Skip to main content

Switch Pitcher Facts for Dummies

Information about ambidextrous pitchers
- learn about switch pitchers from Little League to the MLB





Did you know?

   The majority of ambidextrous throwers are naturally right-handed.

   Pat Venditte is not an amphibious pitcher.
view tweet

Who's Who of Ambidextrous Pitchers

Pros
- Sidearm ambidextrous pitcher in the MLB for the Oakland Athletics
- spent seven years in the minors with the NY Yankees 
- pitched for Creighton University Bluejays
- started throwing with both arms when he was 3-years-old
- first ambidextrous pitcher to throw 90+ mph with both arms
- drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2015
- dominant switch pitcher for Judson University
- Montreal Expos RHP, threw one inning with both arms in an MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds in 1995
- Harris donated his custom Mizuno six-fingered glove to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Tony Mullane - The Count
- Mullane was baseball's first ambidextrous pitcher and a talented ballplayer who played every position in the field except catcher
- The Count won 30 games in five consecutive seasons


College
- relief switch pitcher for the Vanderbilt Commodores
- natural lefty who learned how to throw right-handed
- rodeo background caused him to use his right hand
- switch pitcher for Creighton University Bluejays (redshirt in 2015)
- played for the Neptune Beach Pearl team in college summer ball


High School
- 12:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (4 years on varsity)
- switch pitched in 11 inning game, using only 11 pitches/inning
- throws 6 pitches for strikes with each arm
- switch hitter with a .500 BA 


Little League


Angel Macias, Monterrey, Mexico
Macias pitched a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series. 

..


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pitchers Glove Rules - Size and Color

What are the rules on a pitchers glove? According to the official baseball rules, a pitchers glove can be up to 12 inches in size , of any weight , and any color except white or gray as long as it is not distracting.  The Akadema ABX-00 glove, pictured above, is 12 inches,  solid black and is not distracting according to local umpires. Little League Rules Gray glove is not allowed for pitching  White glove is not allowed for pitching Little League Rule 1.14: Each fielder, other than the first baseman and the catcher may wear a glove not more than 12 inches long nor more than 7 3/4 inches wide, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the glove. The glove may be of any weight. Little League Rule  1.15 (a) : The pitcher's glove may not, exclusive of the piping, be white or light gray, nor, in the judgment of an umpire, distracting in any manner. (source: Little League Baseball Rules Regarding Bats and Gloves ) Off
Post a Comment
Read more

Fastball Velocity - How fast do kids throw?

How fast does a Little League pitcher throw? The average fastball is between 50-60 mph for a  pitcher in the Majors division of Little League (11-13 yo). Pitchers in the Little League World Series throw fastballs 60-70+ mph. Only a few pitchers touched 70+ mph in 2015 and 2016. One man-child hit 81 mph on the radar. This velocity is almost unhittable from 46 feet  and extremely rare for a 13 year old. #18 RHP Carlos Gonzalez - Panama 79-81 mph fastball  105 mph MLB equivalent reaction time #18 RHP Jaekyeong Kim - South Korea 75-76 mph fastball #19 RHP Ryan Harlost - Mid-Atlantic, Endwell, NY 71-74 mph fastball Threw a complete game to win the 2016 Little League World Series Loreto Siniscalchi , a 6'1" pitcher from Canada, threw in the mid 70s and completely dominated the hitters from Japan.  He led Team Canada to its first victory over Japan in 18 years. Big right-hander Isaiah Head from Kentucky threw 70-73 mph fastballs. His record was 3-0, 12 I
Post a Comment
Read more

Baseball Glove Options for Switch Pitchers

Custom made  Mizuno ambidextrous glove Looking for a glove for a switch pitcher? Before spending hundreds of dollars on a custom glove, please think about age of the player and how much time they will spend pitching. Here are glove options for ambidextrous pitchers, based on age: Age 3-5 Kids don't pitch at this age. They should be learning the proper way to throw. Young kids should try catching the ball with two hands. Use tennis balls or foam balls for throwing. Forget about the low quality plastic glove - it's in the landfill within a year. Gloves are awkward for young kids. If they learn two hand catch when they are young and continue with the skill, they will do well fielding balls when they are older. Learning to throw with both arms is easy at this stage. If a child can throw with either hand when they are three-years-old, it doesn't mean that they are talented or ambidextrous - it just means that they are a typical kid. Gloves:  Buy a small leath
7 comments
Read more