MLB is trying to liven up the game a bit

It seems Theo Epstein is already having an influence in his short tenure as an advisor at the Commissioner's office. This just in - As a result of the takeover / overthrow of Minor League Baseball, they are experimenting with rule changes in the minors, designed to encourage more base stealing attempts and limiting the shift.

A. An official anti-shift rule. It will be employed across all Double-A leagues. The rule will require all four infielders to have both feet on the infield dirt (or the infield grass, if they’re playing in) as the pitch is being delivered. If a team violates the rule, it’s an automatic ball. If the pitch happens to result in a hit, the batting team has the option to take the outcome of the pitch.

B. In Triple A this season, teams will be using slightly larger versions of the first-base, second-base and third-base bags. Instead of the standard, 15-inch-by-15-inch bags, they will be playing with 18-by-18 bases. It may have a slight impact on stolen base attempts and infield hits.

C. Limits on pickoff attempts. In High-A leagues, pitchers will be required to step off the rubber before throwing to first (or any) base. The penalty is a balk and runners get to advance a base. Second, low Class-A leagues will have a rule that gives pitchers just two “free” pickoff throws to any base. If the pitcher wants to throw over a third time, the runner must be tagged out or else it’s a balk.

The third rule may have the biggest net effect in actual games. It was a 2019 Atlantic League experiment, and stolen base attempts went up by about 70% that year, and the stolen base success rate rose to almost 81%, making an exciting cat-and-mouse running game a viable option again instead of the boring "three true outcome" analytics approach.

Interesting...
I guess they need to do something. I know I have lost interest in seeing a SP throwing a shutout be pulled after 5 IP.

Love C, hate A.

How about batters learning to hit instead of pulling everything?

How about batters learning to hit instead of pulling everything?

And practice bunting. Any ball bunted fair with shift on could almost be a double, or at least a guaranteed single. Lay a few down successfully and that would stop the shift.

[quoteAnd practice bunting. Any ball bunted fair with shift on could almost be a double, or at least a guaranteed single. Lay a few down successfully and that would stop the shift][/quote]

Amen to that, brother.

I hate the shift more than anything...hitters should be able to hit the ball to any part of the field. That and bunting would make them stop. The disregard for striking out kills me too...Makes baseball so boring. 3 true outcomes makes for a boring game and no desire for me to watch it.

Don't get me started on the stupidity of no hitters taking advantage of what the shift gives them. I mean take the guaranteed hit, especially when down by a couple runs and needing baserunners.

I like the rule limiting throws to first. Most of the time they are just throwing over to wear down the legs of the runner. And those never ending throws to first are boring for the fans. Talk about a pace of play killer. I would do it different. Give the pitcher one throw to first. If runner is safe then from that point on every unsuccessful pickoff attempt would be a ball. Other gimmicks like making pitcher step off rubber to me devalues the stolen base and destroys current SB accomplishments as compared to past records.

Biggest thing MLB could do to eliminate shift would be to deaden the ball. For my entire life the ball has been getting juicier. Reverse that and more hitters would need to use the entire field and be able to run the bases.

Everything has changed, baseball will never go back to what it was, and you know, that's just normal and natural as systems evolve. Sure, I definitely prefer the contact hitting, and bunting, and stealing, ace starters and complete games. Absolutely.

But I'm a realist and we can choose to enjoy living in the here and now, or suffer fate as glass half-empty retrogrades.

It's really hard to spray hit to a given field when pitchers throw 95-plus often. The increase in velocity has really changed the batting approach. Now, perhaps some of the changes MLB is studying may turn the tide a bit, and that would be a good thing. But as long as systems and humans are "evolving" toward more power/velocity in sports, I think it's like sticking your finger in the proverbial dyke. Trends are happening.