Quote:
Originally Posted by Harliduck
In the first clip I think it is cool to read where they had a "shift" on defensively against Ruth, moving the SS to behind 2nd base. I think I read somewhere that the first recorded "shifts" were against Ted Williams? I could be wrong in that, but that article would prove shifts were alive and well long before Teddy Baseball...
Great stuff...thanks all for sharing for this baseball geek!
EDIT - No mention of a Ruth Shift here - Williams as I mentioned and Boudreau
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infield_shift
Another link mentioning Williams being the first -
http://www.economist.com/blogs/gamet...ctics-baseball |
The Ted Williams infield "shift", contrary to some reports, was not the first "shift".
In the Babe Ruth days, opposing teams would situate their fielders in certain shifts. Usually depending on who their pitcher was. This article in
the Pittsburgh newspaper correctly reports that Pittsburgh's SS (Arky Vaughan) was positioned behind 2nd base in the inning Ruth hit a Single.
The more typical "Ruth shift", by opposing teams, was positioning the Left-fielder in CF....with the other two outfielders in Right-Center and RF.
Anyway, was this strategy really effective ? I don't think so.....since many times Ruth would just drive the ball beyond these outfielders.
TED Z
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