Johnson: Even in Low Levels, Information on Players Abounds

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.thegazette.com/baseball-notebook-even-in-lower-minor-leagues-information-on-players-abounds-20170521

 

Jeff Johnson of The Gazette in Cedar Rapids wrote an interesting article about the kind of information that they have on opponents even in the Midwest League. 

 

I saw it first-hand in the clubhouse in Cedar Rapids... They have advanced stats on the opponents hitters and pitchers, contact rates, spray charts and more. 

 

In the article, they talk about shifts and more...

 

Check it out. 

[ashbury]

Watkins pointed out how a couple of Chiefs, in particular, were right-handed pull hitters, especially on groundballs. ... “It is just something that has been evolving in the game,” Watkins said. “It’s the information that we have."

 

It's probably true that there is more data now. But the concept of "look out, he's a pull hitter" isn't exactly new - even my slow-pitch softball team would yell out "hooker" when a lefty came to bat and we outfielders would duly take a couple steps to our left, if only to show our heads were in the game (mine wasn't).

 

How come shifts in the pros weren't more prevalent and more extreme in the past? There was the Williams Shift way back when, but it didn't really revolutionize the game and instead was retired when Ted did.