OR you could just NOT be as lazy, 'LOS!

If you don't get The Sporting News magazine (I think only 18 of us do. It was a gift and it makes GREAT bathroom reading. Love the daily email though...) then you might have missed last week's "ALL-STAR ROUNDTABLE" where four "all-stars" (Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Freddy Sanchez and Carlos Pena) were asked a series of questions, one of which being "If you could make one change to the game, what would it be?"

I'm not making up that Big Tex would shorten spring training by two weeks. HA!

But that's not the reason for the blog. Nope. The "All-star" that is Carlos Pena (snarf. Carlos Pena being called an all-star. He-he) replied that he would "make that defensive shift illegal. That's the first thing I'd do. They cannot leave their position. That'd be my first rule. I think that's absolutely evil."

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP sigh.
Los my man, clearly teams do this shift to you and perhaps it has prevented you from a "Hall of Fame" roundtable....but I doubt it. Have you ever thought of poking it the other way? Ever thought of laying down a bunt up the third base line for a FLIPPIN' DOUBLE? Have you ever thought of making an adjustment to the opposition's adjustment? If odds are you are going to ground out into the shift anyways, why not groundout or strikeout trying to go the other way? Even if it is unsuccessful, then the other team has to take into consideration your potential for going the other way. That would open up your pull-side and you would get more hits.

Yes I know people shift for Ryan Howard. He hits a lot of home runs though and you cannot shift for that. People shift for David Ortiz (though recently the shift has been IN 9 paces) and people are for SOME REASON shifting for Brian McCann, which is stoopid because BMac can and WILL go opposite field.

But you look at the good hitters...Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez, Chipper Jones, Joe Mauer. The other teams don't, ney CAN'T shift on them because they will find the open patch of real estate. They are willing to hit it through the open infield. If the first baseman is holding the runner and the second baseman is at double play depth, Chipper can and will shoot it through the open side. Manny Ramirez will find the hole between short and third. Pujols can place it on the line if the third baseman is off the bag or hit it where the third should be if he's cheating on the line.

The reason the teams do the shift Carlos is to take advantage of a lazy player or to dominate a player that cannot do anything but hit it there. You made the Major leagues Carlos and you were an all-star. You SHOULD be able to make adjustments. If you are just unwilling, then you've pulled a MV7 in that you had talent, you just failed to capitalize on it. Los, I'd like to think that as an all-star you'd work harder instead of being so lazy that you'd rather have the rules changed so "only 10 steps [would be] allowed." Come on Bro. hit the cages and work with the batting coach. Learn to go the other way and your pull-side will suddenly open up some.