Switch Pitcher Stars in Little Loop Play
The Bridgeport Post, 18 May 1958
Birmingham, Ala. - Switch hitters are no problem for John (Tiger) Timmons. He switch pitches.
The 12-year-old Little League sensation keeps the batters bewildered with his double dealing. And it's no wonder because ambidextrous hurling is a baseball rarity.
Tiger, who likes to go three innings right-handed and then change to southpaw style, even has professional ballplayers and one major league scout guessing which is the natural throwing arm.
Bancroft Timmons says his son's ambidexterity is by no means accidental. He has had Tiger throwing baseball with both hands since he was 2 years old.
Practice was the key to the youngster's phenomenal tactics. Even during cold winter months these sessions continued indoors until Tiger was 8 years old. Pitching inside the Timmons home was stopped then - the walls were getting cracked.
"This boy is a marvel, a surefire major leaguer," said San Francisco Giant Scout Clydell Castleman after a recent visit to the Timmmons home.
Castleman, former Giant hurler, said in amazement:
"I watched him work closely and until this day I don't know whether he's a natural right-hander or left-hander. He's got good control and a good delivery. I think he's a good major league prospect - and what a drawing card."
Tiger is a five-foot, 90-pounder.
Timmons, surprisingly enough, isn't too interested in Tiger's major league prospects. "What he does later on with his baseball is up to him," he added.
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Found on Newspapers.com
John (Tiger) Timmons 12-year-old Little League Switch Pitcher
started throwing with both arms when he was 2.
Followup story ...
Birmingham Youth Is Switch-Pitcher
Gadsden Times - 18 May 1958
Recent publicity about the five-foot 90-ounder made him nervous in last Sunday's opener, and his performance for the Homewood Little League Club was only so-so -- for Tiger. The score was 4-4 after Tiger finished his regulation limit of six inning on the mound.
"That was just the pressure of the big build-up in the newspapers." said Timmons of his son. "He'll have his confidence back Sunday and start winning again."
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Little Leaguers ...
By John Morrissey
The Daily Mail (Hagerstown, Maryland), 17 Jul 1959
Taking a page from the book of Angel Macias, the ambidextrous ace of the 1957 Little League champions from Monterrey, Mexico, John (Tiger) Timmons kept opposing batters bewildered with his double-dealing in a Birmingham, Ala., league last summer.
The 12-year-old Timmons frequently would pitch the first three innings right-handed and then switch to southpaw serving for the rest of the game.
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Sports Salutes by Don Cox
Gadsden Times - Jun 4, 1958
Recent publicity given Birmingham Little League pitcher John (Tiger) Timmons because of his ability to pitch with either had set many a baseball expert to thinking. How often does a "switch-pitcher" come along? How high in baseball can he go flinging his fast ball and curve from both sides?
Off hand I recall one famous major league player and manager who went quite a ways pitching both as a left and right-hander. Strange as it seems he made the big show as a catcher. He is Paul Richards, now field manger and general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
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Note: news articles on Tiger Timmons were note found beyond his brief time in Little League.
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