What I like about this infographic is that it’s a great depiction of how many different looks can come out of a team that employs the defensive shift. It’s also a reflection on how much thinking and studying goes into a baseball game. At this level, especially, a team can’t just show up and play, there’s a considerable amount of pre-planning involved.
I agree that studying your opponent can help with proper defensive positioning. What I don’t understand these days are the silly ‘hitting metrics’ they flash on the screen after a home run…..’launch angle’….’exit velocity’…….who gives a s%$@? The guy hit a long, towering homer over the center-field wall…..what else is there to know? 🙂
You definitely make a good point — at the end of the day, those details don’t matter so much as the fact as the ball has left the playing field and the offensive team is getting a run or more out of the deal :). There is a nerdy part of me that can also see why some folks would be interested in those details. Do they truly matter? Probably not. But I still find it fascinating.
I don’t know…I would have loved to see the negative launch angle and putt-putt velocity of some of the twenty-six hoppers I hit back in my Legion ball days.