Switch Pitching 101

Long toss is a systematic throwing routine Jaeger Sports Jaeger Sports is well know for their long toss program.    Throwing is a lost art. Throwing isn't something that we should do "just" to get our arms loose. The key to a good throwing program is learning how to listen or "follow" your arm.  Read more     Long Toss Step by Step     Throwing Programs of Elite Pitchers Crossover Pre-Season Throwing Program The ultimate goal of the Crossover Symmetry throwing program is to maintain arm health while building a strong  foundation in the pre-season. Long Toss - TheCompletePitcher.com Long toss  throwing program for high school  pitchers Articles The Facts Behind   Long Toss By Kyle Boddy, Driveline Baseball Long toss has become a hotly-debated topic as it pertains to training baseball pitchers and position players alike. Popularized by Alan Jaeger, recent proponents of “extreme” long toss include 2011 MLB draft standouts  Trev

Pat Venditte wasn't the first ambidextrous pitcher to sign with the Athletics Found on Newspapers.com

Henry Knight , switch pitcher, had a 12:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in high school Ambidextrous pitchers are extremely rare in high school baseball. One in A Million In the USA, the chance of meeting a high school  ambidextrous pitcher is 1 in a million.*  For comparison... What are the odds of getting struck by lightning? The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the U.S. in any one year is 1 in 700,000 . The odds of being struck in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000.  (source:  nationalgeographic.com ) How many switch pitchers are playing high school baseball? It's tricky to come up with an exact number of high school switch pitchers in the USA, but based on news reports in the past five years I came up with a rough estimate. The ratio is about ... 1 ambidextrous pitcher per 22,500 HS players Note: This estimate is based on verified information from reliable sources, including news channels, newspapers, coaches,  recruiting networks, Perfect Game, and 

Little League ambidextrous pitcher Phillip Ernst is naturally left-handed, but has the ability to pitch with both arms. He is also a switch hitter , like other ambidextrous players. Phillip Ernst, 12 year-old Ambidextrous Pitcher   (Source: KFVS 12) Phillip Ernst Perryville, MO Positions: LHP/RHP Bats: Switch Throws: Both (ambidextrous) Gloves:  uses two gloves to pitch right- or left-handed. He leaves one glove on the backside of the mound when pitching. Ambidextrous pitcher keeps batters guessing By Justin Hotop | Perryville News Phillip’s baseball team is low on kids who can pitch for the year, so the team gets a boost in the fact that he can pitch with both arms. “The team really needed more pitchers this year,” she said.  “Pitchers are only allowed 75 pitches per game but  he is able to throw 150 with both hands .  “It has really helped the team out when they need someone to come in and pitch a few innings. Note about Pitch Counts:  Little League

12yo ambidextrous pitcher Congrats to Joe on making the 12yo - 2015 RHLL All Stars Rolling Hills Little League in California Watch Joe strike out two batters - throwing right and left handed from the stretch.

How much does a pro switch pitcher get paid? As a relief pitcher, Pat Venditte earns ... 383,333 USD (2015) Pat Venditte, Salary source: Google Relief Pitchers for the Athletics are paid a base salary of  $507,500 in 2015. Shouldn't Venditte, who throws with both arms, be paid a higher salary? Baseball salaries for 2015 A look at the salaries of every MLB baseball player for 2015, which can be searched, sorted and aggregated by team, division, league, age and position.  Read more .

