If you thought a new commissioner would result in a happier Baseball Twitterati, boy were you wrong! New MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suggested Sunday he would be “open” to eliminating defensive shifts in baseball. Reactions overwhelmingly side with “um, how about no,” although some inside the game agree with the idea.
Reactions to MLB banning defensive shift? Idea is ‘monumentally stupid.’
Twitter did not react well to news the new MLB commish is open to banning defensive shifts.
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This is the worst thing ever
The idea to eliminate defensive shifts is monumentally stupid.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) January 25, 2015 Has anyone ever watched football and thought "Man, what baseball needs is an illegal formation penalty?"
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) January 25, 2015 What's next? Banning sliders because they trick batters? Having a referee in charge of arbitrarily separating out the legal curves?
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) January 25, 2015 How am I supposed to get @davidortiz out without the shift? #concernedpitcher #shiftgate
— Javi Salas (@javisalas22) January 25, 2015 Are there going to be little circles in which fielders must stand, even when they know the batter doesn't hit the ball in that area?
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 25, 2015 Re: 'No shifts.' Does that mean infielders can't play in or back? Outfielders can't play deep/in? Can't play the lines? No-doubles defense?
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 25, 2015 Re: No shifts: Does that mean first baseman must always hold the runner? Must stay on the bag? On the bag? In front of the base? Back?
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 25, 2015 Re: No shifts: Who will enforce it? If fielder must stay in his 'circle,' who will determine if he left a split second early? Reviewable?
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 25, 2015 Right, defensive shifts make baseball boring. Because nobody plays a zone defense in football or basketball.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 25, 2015 Banning the shift is saying, "You should not be able to put your fielders where the batter is likely to hit the ball." It's ridiculous.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 25, 2015 left-handed pitchers suppress the running game. They have to go.
— Harry Pavlidis (@harrypav) January 25, 2015 I really want to like Rob Manfred, but talking about banning defensive shifts on his 1st day in office isn't too smart.
— Al Yellon (@bleedcubbieblue) January 25, 2015 New Commissioner is considering banning defensive shifts? Not off to a good start, Manfred. If offense is a concern, look at strikeouts.
— Royals Review (@royalsreview) January 25, 2015 To ban shifting means to tell fielders they can't stand where they think the ball will be hit. Basically, it's a ban on using your brain
— Bucs Dugout (@BucsDugout) January 25, 2015 Increasing offense, by its very nature will extend games, not shorten them. The game changes b/c players' abilities change. Adapt to it.
— Catherine Slonksnis (@CSlonksnis) January 25, 2015 This was really awesome... and hopefully not a dying thing. pic.twitter.com/COdRjDzfFP
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) January 25, 2015 Unless you’re all overreacting
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 Said one GM: "I was the same way. Initially thought ridiculous to ban intellectual advantage. But that's not why we became fans."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015 Just to satiate the Twitter masses and show the GMs are indeed bright, says one: "Generally agree K's are the biggest issue, not BABIP."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015 MLB's challenge: Satisfying the die-hard who populate Twitter and truly care while engaging casuals whose opinion matters more than it ought
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 25, 2015 See More:
