Let's Talk Outfield Shifting

Let's Talk Outfield Shifting

Shifting has always been part of the game of baseball. Even when it was not recognized on television and radio, it has always been there. Not until Lou Boudreu's shift on Ted Williams did the shift gain a ton of public attention. Many fans are angered by the shift, as shifting has become a popular tactic for professional and collegiate programs. Believing that it takes away from the offensive side of the game of baseball. Fans have even called for Major League Baseball to ban shifting. I do not see this happening anytime soon. 

In a prior post, I discussed the reasons why the middle infield should shift. It was more of a mini shift of sorts. This is more applicable to the amateur side of baseball. For programs who don't have the budget of high NCAA Division I programs. So in that spirit, I will be discussing ways in which the amateur level of baseball can shift their outfield to get the best out of their defense, so that they do not give the opponent more than three outs. 

Before I dive into the shift, there are a few things that coaches and players should consider. The two biggest things that the coaches and players should consider before implementing their defensive strategy is consider the wind, the pitcher, and the field conditions. On a day where the wind is a major factor, the team may have to put a wrinkle into their strategy to accommodate for Mother Nature. The strategy can still be put in place, but the outfielders may want to take a few extra steps left or right to make proper adjustments with the wind. The kind of pitcher pitching that day should also be put into consideration. If you have a power arm on the mound, typically the hitters will be behind more than they will be early on his fastball. The coaching staff should think about possibly having the outfield heading towards the opposite field more with the defensive strategy. Field conditions are another crucial factor that can cause an adjustment on defensive strategy. On a wet day the field will slow the ball down. So the outfielders may want to play in a bit more in case to get to a ground ball that gets through the infield. On a hot and dry day, the ball will move quicker through the infield, so the coaches may want their outfielders back more to work with the field conditions. The best time to tell the outfielders to make these adjustments are during batting practice or right after infield-outfield is taken before a game. Either way there will be time to make these adjustments with the defensive strategy. 

Now onto the shift. This shift is a mini-shift and a very simple one at that. There are two aspects to this strategy. The first is having a strategy that tells the outfielders where the hitter traditionally puts the ball in play. Then there is the pitch count factor. When a hitter is ahead of the count, the hitter is more likely to pull the ball with the intent to drive the ball. The reason being is because the pitcher is more likely to pitch towards the middle of the plate, giving the hitter a better chance to pull the ball and drive the pitch. On the other hand, when the pitcher is ahead in the count the hitter is more likely to hit the ball the other way with less power. The reason why this is the case is because the pitcher is pitching to the corners causing the hitter to expand his zone and trying to get him to chase a pitch out of the zone. 

So with that in mind, this is what this shift would look like. For example, a center fielder would be placed defensively based on where the hitter would most likely hit the ball. When a pitcher falls behind, the center fielder and the rest of the outfield will take two steps to the pull side of the hitter, and two steps back. When the pitcher is ahead in the count, the outfield will go two steps to the opposite field of the hitter, and two steps in. Another thing to keep in mind that when there is two strikes, the outfield doesn't need to keep on moving after each pitch, especially if the hitter continues to foul off pitches. 

Now that we know what this shift looks like, what is the best way to implement this defensive strategy? There are two schools of thought on this. Both are correct and either way gives a good amount of information out to the defense. The traditional school of thought has a coach using signs out to the fielders telling them where to move. The coaching staff must come up with signs that do not give away what their strategy is to the opposition. On the other hand, your team can create a scouting report and either tape the strategy onto gloves, or laminate what to do and expect on cards to shift on the defense. This has become very popular in professional and college baseball. I would admit that the tape or card strategy can be more fluid than looking in and having the coach tell you what to do. On top of that, the players can and will learn from the card or tape strategy that they can take for other opponents. This is also an easier way to not give away signs to the opposition. With the cards, the center fielder, shortstop, and catcher should get a card. The center fielder would direct the outfield, the shortstop would direct the infield, and the catcher would have strategy to call pitches. There is no right or wrong to either approach, but both should be given a good amount of time and practiced regularly so that it is second nature during games. With all of this in mind, I hope this shift and strategy will help you and your players get better and to win.