Switch Pitching 101

Angel Macias, ambidextrous pitcher - threw a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series Ángel Macías Barba Monterrey, Mexico Born:   September 2, 1944 in Aguascalientes Mexico Height:  5' 10",   Weight:  149 lb. Position: LHP/RHP Bats:  Both Throws: Both (Ambidextrous) Ambidextrous pitcher Angel Macias is well known for throwing a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series -- right-handed.  The compelling story of the '57 Monterrey team was made into two feature films, a 1960 picture in Mexico called  Los Pequeños Gigantes  (The Little Giants) and a 2008 film in the United States called  The Perfect Game . On return  to Mexico, the mayor of Monterrey gave the entire Little League team scholarships to high school and college. Macias attended high school, but did not attend college -- opting instead to sign with the Los Angeles Angles.  Macias played as an outfielder for two seasons in the Angles organization and advanced to Class

Profiles of the top ambidextrous pitchers  Class of 2015 Henry Knight  (2015) - Seattle, WA Positions:  LHP/RHP, IF Bats:  Both,  Throws:  Both Pitches:  4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, changeup, curveball, cutter, splitter Henry Knight, ambidextrous pitcher, Seattle As a junior at Franklin High School in Seattle, Henry Knight is a starting infielder and switch pitcher. He served as a closer – right-handed – recording a  0.00 ERA  with no walks.  During the season, Knight picked up  a save for the team  and threw a complete 7-inning game – throwing left- and right-handed . By spotting pitches and changing speeds, he chalked up a  12:1 K/BB ratio . In the summer, he posted a 0.875 ERA as a relief pitcher and closer for the top-ranked Columbia City Reds team. In 2013, Knight  switch pitched 11 innings  in one summer game, averaging 11 pitches per inning, and tallied  94 strikes – in 90 degree heat. Tyler Davis  - a starting pitcher at th

Switch pitcher  Henry Knight   throwing curveballs with both hands.  Watch the arc of the curveball in slow motion. Right-handed Curveballs Knight throwing curveballs right-handed during a bullpen session.  Last year he added the curveball to his repertoire – throwing curves for strikes with both arms. Left-handed Curveballs Knight throwing curveballs left-handed. Watch the pitches in slow motion to see the big arc of the curveball. Popular nicknames for the curveball include "the bender", "the hook," "Uncle Charlie," "yakker," and "Public Enemy No. 1." How to grip and throw a curveball Note about the curveball: Young players tend to fall in love with the curveball and overuse the pitch in games. I suggest that young players focus on proper throwing mechanics first - including throwing a fastball for strikes - before learning to throw a curveball. Henry Knight learned the curveball grip when he was in

Why are Switch Hitters Rare? Find out what coaches say about the decline in switch hitters >> Batting average of a switch hitter What is the highest batting average of a switch hitter in professional baseball? Find the answer here >> Ro Coleman - switch hitter, Vanderbilt Plenty of switch-hitters still getting the job done By  Doug Miller  /  MLB.com   |  June 23, 2014 There's a common thought going around baseball that switch-hitting is a bit of a lost art. Granted, there's no Mickey Mantle or Pete Rose or even a Ripper Collins out there in today's game, but there are plenty of players still getting it done from both sides of the plate. Read more Why has Right-Handed Power Become so Rare? by Dave Cameron | FOX Sports, Dec 3, 2014 Right-handed power. It's the buzzword -- or perhaps the buzzphrase -- of the offseason. Every day, we wake up to news of another team throwing big money at a free agent because he has some history of st

Watch videos of ambidextrous pitchers on YouTube  >> Switch pitcher Henry Knight throwing a bullpen in Seattle. Knight posted a 12:1 strikeout/walk ratio in high school Henry Knight throwing a knuckleball and splitter Henry Knight throwing curveballs left-handed to coach Ron Queen Videos of switch pitchers on YouTube  >> .

Watch a video on how Mariano Rivera threw his cutter The closer Mariano Rivera has confounded hitters with mostly one pitch: his signature cutter. Is there an ambidextrous pitcher who can throw a cutter? Switch Pitcher Henry Knight throws the cutter  – with both arms How Mariano Rivera Dominates Hitters This is a 3-D enabled version of a graphic originally published in 2010. Mariano Rivera is one of the most dominant closers in history. But what may be most remarkable is that he has done it by confounding hitters with mostly one pitch, his signature cutter. Learn to Throw a Cutter like Marian Rivera >> Tyler Davis teaches the cutter  >> ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...