re: New MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred "Open" to Eliminating Defensive Shifts

quote:

---

I don't think any baseball fan on the planet would stop watching baseball because they banned defensive shifts. And it would inject offense into the game. If you think about EVERYTHING from a commissioner or executive point of view, it makes more sense to me.

Football and basketball are adjusting their rules and innovating. Baseball isn't. Football and basketball are the two most popular sports in America and are only growing in popularity. I see a correlation.

---

No...no one would stop watching. But there are better ways to improve it. I also think the game will adjust itself and thus cause pause to any manager who thinks of shifting. I can't speak for a league wide adjustment, but for my team our slugger started laying (and threatening to do so) bunts down the 3rd base line. The shifts on him changed after he showed he could do it. I see no reason why that won't become more common.

quote:

---

I don't think any baseball fan on the planet would stop watching baseball because they banned defensive shifts. And it would inject offense into the game. If you think about EVERYTHING from a commissioner or executive point of view, it makes more sense to me.

Football and basketball are adjusting their rules and innovating. Baseball isn't. Football and basketball are the two most popular sports in America and are only growing in popularity. I see a correlation.

---

This isn't football or basketball.. and that is what separates this sport from those with more rules.

I happen to like stats like ERA.. and enjoy the defensive aspect of baseball. Want more runs? Then let the players juice up and hit bombs.. but don't take the ideas behind defensive schemes in baseball from me. I like the chess match going on. I this it's BS to no allow you to align your defense according to a player's tendencies.. That defeats the entire principle behind baseball.

This is so silly.