re: Getting rid of the "shift" in baseball is

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They’d have to have strict boundaries or leave things to judgement calls AND some rule about when players could move. It is an asinine notion.

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From what I understand, infielders will always have to have both feet in the dirt and stay on their respective sides (in other words, the third baseman and shortstop can't setup on the other side of second base).

I don't know if it's until the pitcher starts his motion, or until the ball is put in play that they can leave the dirt. Whatever it is, I don't think it will be confusing at all.

I hate the shift, but I do wish players would try to just beat it. But they are all taught about launch angle, and nothing about fundamentals, like bunting when an entire side of the field is vacated. Managers can't complain about losing the ability to shift if they won't do anything to see to it that their players try to combat it. People are tired of watching line drives get caught in shallow right field by the second baseman, and so baseball is trying to do something about it, since then the managers and players won't.

I am on the fence about it because I hate the shift.
But on the other hand I hate that they need to make a new rule for the game that’s over 150 or whatever years old.

They want to outlaw the shift and bitch that games take too long.

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the greatest hitter who ever lived

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That would be Barry Bonds but point taken. These idiotic rule changes don’t help the game.

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I’m more amazed that we can’t teach top players to hit to opposite fields and take advantage of it

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Teaching them how to bunt would help a ton as well.

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Hitters are doing what the “fundamentals” tell them. They’re hitting it where it’s pitched. It’s not like they’re rolling over outside corner breaking balls and complaining about it not being a hit. It’s a about squaring up a center cut fastball and driving it 100+mph over the second base bag and it turning into an easy out. What is a hitter supposed to do if he can’t expect success when he hits the ball hard where it’s pitched.

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This is exactly what I said people are tired of seeing. The only way to ensure that doesn't happen, is to either make an effort to hit the ball the other way (pitchers miss their location often, allowing plenty of opportunity to just serve it the other way), or bunt.

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And as far as bunting if you want someone like Joey Votto or Bryce Harper or Yordan Alveraz to bunt then you’re just helping the defense.

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So, what you're saying is that hitting line drives right into their waiting gloves ISN'T helping the defense? If you show the other team that you are willing to be unselfish, they won't keep shifting you.

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They’re welcoming the bunt. Why do you think that is? It’s because they’d rather him stay on first than try to put a ball into orbit.

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This is the worst argument of all, and I've heard it so many times. Stop for a second and think about this: How does the shift prevent a ball from leaving the park? It doesn't. When a team doesn't want a player to hurt them, they walk the guy. That's always the case. When they don't want to just put the guy on base, they put on the shift and hope he hits it at them. If you simply bunt, then teams know they are giving you an automatic hit if they shift you. So they will be less inclined to shift, and you can swing away.

But nobody does anything but just keep hitting into the shift, and then they complain about it.

I think You probably just limit it with some general rules

Something like No more than 4 fielders to either side of 2nd base.

You could somewhat shift but as as extremely as they do now.

It's not surprising that you neanderthals would take the "just hit 'em where they ain't" side of the argument.

Historically, other sports have always adjusted to keep their games' balance between offense and defense.
Basketball added the 3-point shot.
The NFL is always changing -- defensive backs used to be allowed to drape themselves all over pass receivers.

For 150 years a line drive over the second baseman's head has been a base hit. But now that same ball, even if it's struck 100 miles an hour, is being turned into an out.
The defense has gained a major advantage not by being better fielders, but because of more advanced statistical analysis and the fact the rules have allowed them to take advantage of it.

It isn't golf. Pitchers are throwing 95-plus. Hitters can't be expected to shorten their swings every time and plunk a chip shot to the opposite field. People watch baseball to see the best players hit, not to see whose scouting department had the best computer read-out of where to position its fielders.

And stop with the "just bunt" crap. The bunt is baseball's worst play, a waste of an at-bat and often also the waste of an out.

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It's not surprising that you neanderthals would take the "just hit 'em where they ain't" side of the argument. Historically, other sports have always adjusted to keep their games' balance between offense and defense. Basketball added the 3-point shot. The NFL is always changing -- defensive backs used to be allowed to drape themselves all over pass receivers. For 150 years a line drive over the second baseman's head has been a base hit. But now that same ball, even if it's struck 100 miles an hour, is being turned into an out. The defense has gained a major advantage not by being better fielders, but because of more advanced statistical analysis and the fact the rules have allowed them to take advantage of it. It isn't golf. Pitchers are throwing 95-plus. Hitters can't be expected to shorten their swings every time and plunk a chip shot to the opposite field. People watch baseball to see the best players hit, not to see whose scouting department had the best computer read-out of where to position its fielders. And stop with the "just bunt" crap. The bunt is baseball's worst play, a waste of an at-bat and often also the waste of an out.

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THANK YOU

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Fun fact: Ted Williams never batted .403

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LINK ]My bad. It was .406

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And stop with the "just bunt" crap. The bunt is baseball's worst play, a waste of an at-bat and often also the waste of an out.

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C'mon man. The squeeze play is a thing of beauty when properly executed. Heck, the Tigers scored 2 runs on one safety squeeze a few weeks back!!