New Defensive Shift Rule in CD strat!

http://www.strat-o-matic.com/community/ ... shift-rule

Check it out.

Not sure yet whether or not this will be implemented in the online game, and if so, when.

Interesting!

I would hope it is not implemented since use of it and response to it would be under total control of HAL.
We have enough trouble understanding how the computer manager will handle conservative verses advanced for various features. Imagine that with the shift feature.

Another question is will future cards be designed with this in mind? Will for example the Ortiz card have slightly more HRs on the card in anticipation a certain number will be taken away as he attempts to "beat the shift" 20% of the time losing some HRs. The card would have to have additional HRs on it to compensate and final result in the same number being hit. That would mean you could get more HRs out of it by never trying to beat the shift.

Another complaint I would have with it is all hitters become the same when trying to beat the shift and the extra charts are utilized. So it would lessen a Ruth or Bonds while maybe improving a Mitch Moreland. I would think for a feature like this to be anywhere realistic there would have to be some mechanism for measuring a hitter's ability to beat the shift. Ted Williams for example stated he never tried to beat the shift. So using this featue with him at the plate in my view should result in very poor results because logically he would not be very good. Opposite extreme might be Prince Fielder. In his last couple years with Rangers I noted he often would clearly be going opposite field on purpose against the shift. He got a number of hits that way and drove in a number of runs. I think he realized the neck/back was preventing him from generating torque and his power was reduced so he was cutting back on his swing and taking advantage of the shift. Prince in his prime probably ignored the shift and went full swing. My point is the feature should take in to account whether the actual player ever attempted to beat the shift and some rating mechanism in place so those hitters who did it well would do it well in strat and those who never attempted it or were clearly poor at it would do it poorly.

Bottom line for the online game this would be one more departure from the actual cards determing outcome and just another item to reduce our control of the card usage and game flow.

If Fielder learned to hit against the shift, then he learned that in Texas. This was not something he showed with Milwaukee.

You are right. From the stats it appears the change actually began in Detroit. I read his BA during his time in Detroit was over 10 points higher against the shift than when defenses played it straight. My belief is he could tell something was not right. He may not have put it together his discs were degenerating but he knew his ability to turn on a ball was declining. But he also realized he could still produce runs by taking what the defense was giving him. So he was still a productive middle of the order bat. Or at least good enough at driving in runs that Detroit was able to sell the damaged goods to the Rangers. Productive enough to win over many of us Ranger fans in spite of not even coming close to his old HR rates.

So he could change to beat the shift. Moreland however would shock the crap out of me if he started intentionally trying to beat the shift. Ironically I watched Gallo on several occasions in Frisco and he seemed willing and able to beat the shift. By the time he got to Arlington though he seemed to have completely transformed in to a hitter trying to power it over the shift and either striking out our grounding in to the shift when he failed to hit it out. If he can get back to that guy who could hit ball hard to all fields I saw when he first hit Frisco I have high hopes for him. But without that he will be moreland but with more pop. So maybe instead of .230 with 22 HRs we may get .230 with 33 HRs. But I really do believe that kid can figure it out and become a guy who hits closer to .300 than l .200. Either way this is the year they gotta figure that out. He has to play first base this year no matter what or they gotta trade the kid now while his value is still high. Another year of rotting at Round Rock will not help his value. The longer it takes to get his full shot the more he is falling in to the trap Chris Davis did of thinking he has to hit 2 HRs a game to have a spot on roster.