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SPORTS Tuesday 17 July 2018
Baseball's shifting culture set to play out in All-Star Game

By BEN WALKER said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Da- The decrease on the score-
vid Ortiz can now laugh, board has increased calls
sort of, at the shifting cul- for more radical changes
ture of baseball. For Mike — outlawing shifts, lowering
Trout, Nolan Arenado, the mound, forcing reliev-
Bryce Harper and most ers to face more than one
every other All-Star hitter, batter.
dealing with different de- "This is a game of adjust-
fensive alignments is just ments. Everybody is con-
part of the game. stantly making adjustments
Tune in Tuesday night and to you," Atlanta outfielder
there's no telling where fans Nick Markakis said. "You're
will see fielders at Nationals going to want to cry about
Park. Especially in what's it and not have the shift any
become merely an exhibi- more? I think it's silly."
tion — why not try a five- No one has suggested cut-
man outfield? ting the bases to 88 feet or
Count Joey Votto among stretching the mound-to-
the boppers who'd love plate distance beyond 60
to do away with infielders feet, 6 inches.
clustered on the grass. Meanwhile, home runs
"From someone who's really continue to rise at a record
been dinged by the shift, rate. Strikeouts, too.
I would welcome it," the Harper, a six-time All-Star at
Cincinnati first baseman 25, is caught in the vortex.
said Monday. "Once they Set to play in the showcase
started shifting more with- at his home ballpark, he's
out question, I adjusted my batting only .214 with 102
approach and you have to Perhaps it would mean only the other NL stars come to Miami on Robinson Cano's strikeouts, along with 23
or else you get burned by it two infielders on each side bat. homer in the 10th inning. homers.
because .290 turns into .250 of the diamond. Or possi- "The shift has transformed Not since 2007, in fact, How can a batter beat the
turns into .220 like nothing." bly they'd all be required to the game," Astros third have both teams scored shift? "You can't," Harper
But the career .312 hitter stay on the dirt. baseman Alex Bregman more than three runs in a said. "If you hit a ball in the
can see why Major League "Maybe something where said. "We did it a lot last game. hole, then you're out. If you
Baseball might want to you can only shift a couple year and won the World That's the trend across hit a ball up the middle,
avoid delving into rules to guys each inning," Arena- Series, so I guess it works." baseball these days. Going you're out."
define defensive positions. do offered. Despite all the top talent at into the break, there have "If I have a kid, I'm not going
"I like the idea of a dy- Of course, Max Scherzer, the plate, All-Star Games been more strikeouts than to tell him to stay through
namic ballplayer. It's really Jacob deGrom, Luis Sev- rarely turn into run-fests. hits in the majors. The over- the middle anymore be-
hard to shift against a re- erino and other aces might They're often limited by the all batting average is .247 cause if you hit a ball up
ally fast left-handed hitter see it a bit differently. strong stable of pitchers at the break, and it could the middle, you're out," he
for a multitude of reasons," "I am extremely pro-shift, es- each team brings, boost- dip to the lowest figure in said. "I guess guys could
he said. "Removing the shift pecially against lefties be- ed by dominant relievers nearly a half-century. bunt down the first base
may lend itself to the left- cause I pound lefties in and such as Craig Kimbrel, Josh "I think offenses are down line or third base line if they
handed pull hitter that hits then change-ups away," Hader and Kenley Jansen because of the shift. I see shift you the other way. But
flyballs, groundballs and Dodgers right-hander Ross ramped up to throw one in- a lot of guys hit balls hard you don't get paid to bunt.
strikes out a ton. I'm not sure Stripling said. "I know there ning apiece. up the middle that are usu- If you hit it over all of them,
if Major League Baseball is are pitchers that don't like The AL won last year 2-1 at ally hits that are outs," Trout that's how you beat it."q
excited about that." it as much. When you think
To Ortiz, these overloaded about the shift it's easier to
infields are reshaping the remember the ones that
sport. Not in a good way, hurt you than the 10 that
either. helped you."
"It seems crazy, it seems like As for the debate about
it's taking some fun part of shifts damaging the game,
the game away," the re- "certainly I understand it,"
tired Red Sox slugger said he said.
Sunday before managing "We were just talking about
the Futures Game. this the other day and we
"It seems like there are looked up the research a
20 guys playing defense little bit. It's led to way less
against you," Big Papi said, singles, but more walks and
playfully estimating shifts more doubles," he said.
took "like 500 hits away No manager employs more
from me." shifts than AL skipper A.J.
There's been talk that base- Hinch of Houston, so look
ball, concerned that less for second baseman Jose
action in the field could Altuve and shortstop Man-
translate to fewer fans in ny Machado to be moving
the stands, might consider around when Paul Gold-
a rule regarding shifts. schmidt, Matt Kemp and