Question for White Sox fans

by Matt Swartz on Aug 13, 2010 9:03 PM CDT

My name is Matt Swartz, and I’m an author at Baseball Prospectus. I’m doing some research on the infield shift (where three infielders play on the right side of second base for a left-handed hitter), and the data is a bit hard to come by. Since I know what a great resource the SBNation blogs are, being a former writer at one myself, I thought that some of you could give me some help.

I am curious who has gotten shifted against on your team MOST of the time, AND who your team regularly has shifted against in your division over the last 18 years. To jog your memory I am listing the lefties and switch-hitters that your team has had in the last 18 years that have hit at least 20 home runs.

Thank you for your help.

LHB

Jim Thome
Robin Ventura
Harold Baines

SHB

Nick Swisher
Carl Everett
Jose Valentin
Ray Durham

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Thome very regularly had the shift put on him

and now that he’s on the Twins the Sox put the shift on him.

With 2 seconds of thought, Hafner used to have the shift put on him

-Jeeves Life in the Cell

by jeeves on Aug 13, 2010 10:58 PM CDT reply actions

Harold baines had a bit of a shift on him....

the interesting part was the infield played him as a lefty pull hitter and the outfield played him to go the opposite way. the shift wasn’t as dramatic as the one thome got.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Aug 13, 2010 11:52 PM CDT reply actions

I think that's normal

You expect the guy to pull the ball on the ground or opposite field the ball in the air. that’s how thome’s shift was/is as well.

by coffeepac on Aug 15, 2010 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Thome has a dramatic infield shift, oppo field outfield shift

I believe they do this against Hafner. Ortiz of course has a dramatic shift although I’m not sure if it was that way when he was on the Twins.

I’d also like to note that they had an extreme shift for Eric Hinske.

You guys win. You can keep your little marked-out piece of internet territory. Spend your days communicating via keyboard with people too ugly for the real world and too nerdy for anyone to care, anyway. Your piece of land is here. Do the rest of civilization a favor and stay within its limits. You bore me. Have fun with your nightly sobs and screams into your pillow over your inability to attract a good mate, Radiohead. ~The Hooligan

by Daniel Berlyn on Aug 17, 2010 12:46 AM CDT reply actions