George Brett agrees with me:

[clydepepper]

The Royals' Hall of Famer attributes some of the decline in offense to better pitching, but also blames hitters for being too stubborn against the shift and not having enough pride to avoid striking out.

I've been saying that for a while...guess his opinion, for some reason, if more respected.
-
-

[barrysloate]

If I were a left handed hitter, and I saw the whole defense shifting to the right side of the diamond, I would tap a soft grounder down the leftfield line every time. Isn't it all about getting on base?

[gregr2]

They employ a huge shift against Mark Teixeira and I believe it was the year before last he tried to change his style to hit to the open area. Well his average went to crap and he lost power because he was confused at the plate (late and missing balls he should have been pulling). Pulling the bull to the right is something he has done all his life so trying to change at this juncture of his career was not possible (at least for him). Not sure how easy of a task this really is...

[packs]

I have to think that anyone can learn to bunt or drag a knubber down third base. Yesterday I watched Mark Reynolds (playing third) stand in shallow right field during a shift. The shortstop was playing pretty much on second base. You could have bunted for a double and the guy struck out.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by gregr2

They employ a huge shift against Mark Teixeira and I believe it was the year before last he tried to change his style to hit to the open area. Well his average went to crap and he lost power because he was confused at the plate (late and missing balls he should have been pulling). Pulling the bull to the right is something he has done all his life so trying to change at this juncture of his career was not possible (at least for him). Not sure how easy of a task this really is...

Agree! Most hitters are not George Brett, or Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs or Ichiro.

They don't have the eye or the talent to pick and choose where to hit a high 98 MPH fastball or a 92 MPH splitter.

95% of the league is atrocious at bunting. It's one thing to do it in Little League with little Jeremy throwing 55 MPH straightballs at you, it's another with Mariano trying to shear your bat off at your hands.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

If I were a left handed hitter, and I saw the whole defense shifting to the right side of the diamond, I would tap a soft grounder down the leftfield line every time. Isn't it all about getting on base?

You guys have never seen Barry drag bunt, or bunt in drag for that matter.

[clydepepper]

Do you suppose this 'damn the shift, full speed to the pull field' started with Ted Williams' World Series experience?
-
-

[RTK]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Agree! Most hitters are not George Brett, or Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs or Ichiro.
They don't have the eye or the talent to pick and choose where to hit a high 98 MPH fastball or a 92 MPH splitter.

95% of the league is atrocious at bunting. It's one thing to do it in Little League with little Jeremy throwing 55 MPH straightballs at you, it's another with Mariano trying to shear your bat off at your hands.

Contact hitters all who emphasized hitting for average most guys won't shorten their swing with two strikes, let alone bunt. When was the last time anyone choked up?

[MattyC]

Stubborn, lazy hitters like Tex infuriate me. I agree with George Brett. Pros have the talent and all the coaching resources at their disposal to learn to go the other way. The likes of Teixiera are just too stubborn or lazy, so they will continue to make outs trying to pull homers when a timely single could win a game.

[Orioles1954]

Sluggers aren't getting paid $20 million a year to drop a bunt or slap a liner against the shift.

[packs]

Yes but they must realize that if they would drop a bunt or slap a hit to the left side during a shift the team would stop shifting. That means more hits for the slugger and runs for his team.

[MattyC]

Yes, indeed. I agree. Players are primarily paid to help win games. Shoot a double or clutch single the opposite way occasionally, and opponents will ease up on the shift-- then more pulled balls fall for hits, too. Sluggers aren't getting paid to watch their averages drop from .295 to .216 the way Tex's have been going. The game's history is littered with elite sluggers who used the whole field and batted for good averages, in addition to power. Any hitter getting paid big bucks should try, with hard work, to add dimensions to their game that will help them and their team improve, bottom line. Stubbornly making out after out into the shift is not good.

[packs]

It just makes no sense. You have all that space. You'd rather try to hit it between people? Why? Throw down a bunt and open up half the field for yourself next at bat. It doesn't even have to be a good bunt.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by packs

It just makes no sense. You have all that space. You'd rather try to hit it between people? Why? Throw down a bunt and open up half the field for yourself next at bat. It doesn't even have to be a good bunt.

I hope Rod Carew isn't sitting by the phone in anticipation of a cry for bunting help...