actually, I just checked, and Truist Park actually is the name of the Braves' home stadium. I had no idea they changed the name.
MLB Pseudo-Season 2020: Roger, Dodgers
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actually, I just checked, and Truist Park actually is the name of the Braves' home stadium. I had no idea they changed the name.
Well, you're telling me hitters are being told to swing from the heels and I am saying a major leaguer ought to be able to hit to all fields. Seems to me if the boss wants a big leaguer to be an all-field hitter, he ought to be able to learn that in short order. There are several players who do it now, but they are few and far between. If you look at a modern big-leaguer's spray chart, you will see about 75% of batted balls are hit to the pull field. I don't think you have to go back all that many years to find most guys had much more spread out spray charts. Today, even light hitting guys are swinging for the fences and, instead of 5 or 6, they hit 10 homeruns a season and hit .225 instead of .250.
Or maybe it is not being taught anymore, cuz most coaches don't have a clue. It is mostly in the wrists, inside out.
Spray hitters like George Brett and Rod Carew and the like are as rare as hen's teeth now a days.
If you want to beat the shift...go the other way.
Yep. Truist is the new name of the company that came from the merger of Sun Trust and BB & T.actually, I just checked, and Truist Park actually is the name of the Braves' home stadium. I had no idea they changed the name.
actually, I just checked, and Truist Park actually is the name of the Braves' home stadium. I had no idea they changed the name.
Money talks and tomahawks walk.
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Or maybe the analytics types are truly ruling the clubs and the "metrics" say swing out of your shoes. You notice fielders are always looking at little cards they carry in their hat or back pocket? Positioning by analytics. Catchers have little wrist band playbooks - pitch calling by analytics. If a guy with an iPad tried to tell Henry Aaron where to play against a certain hitter, Hank would tell him, "I got this," and then invite iPad boy to do something biologically impossible.
Two more guys in the Hall of Fame.
I still get genuinely pissed off whenever a sportscaster says "no hitter" instead of "no no," out fear of jinxing the pitcher. I'm not a superstitious sort normally, but I go full-blown superstitious when it comes to baseball.
Just another reminder of lost opportunities.
After the Milwaukee Bucks opted out of tonight's NBA playoff game and the other 2 games were also postponed, the Brewers won't play their game vs the Reds in protest.
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People who whine about the shift need to diversify their game. Don't blame the defense for playing good defense.
David Ortiz had the shift invented for him, he didn't whine, he still played MVP caliber for years.
David Ortiz had the shift invented for him, he didn't whine, he still played MVP caliber for years.
The shift dates back to, like, the 1950s.
Edit: 1920s, Cy Williams was the mother of all pull hitters.
He made it common, though. For a while it was named after him.
Actually it was originally made famous by Ted Williams and Lou Boudreau. When Williams was at bat, Boudreau, manager of the Indians, would put six fielders on the right side. He not only had the infielders shift, but all three outfielders were also in right field.
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Batters simply need to employ the Rizzo Counter-Manoeuvre™....easy-peasy.
Indeed. Unfortunately today's players would rather strike out swinging from the heels than bunt or hit a grounder against the shift.
There no longer seems to be any shame or disapproval in striking out. In this era of "metrics" a strike out is just another out. In fact, striking out is the worst outcome for a hitter. Outs from batted balls can score runs or advance runners or lead to a fielding error. Unless a catcher screws up in the right situation, nothing good can come from a strikeout.Like a few of Rizzo's teammates
As my old radio mentor to the game when I was a kid, Joe Nuxhall, repeated over and over, "When ya' hit the ball, sometimes good things happen."
And further, Tony Perez always gave excellent advise, "See the ball, hit the ball."
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