Switch Pitching 101

Austin Stuber  Austin Stuber (photo Katelyn Olvera) Hometown: Clearfield, Iowa Lenox High School, Lenox, Iowa Exercise Science major  (Class of 2015) Missouri Valley College (MVC) - Vikings Marshall, MO Formerly a pitcher at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa Positions:  Pitcher, SS, 3B Throws: Both (Ambidextrous) Velocity: RHP 88 mph; LHP 82 mph Glove: Akadema six-finger glove (see photo) How Austin Stuber got started throwing with both arms: Stuber began pitching in sixth grade as a right-hander, but taught himself to throw left-handed in seventh grade to set himself apart from other pitchers. He spent hours everyday throwing fungo balls, practice balls, at a propane tank behind his house; working on his velocity and movement. “I wasn’t coached a lot in high school. I learned to pitch mostly from my dad and from instructional DVDs.”   (source: Chase Burgess, mvcdelta.com) Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament Austin Stu

split finger fastball grip A  splitter  (or split finger fastball) is thrown in basically the same way as a fastball -- using the same arm action, and arm speed. The main difference in the grip. With a splitter grip, you want to split the seam, hold the baseball deeper in the hand, and throw it with a slightly stiffer wrist. It also helps to have bigger hands, which it why this pitch typically works better for older, more advanced pitchers. - Steven Ellis  How To Throw Splitter  - The Complete Pitcher Splitfinger and Forkball Pitches Mike Scott talking about the differences between a splitfinger fastball and a forkball. .. Koji Uehara has a great Splitter Koji Uehara  2013 Highlights - YouTube .. Koji Uehara's  Unhittable  Splitter  - Baseball Analytics Blog ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Is there an ambidextrous pitcher who can throw a splitter? Switch Pitcher Henry Knight learned t

Both Handed Pitcher = Ambidextrous Pitcher Switch pitcher Pat Venditte plays in the minor league  In  baseball , a switch  pitcher or  both-handed pitcher  is an ambidextrous  pitcher  who is able to pitch with  both   the right and left  hand  from the  pitcher's  mound. Baseball roster abbreviations LHP - Left-Handed Pitcher RHP - Right-Handed Pitcher BHP - Both-Handed Pitcher As a pitching coach, I prefer these abbreviations: LHP/RHP - starter left-handed, reliever right-handed RHP/LHP - starter right-handed, reliever left-handed Pat Venditte is a Both-Handed Pitcher (BHP)  in the minor leagues with the NY Yankees. He pitched left-handed for Italy in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Aubrey McCarty is a BHP at Vanderbilt University. He was drafted out of high school by the SF Giants in 2013, but decided to play college baseball. Henry Knight is a switch pitcher and switch hitter at Franklin High School in Seattle. Knight switch pitched 11 inni

Left-hander Jamie Moyer pitched in the big leagues for 25 years - winning  269 games.  Moyer was known for his command of the strikezone and his 80 mph fastball. Pitches: fastball, curveball, changeup, and cutter. Try these strategies of MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer Focus on the moment  Control the tempo, relax and make one pitch at a time Don't let anybody outwork you It's a mental game -  read Harvey Dorfman's books Keep a notebook to track your progress Learn from the best Share your knowledge with others Give something back to the community 5 Pitching Strategies From Jamie Moyer You Are Your Own Pitching Coach Challenge Yourself To Get Better Every Day Pitch Aggressively To Both Sides Of The Plate Always Look For Weaknesses In Hitters' Swings Throw Your Fastball At Different Pitching Speeds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. The Mental ABC's of Pitching by H.A. Dorfman The Mental Game of Baseb

Tommy John Surgery for Pitchers Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Surgery What is Tommy John Surgery? Tommy John surgery consists of replacing the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow with a tendon from somewhere else in the body, most often the forearm. During surgery, holes are drilled in the ulna and humerus bones at the elbow and a tendon is woven in a figure-eight pattern through the holes. History of Tommy John Surgery When surgeon Frank Jobe, MD, performed the first UCL reconstruction on Tommy John in 1974, he thought the pitcher only had a 1 in 100 chance of resuming his career with the Dodgers.  ( webMD ) But John returned to the Major Leagues in 1976. He pitched for another 14 years and won 164 more games. Now, Tommy John surgery has a success rate of about 85% according to Dr. James Andrews. How long does it take to recover from Tommy John Surgery? Tommy John surgery takes about an hour on the operating tabl

Recommended reading about the game of baseball In the past ten years, I have read dozens of baseball books, and have 100+ in my collection -- some read twice. Links are to Amazon for reviews and pricing. Have fun reading! Pitching The Art of Pitching by Tom Seaver The Art & Science of Pitching by Tom House, Gary Heil, and Steve Johnson The Picture Perfect Pitcher  by Tom House and Paul Reddick Pitch Like a Pro : A guide for Young Pitchers and their Coaches, Little League through High School  by Jim Rosenthal and Leo Mazzone The Mental ABC's of Pitching : A Handbook for Performance Enhancement  by H.A. Dorfman Hacking the Kinetic Chain   The complete Guide to Developing High Velocity Pitchers by Kyle Boddy - Driveline Baseball ( Watch the video ) Hitting Don Mattingly's Hitting Is Simple: The ABC's of Batting .300  by Don Mattingly and Jim Rosenthal The Science of Hitting  by Ted Williams The Mental Keys to Hitting