Reason to pitch inside: - make the batter uncomfortable - expand the strike zone - keep the batter guessing - miss the barrel of the bat High school batters tend to pull slow inside pitches foul and get jammed by fastballs thrown up and inside. They have trouble timing the inside pitch since 70% of pitches are thrown middle-away. Pitching inside makes hitters uncomfortable in the box. Most players are afraid to get hit by a pitch, especially the high fastball. Perry Husband states that pitching inside adds to the effective velocity of the pitch - the pitch is perceived as being faster. He says that low and away is easier to hit than a pitch up and inside. Here is one person's view on pitching inside: "I believe you pitch inside to protect the outer half.  You must pitch IN so you can pitch away.  You are basically using your FB in to proctect your FB away. I think of it like this. If you and I ate dinner next to each other every night

The pitch count in Little League is the same for each pitcher. The pitch count doesn't change if you can throw with both arms. As an ambidextrous pitcher, you don't get double the pitches per game as some people assume. Many youth pitchers actually experience leg or glove-side fatigue before they reach their pitch limit. They try to make throwing adjustments to get the ball over the plate - often causing arm strain. If your legs are tired or you're pitching slower, then it's time to take a break. Let someone else get a chance to pitch. Note in the news article below that a parent of a 12-year-old switch pitcher thinks that her son can throw 150 pitches in a game. Yikes! Ambidextrous pitcher keeps batters guessing By Justin Hotop | Perryville News Phillip’s baseball team is low on kids who can pitch for the year, so the team gets a boost in the fact that he can pitch with both arms. “The team really needed more pitchers this year,” she said.  “Pitche

Did you know that there are ambidextrous pitchers at all levels of baseball? Here are a few active switch pitchers ... Pro Baseball Pat Venditte, Oakland Athletics, Major Leagues Ryan Perez, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Minor Leagues College Baseball Marcus Garcia, Sierra College Aubrey McCarty, Vanderbilt University Alex Trautner, Creighton University High School Baseball Kristofer Armstrong, The Benjamin School, Jupiter, Florida Tyler Hopman, Old Bridge HS, New Jersey Carter Kieboom, Marietta, Georgia Henry Knight, Franklin HS, Seattle, Washington J.T. McDonnell, San Marino HS, California Joe Santoro, Carmel Catholic HS, Illinois James Touchton, Central Magnet HS, Murfreesboro, Tennessee Youth Leagues Most ambidextrous pitchers start throwing both ways before they are 10 years old and some start as early as age 3, like Pat Venditte. See  Ambidextrous pitcher in the  Little League  World Series Phillip Ernst , Perryville, Missouri Joe Lach

Pat Venditte now throws sidearms from both sides and is having success in the minors and big leagues. Henry Knight pitching sidearm in summer ball Henry Knight started pitching sidearm only two weeks before the summer season and quickly experienced success in games. In his second game he threw 60 pitches in 6 innings and the defense got a lot of action – fielding weak grounders and pop ups. The team won 8-2 and it was fun to watch.  In two tournaments, Henry  averaged 12 pitches per inning as a sidearmer – throwing 73% strikes. He closed out a three consecutive games with a win and two saves. Here are examples of a few successful sidearmers ... UCLA’s David Berg Was Once An Afterthought   By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR. Editor/Collegiate Baseball LOS ANGELES — UCLA’s David Berg is on course to be the greatest closer in college baseball history.  The 6-foot, 194-pound right-handed sidearm pitcher has put up staggering numbers since his freshman year for the Bruins.

Ryan Perez BHP,  Scrappers Ambidextrous pitcher Ryan Perez recently signed with the Cleveland Indians and made his minor league debut at Dwyer Stadium with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers vs Batavia Muckdogs on 22 June 2015.  The Scrappers, from the  New York-Penn League,  had 17 hits and won 15-11 ( box score ).  Perez faced 7 batters in 1.1 IP in his first outing in the minors. He gave up 3 runs, including a homer, and struck out 3 with no walks.  Perez threw 27 pitches with 16 strikes (59%). He uses a custom-made six finger glove from Mizuno. Switch-pitching Scrapper Perez makes pro debut By  Chad Krispinsky Published:  June 22, 2015, NILES, Ohio (WKBN) – Earlier this baseball season, Oakland’s Pat Venditte became just the second major-leaguer to pitch with both arms in a game.  The Indians hope that 12th round pick and current Scrapper Ryan Perez will follow suit someday as a switch-pitcher.  Perez tops out at 94 miles per hour from the left side, and 93 mph from th