Switch Pitching 101

Pitching to contact works! For switch pitcher, Henry Knight , pitching to contact worked well in the 14U Koufax league -- as long as the defense was ready to make the plays. The key strategy for the pitcher was to keep the ball down in the strike zone to induce ground balls or popups and let the fielders make the outs. The movement of two seam fastball worked well, along with a circle change-up -- to keep hitters off balance and induce easy outs. During the 2012 Dow Memorial Day Tournament, Knight threw 45 pitches over five innings -- to win a  ten-inning  championship game under the lights. That's an average of nine pitches per inning, thanks to the solid defense by the Columbia City Reds team. Knight pitched 11 innings in one game, throwing 94 strikes, and averaged 11 pitches per inning by pitching to contact. In college baseball, the #1 starting pitcher for the UW Huskies team -  Aaron West - said that he throws the ball low in the strike zo...

The Mental Side of Switch Pitching Pat Venditte is blazing a trail for switch pitchers. There is nobody like him in the pros. He has a great attitude and is a very hard worker. Attitude: - be positive - hustle - strong work ethic - learm from mistakes - be a team player - learn something daily - thank your coaches Approach: - first pitch strike - focus on one pitch at a time - make adjustments - rely on fielders to make plays Fun: - have fun playing the game - enjoy your teammates - relax, it's only a game - show other players your ambidextrous glove Hecklers: You will be called the "Freak" and other names. Ignore them the best you can. Try wearing ear plugs - just kidding. Be nice and smile. Answer any questions people may ask. Q & A: People will naturally ask questions like: Why do you switch pitch?  ( Give an honest answer) Switch pitching is fun and it gives me an advantage. My dad starting me throwing...

Using non-dominant arm extends area baseball players' careers 7:37 p.m. EST, March 29, 2012|By Austin Lyon, Orlando Sentinel On a cold, gloomy November morning, Preston Cronk was moments from a college baseball scholarship when he arrived at North Carolina Wesleyan.  On the 12th pitch of a bullpen session in front of coaches, Cronk threw a fastball and tore a ligament in his right elbow.  He pitched through the pain, but his velocity and control were gone.  Read more Learn more about Preston Cronk ---- A few dedicated ball players started throwing with their non-dominant arm following an injury.  One notable example is Billy Wagner who broke his arm twice playing football with a neighbor - so he started throwing left-handed. Billy Wagner switched from throwing right-handed to left-handed “When I was younger, probably 6, 7, 8 years-old I lived with my grandparents and afternoons I would come home and play hat football . We couldn’t afford a f...

Henry Knight pitching for Franklin High School varsity team as a freshman in 2012 (Photo: Jerry Johnson ) Henry Knight Nickname: "H" Hometown:  Seattle, WA Franklin High School (Class of 2015) Summer Teams: Baseball Beyond Borders 18U   - inaugural season (21-20) Columbia City Reds 16U  (16-8) - 3rd in state, Mickey Mantle Positions:  LHP/RHP, SS/2B, C Bats:  Both (switch hitter) Throws:  Both (ambidextrous) Pitches:  fastball (4-seam & 2-seam), changeup, curveball, cutter, splitter Gloves: Akadema ambidextrous six-finger glove for switch pitching.    Right- and Left-handed fielding gloves.    Right-handed catchers mitt. Other Sports:  Basketball, Golf, Tennis For fun: Snowboarding, Wiffle Ball and  throwing a football with either arm ........................................................................ Henry Knight's Stats, Photos and Videos  >> ............

Angel Macias, ambidextrous pitcher - threw a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series Angel Macias, an ambidextrous pitcher from Mexico, threw a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series. Macias set down all 18 batters, in six innings, from the  Northern La Mesa Little League to win the  Little League World Series. 1957 Little League World Series Newsreel Stock Footage The Perfect Game Movie   TIME Magazine, Monday, Sept. 02, 1957 Ambidextrous Angel By the time they got to Williamsport, Pa. last week, the barnstorming little ballplayers from Monterrey, Mexico were just about worn out. They had beaten their way across country for a month, had played and won eleven games from Texas to Kentucky. Coach  César  Faz  called on his best pitcher, ambidextrous Angel Macias, a twelve-year-old 88-pounder with a fine assortment of curves and sliders, plus a plain, old-fashioned fast ball under discipline...