Have never seen this before. Yesterdays game vs. Astros. Here's the deal, 5-3 Astros, bottom of the eighth. Gleyber Torres on first, Aaron Hicks up batting from the left side. Astros are in the shift with Bregman the 3rd baseman playing shortstop. Hicks hits a rocket and the Astros shortstop knocks ball down just behind 2nd base. Bregman comes over to cover second to try and get the force on Torres. He is to late, Torres slides(poorly) into second, gets up and sprints for third as nobody has third base covered. Astro catcher, seeing this sprints up the third base line to cover that base. Torres sees this and rounds third and sprints for home, getting past the Astro catcher, and scores as noone is covering home. Have never seen this before. A runner scores from first on a ball that never leaves the infield, no throw was ever made, and no errors charged! Anyone ever see something like this?
Unreal play in Yankee game
- Thread starter bkmtnittany1
- Start date
Awsome....gotta love baseball. Sounds like a little league game.
That'll beat "the shift" every time.
Heads up baserunning. I understand the catcher's instinct to cover third but he wasn't even close to getting there on time. The mistake was compounded by the uncovered home plate. I blame the shift, the pitcher, and the manager. The shift took players out of position. The pitcher should have been covering third since after he throws the ball he's not doing any good standing on the mound. The manager should have reinforced with the players what their assignments were in a given situation.
Agreed but the shift has yielded more benefits than weaknesses. Where was the pitcher? Seems to me he should have covered third or home.
I hate the shift. I think that's it's ruining baseball. It has totally changed the game and not for the better.
That's on the pitcher. Even at the end of the play he's still on the edge of the mound. He's gotta do something other than just stand there after he throws a pitch.
Yeah, for people who want to get rid of the shift, just watch this play over and over. Without the shift, it would have been runners on 1st and 3rd at best.
In the video the pitcher never left the mound. You have to admit he had the best seat in the house for watching all the action.
Derek Jeter used to take advantage of the shift all the time. He would be on 1st, and the shift was being played for Jason Giambi, and you can be certain that any ball hit to the right side would send Jeter right past 2nd and straight to the uncovered bag at 3rd. But one time, when the Blue Jays catcher went to cover 3rd, Jeter separated his shoulder in the collision and missed a few months. That time, it didn't work.
Torres never even thought about sliding and took off immediately for 3rd. Just heads-up baserunning.
I coached T-ball one year. I saw that play executed perfectly by the baserunner multiple times that season.
Why is it ruining the game? Good players should learn how to hit to the opposite field. Wouldn’t your point be analogous to saying that in football, a particular defensive formation (or scheme) is ruining the game and should be outlawed?
In “The Glory of Their Times” is told the story of Ty Cobb jogging to first base after being walked and then suddenly accelerating and stealing second base. Trying to tag Cobb in a rundown was not easy. Joe Morgan was like that, hard to get out in a rundown. I’ve read that Jackie Robinson was too.
I watch a lot of high school baseball with my grandsons who play travel baseball. Whenever a batter advances to an uncovered base, they tell me exactly who should have covered that base. They practice these situations and (should) know instinctively where to go depending on where the ball is hit. There are no shifts at this level, so the positioning is much simpler.
I would expect that the players are coached on where to move when the balls in play and the pitcher messed up. We will see pitchers running to third in this situation as basic defense when in the shift.
I would expect that the players are coached on where to move when the balls in play and the pitcher messed up. We will see pitchers running to third in this situation as basic defense when in the shift.
Back in the day (OK, way too many years ago), my softball team routinely would have had the pitcher back up third and the first baseman cover home on such a play. But we never would have such a shift.
I hear you but disagree, Pete Rose would have hit to the opposite field. The shift only burns hitters who don’t know how to hit for position. You can’t send 9 pull hitters to the plate anymore.
“I hate the shift. I think that's it's ruining baseball. It has totally changed the game and not for the better.”
“I hate the shift. I think that's it's ruining baseball. It has totally changed the game and not for the better.”
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You are right my man...he never slid. I was thinking of his slide into home. That looked like it hurt!
