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Thursday 13 december 2018

BOWLED

OVER

Los Angeles Dodgers manager
Dave Roberts speaks at a
news conference during
Major League Baseball winter
meetings, Tuesday, Dec. 11,
2018, in Las Vegas.
Associated Press
It’s time for

baseball’s

shift to go

By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Columnist
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ask
baseball managers what
they think about the dread-
ed shift, and most of them
have the same answer.
It’s not a problem if the hit- Reasons to watch all
ters don’t make it one.
“There’s an easy way to
combat that,” Oakland’s 39 FBS bowl games
Bob Melvin said. “Just hit
the ball the other way.”
It’s a simple enough solu-
tion, though certainly an
obvious one.
Who among us, after all,
hasn’t screamed at a bat-
ter to push the ball the oth-
er way or even bunt for a
sure hit when the defense
is loaded up on one side of
the infield?
The guys in the dugout
surely have, even if job se-
curity dictates they do their
screaming silently.
“If a guy can use the whole
field, they’re not going to
shift you,” the Marlins’ Don In this Dec. 16, 2017, file photo, a North Carolina A&T player celebrates their victory over Grambling
Mattingly said. State in the Celebration Bowl NCAA college football game, in Atlanta. The fun starts for those who
Unfortunately, guys don’t did get into the postseason _ and those who get to watch it _ Saturday with five FBS bowl games
use the whole field any- and stretches through New Year’s Day.
more. Associated Press
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