hybrid. Perhaps more remarkably, other teams have been shifting heavily against Jose Bautista, which is a more radical move because Bautista’s righthanded. I suspect we’re going to see more of this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/170 "2014-04-14T21:26:45Z")
Of course it’s also worth pointing out that the pitcher is going to pitch into the shift and try to make it tough for the batter to go the other way. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/171 "2014-04-15T01:37:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Cano \*doubled \*with a bunt into the Red Sox shift once last year. > > \*\*But your answer is probably "Not that many batters _know how to fucking bunt anymore"._ If the shift stays prevalent, you’ll probably see more pull hitters practice doing it, though, just to straighten out the shift. I agree with that, or, in the case of a high profile player, they will _refuse_ to bunt against the shift. I’m pretty sure that’s what Junior did for basically his entire career with the Reds (ignore the idea of bunting against the shift) and he was one of (if not THE) guys that the shift was _created_ for. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/172 "2014-04-15T01:47:12Z")
Hmmm. Ten homeruns hit at Great American tonight in the game between the Reds and Pirates, most in the ballpark’s brief history. And it’s now rain delayed literally _right_ after Devin Mesoraco, the Reds catcher, hit the tenth one to tie the game 7-7, and I don’t think looking at the radar that they are going to get the remainder of this one in tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/173 "2014-04-15T02:02:06Z")
And now the Braves have gone back-to-back-to-back yard! Gattis (2nd this game) to Uggla to Simmons. 5 in the game overall (4 Braves 1 Phillies) ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/174 "2014-04-15T02:23:02Z")
Guess Domonic Brown can hit 'em too, for the other side… A good day for the homers, huh. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/175 "2014-04-15T02:44:55Z")
And Uggla again, this time a grand slam– The same day as ESPN’s David Schoenfeld said it was time for ATL to get rid of him. He must’ve read the article. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/176 "2014-04-15T03:10:27Z")
Yeah, that was, what, 5 in an inning and a half? Same night as they hit 11 just down the road in Cincy. Air must be thin in that part of the country right now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/177 "2014-04-15T04:55:55Z")
It’s the blood moon, man! Speaking of back-to-back homers, all six of the Pirates homers were of that variety, over three different innings. Fortunately for the Reds, only one of the six Pirates homers was more than a solo shot, while all but one of the Reds four homers were all two run shots. Game tied 7-7, suspended due to rain after 7. Blood moon! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/178 "2014-04-15T13:09:35Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Why don’t more batters bunt against the shift? You don’t even have to bunt. If you’re a left handed pull hitter, just take an easy swing, swing a bit late, and slap that ball down toward third base. Do that a few times and they’ll stop shifting on you. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/179 "2014-04-15T14:53:39Z")
Along with high strikeout counts and frequent no-hitters, this may be just another sign that the post-steroid era is one of pitching and defense and base-to-base hitting tactics, not Home Run Derby anymore. There’s now a real penalty for being unable, or refusing, to hit to the opposite field or bunt. ISTM that’s good for the game. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986/180 "2014-04-15T16:13:21Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > And Uggla again, this time a grand slam– > The same day as ESPN’s David Schoenfeld said it was time for ATL to get rid of him. > He must’ve read the article. Deadspin has a great [video](http://deadspin.com/phillies-fans-reactions-to-dan-ugglas-grand-slam-are-am-1563288296) of a bunch of Phillies fans jeering and taunting Uggla as he came up to bat, followed by ultra-slow motion footage of their reactions as the grand slam sails through the air. It’s excellent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april/684986.md?page=10)