Photo by Jon Rivera/Icon Sportswire
Dan Fitzgerald, a baseball coach at the University of Kansas, remembers reading “Moneyball” in one sitting the night he bought the book.
He went to football games and noticed the different situational packages teams utilized defensively. When he went to a Dallas Stars game, he noticed a new approach to defensive zone breakouts.
And he has an appreciation for Lawrence, Kansas, knowing that it’s not just the school he coaches, but the home of sabermetrics pioneer Bill James.
For a college program that has finished fifth or worse in the Big 12 each of the past eight seasons and a 20-52 record in league play over the past three seasons, Fitzgerald believes it takes a little outside the box to be competitive. I knew I needed to think without thinking. .
Kansas spent the better part of two months tinkering with how to approach its infield defense. The coaching staff had second baseman Cody Shojinaga and third baseman Michael Brooks swap positions depending on whether the left-handed or right-handed hitter was up. Two other infielders, Chase Diggins and Collier Cranford, also took occasional defensive shifts. The Jayhawks have made more than a dozen moves per game in games where opposing batting lineups are balanced between left-handed and right-handed hitters.
There is a perception within the team that Brooks has the best range of any infielder, which actually fits well with Naga Shoji, who has the versatility to play both catcher and shortstop depending on the situation. Not only that, but he also has the best reaction power to catch the ball from the opposite direction. field line drive.
“We started looking at batters’ ground ball profiles and pitchers’ ground ball profiles, and if so-and-so’s pitches and left-handed hitters go up, the range they need to protect second base is huge,” Fitz said. Gerald said. “Playing at third base has become more standard. If you hit the ball the other way, it stays on top of it and burns you.
“We asked ourselves, what would happen if we looked at the skill sets of our players, matched them to the positions they best play, and pretended we weren’t adhering to the laws of baseball? Would we do that?”
The move didn’t turn Kansas into a powerhouse, but the Jayhawks went 15-15 in the Big 12 during the regular season and finished over .500 in league play for the second time in the past nine seasons. It was the second time. They are the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, which begins Tuesday morning.
Brooks broke his hand in late April and hasn’t played since, so his position adjustments are on hold for now. In fact, we called Fitzgerald right after Brooks was injured and thought we’d share this story even in Brooks’ absence. Because at SIS, we are interested in anything that is motivated by the pursuit of defensive excellence.
The tactic originated at Dallas Baptist University, where Fitzgerald worked with head coach Dan Heefner, pitching coach Wes Johnson (former Twins pitching coach and current head coach at Georgia), and Josh Hopper (now Pirates). This goes back to the days when he was coaching with the pitching coordinator (Pitching Coordinator).
Fitzgerald also noted that LSU did something similar with center infielders Jordan Thompson and Gavin Dugas and third baseman Tommy White last year, primarily to protect Dugas’ arm as he returned from a dislocated shoulder.
It’s no surprise that the directory on Kansas State’s website doesn’t list anyone by specific position. Those who play infield positions are simply listed as “INF.”
“Once we recruit them, they come in and we’re going to train them,” Fitzgerald said. “Then we’ll figure out where they should play.”
One aspect of training is your main infield practice, where you practice taking ground balls all over the diamond, multiple times a week if you’re a right-handed infielder.
“If you saw us doing infield work, you’d think, ‘Hey, these guys have never played the position,'” Fitzgerald said. “If you ask our players, they’ll say they’re infielders. They don’t say, ‘I’m a shortstop,’ or ‘I’m a second baseman.’ I think they all think of themselves as combo guards. ”
The innovations are not limited to infield defense. Fitzgerald is considering playing a four-man outfield, but he thinks the outfield is good enough that there’s no need for that. One recent unusual decision was that a few weeks ago he instructed one pitcher to throw sidearm. The pitcher is already ready for the game.
Within the roster itself, not much is said about the strategic approach.
“It’s interesting, but I don’t care,” Brooks said. “I’ve had players on other teams ask me what’s going on here, why would you do that?” Coach Fitts wouldn’t elaborate on why he did it. But I think he probably trusted me and knew I could do it. He’s more responsive at third base, but if his reaction time is really good, there’s nothing wrong with playing him in the middle.
I don’t think anyone cares what’s going on if we’re winning. ”
There are no defensive run numbers to share at the college level (and the sample size of affected plays was small compared to the rest of the season), but Kansas’ overall defense and pitching were both has been significantly improved. 2023. The Jayhawks went from averaging 8.6 points per game in the Big 12 last year to 5.5 points per game in 2024.
If you’re wondering if MLB will ever implement this, it’s not happening. There is no no-shift rule in the NCAAA. However, MLB’s new no-shift rule that went into effect last season prohibits this, and the memo specifically states that “infielders may not change sides.” In other words, teams can’t relocate their best defenders to the infield where batters are more likely to hit the ball. ”
Even if Fitzgerald doesn’t use the strategy again this year, he believes it worked and is worth implementing in the future.
“I’m working on it, dude,” Fitzgerald said. “I wish we had been bolder and done it sooner, because I think it makes sense.”
