Question for M's fans
by Matt Swartz on Aug 13, 2010 7:08 PM PDT
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PrintMy name is Matt Swartz, and I’m an author at Baseball Prospectus. I’m doing some research on the infield shift (where three infielders play on the right side of second base for a left-handed hitter), and the data is a bit hard to come by. Since I know what a great resource the SBNation blogs are, being a former writer at one myself, I thought that some of you could give me some help.
I am curious who has gotten shifted against on your team MOST of the time, AND who your team regularly has shifted against in your division over the last 18 years. To jog your memory I am listing the lefties and switch-hitters that your team has had in the last 18 years that have hit at least 20 home runs.
Thank you for your help.
LHB
Russell Branyan
Raul Ibanez
John Olerud
Ken Griffey
Paul Sorrento
Tino Martinez
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If you are going back to the 80's...
I know Pete O’Brien got the shift on him quite a bit. I don’t recall the shift on Olerud as he hit to all fields pretty well.
Olerud never really had a shift.
Oddly Michael Saunders had the shift played against him a lot by Tampa Bay.
John Olerud Sucks
…or has that been beaten into the ground already?
by sooper jeenyus on Aug 15, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Of your list, only Griffey in his most recent form.
I always thought they played Beltre deep, three steps back onto the grass to deal with his line drives. But that’s not the type of shift you’re talking about, and the additional caveat that I rarely watch games so my anecdotal evidence is spotty.
I remember before Griffey was traded
that teams would often shift against him, but he was always good for a few bunts down the 3rd base line to keep them honest. Of course he had speed then.
I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh
Griffey and Branyan are the two that come to mind most.
Saunders briefly had a team putting the shift on him, but that seems to have died away.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Aug 13, 2010 10:37 PM PDT reply actions
He's hit some flyouts to left field and maybe this is enough not to make him seem such a dead pull hitter
Also a line-drive single or two to CF.
No more shift.
ignacio
There was a good article on shifting done by Tufts
I think it was published on Baseball Analysts (Rich Federer). Let me see what I can find.
Yep.
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/02/babip_progressi.php
Rafael "I take fielding practice" Palmeiro
is the only one I can remember us consistently shifting against. But then, that’s been a few years.
The other intra-division lefty sluggers I can think of were:
Jason Giambi (don’t remember teams shifting him until he was in NY),
Garret Anderson (ok, not a slugger but a lefty mainstay with the Angels,
Eric Chavez (I don’t ever remember shifting him),
Mark Teixeira (switch-hitter, I know, but I don’t remember shifting against him as a lefty)
I do remember seeing teams go after Ichiro with an exaggerated reverse shift sometimes, but the 2B never got that close to the bag, let alone go over it. They stopped doing that a few years ago, and it was only limited application anyways.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
Wow, I totally forgot those guys were Mariners
That’s so weird, maybe I should get my head checked.
I'm not generally an ass, but come on.
I am curious who has gotten shifted against on your team MOST of the time, AND who your team regularly has shifted against in your division over the last 18 years.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
by misterjonez on Aug 15, 2010 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Boy is there egg on my face
Guess I should get my head checked
by Kermit. on Aug 15, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
And my apologies if that came across as hostile dickish-ness
Thought I caught you short and was goofing. I save the hostile comments for flags.
by Kermit. on Aug 15, 2010 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
No problems.
When we communicate in half-sentences it’s sometimes hard to fully communicate intent. You can’t hold a perceived slight against someone if they were misinterpreted.
It must have been a common mistake, since I was the first person to respond to that part of the survey.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
It's a serious post and my smart ass ball breaking should have stayed in my hip pocket
Which would have saved me the embarrassment of committing one of my least favorite errors, reading too quickly and letting the brain fill in the blanks.
That’s a good list of players, I honestly did not pay any attention to defensive shifts until teams started making big shifts against Ortiz at some point. ‘04/’05 maybe? Lou never seemed to be big on shifts, mostly I remember him moving outfielders around once in awhile. Not that I’m correct about that, it’s just what I remember.
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