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Reply to "Do you like the shift?"

To push the soccer/baseball angle the same basic rule change would probably help both sports....remove players from the field to create more space.  If both games removed 2 or 3 defenders it would significantly alter the approach to offense and create significantly more action/scoring.  

Focusing on baseball if there were 5 defenders instead of 7 it would totally change the value of contact with the ball since contact would result in baserunners at a much higher rate than is now the case.  More contact earlier in the count means the ball is in play, baserunners are on the move and the game gets back some of what it has lost in the last 30 years.

It would also place a much higher premium on speed and athleticism as well.  Also if you take two bad hitters out of every batting order star players get more at bats and it is even harder to pitch around lineups.  6 or 7 at bats per game would not be uncommon.  Imagine A Judge getting 300 more swings per season instead of someone like N Walker.

Even taking just one defender off the field would totally change everything....but two would be better IMO.

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