The Yankees should try it tonight in the wild card game at Yankee Stadium with its ridiculous short porch in right field that makes pretty much everyone a home run threat, especially with the juiced baseballs of recent seasons. This situation makes the games more random. The money the Yankees spend to be much better cannot overcome anyone in the opposing lineup being a home run threat.
Against many left handed power hitters teams play an extreme shift but mostly just with their infielders. The lefty batters are almost universally too dumb and lazy to take an almost sure hit by bunting to the unprotected left side. As has been pointed out here for years, they don't even have to be good bunters, just put the ball into the ocean of open space.
Instead they pull the ball into the teeth of the shift. But the shift is extreme only in the infield and into straight away right field. Plus, if the batter does what he really wants, he beats the shift by blasting a home run completely over it.
But what about all those cheap home runs that land in the first 2-3 rows? We watch the outfielder race back to the wall and try to time his leap and rob the batter of a ball that otherwise would go over the wall. We see this in highlights all the time. Many outfielders stay back from the wall just so that they can make a catch seem more difficult and spectacular than if he got back to the wall quickly.
But what if the outfielder was already back at the wall? Yes, on the warning track with his back up against the wall. In addition to being better able to rob home runs, he could substantially increase his ability to move laterally and catch balls that might otherwise go for doubles, either down the line or into the power alley.
Now take that idea and double it. Yes, by also putting the other corner outfielder into the pull field, you could dramatically improve both things mentioned above:
- rob home runs
- prevent doubles.
The Yankees have the perfect guys to do this:
Aaron Judge, 6'7"
Giancarlo Stanton, 6'6"
If you cut down the area that each must patrol by half, each would be able to get to balls that they otherwise would not.
Wait. Won't more balls drop in front of the two right fielders? The ball would have to go over the deep infielder. If it did, it would most likely only be a single as the right fielders would be charging and firing the ball into second base.
OK, so who plays left field? Does it matter? we're talking about lefty batters who are too dumb and lazy to hit to left field. Simply move the lone infielder who would be on the left side back a few steps into left field. Yes, that would make it easier for the lefty batter to slap a single through the empty infield. OK, that puts the guy on first base. Not that big a deal, even if the lefty batter tries it, which he could now but doesn't. Plus, it could play tricks with the batters thinking.
Of course, all this is subject to game situations. Bases empty for instance. It should at least be tried with a 1-2 run lead and the lefty big bopper coming up in the 9th inning. Come on, try it. Don't just have your outfielders stand where grass is worn out.
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