Switch Pitching 101

Hitting a baseball is difficult to do. Switch hitting is even tougher to do well, but can be learned with regular practice. When I was researching switch pitchers, I noticed that several started out switch hitting at a young age. Switch hitters have the potential to learn switch pitching by using their leg stride and hip rotation. Here are examples of switch hitters who learned how to switch pitch: Matt Brunnig - Harvard Matt Brunnig who pitched for Harvard University, started out as a switch hitter and a learned to throw with both arms when he was only six-years-old. His dad was a chiropractor and wanted his son Matt to have muscle balance on both sides. Read more about Matt Brunnig Henry Knight - Seattle Henry started switch hitting in games when he was only five-years-old. He could hit well from either side of the plate since he practiced swinging right- and left-handed. Playing in a coach pitch division - he could rely on his dad to throw "meatballs" over the ...

8.01 Legal pitching delivery. There are two legal pitching positions, the Windup Position and the Set Position, and either position may be used at any time. Read more 8.01 (f) , regarding ambidextrous pitchers A pitcher must indicate visually to the umpire-in-chief, the batter and any runners the hand with which he intends to pitch, which may be done by wearing his glove on the other hand while touching the pitcher's plate. The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for by a pinch-hitter or the pitcher incurs an injury. In the event a pitcher switches pitching hands during an at-bat because he has suffered an injury, the pitcher may not, for the remainder of the game, pitch with the hand from which he has switched. The pitcher shall not be given the opportunity to throw any preparatory pitches after switching pitching hands. Any change of pitching hands must be...

March 30, 2010 Yankees' ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte pulls switcheroo Pat Venditte showed off his ambidextrous talents for the New York Yankees on Tuesday, giving up one run in 1-1/3 innings during a 9-6 split-squad loss to the Atlanta Braves. KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Pat Venditte can see why he's such a curiosity. It's not every day that a pitcher throws with both arms. Venditte showed off his ambidextrous talents for the New York Yankees on Tuesday, giving up one run in 1-1/3 innings during a 9-6 split-squad loss to the Atlanta Braves. (source: The Seattle Times ) Read article Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte delivers thrill for New York Yankees LAKE BUENA VISTA ,  Fla.  - After CC Sabathia left Tuesday's game against the Braves, he sat on the bench to watch the young lefthander who had replaced him in the fifth inning.  But when  Pat Venditte  threw his first pitch to Yunel Escobar, he did so with his right hand. "It freaked me out a litt...

Videos of switch pitcher Pat Venditte including interviews and game highlights. Published on Sep 16, 2013   Watch this video to get a first-hand look at Venditte's six-fingered glove with two thumb holes. As the only active ambidextrous pitcher in professional baseball, Pat Venditte has spent the last six seasons in the Yankees  E:60 Pat Venditte - ESPN Video Pat Venditte has been pitching with his left and right hand since the age of 3. At the time of the interview, Venditte was a minor leaguer for the Charleston RiverDogs, and he is a New York Yankees prospect. Switch Hitter VS Switch Pitcher Pat Venditte June 19, 2008 Staten Island Yankees @ Brooklyn Cyclones botton 9th - switch pitching reliever Pat Venditte faces a switch-hitter. The umpires apparently did not understand the rules before the game started. This matchup was the origin of the "Pat Venditte Rule." Ralph Henriquez, the switch hitter, struck out on a big sweeping curve ball by Venditte. ...

According to The Associated Press,  Pat Venditte  is Major League Baseball’s  only ambidextrous pitcher , and he will play in his first major league spring training game on Tuesday, March 30th, in a split-squad game against the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year-old Venditte is equipped with a custom six-finger glove for throwing with either arm. In 2008, Venditte was a 20th-round draft pick. Last season, in the minor leagues, he went a combined 4-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 22 saves. Venditte became famous after his first minor league game when he faced off with switch-hitter Ralph Henriquez of the Brooklyn Cyclones.  Venditte and Henriquez played a game of cat and mouse, with Henriquez switching sides of the plate every time Venditte switched his specially designed glove from his left hand to the right, as  he was preparing to pitch from the same side the hitter chose.  The umpires stepped in, restoring order by requiring the pitcher to decide the h...

Please respect the umpires. After all they are human. Here are some ideas to help the umpires do a great job: Coaches meeting with the Umpire Let the umpire know before the game that you have a switch pitcher who is planning to use both arms during the game. Check to make sure the umpires know the rules regarding switch pitching.  Going Over Ground Rules with the Umpire - video Game Balls Provide the plate umpire with new games balls before the start of the game. Have some kids retrieving foul balls. Trade candy for returned game balls - it works. Keeping Score Have your official score keeper communicate with the umpire before and during the game as needed to keep things straight. It's nice to have two reliable score keepers available in the stands, so one can take a break if needed. Tracking the pitch count  Note that the pitch count is still the same for every player - switch pitchers don't get to throw twice as many pitches as a regular pitcher.  ...

Matt Brunnig Hometown:  Deland, Florida High School: Home schooled College: Harvard University (Class of 2006) Played for coach Joe Walsh Positions:  RHP / LHP Bats:  Switch hitter Throws:  Both, ambidextrous Dominant Hand: Matt is a natural right-hander who learned to throw with both arms when he was 6-years-old. Brunnig was called "Freak" by his Harvard teammates. His dad was a chiropractor who wanted his son to avoid back problems. The oldest of six children, he was home-schooled by his mother, Sarah, from kindergarten through high school. How he got started: A natural right-hander, Brunnig honed his lefty skills at age 6 with help from his father, John, who's a chiropractor. "He didn't want me to overly develop my body muscles on one side," Brunnig said. Worried about his son’s back and the strain that comes with exerting such force with just one arm, John Brunnig insisted that young Matt learn to throw both ways, guarantee...

What happens when an ambidextrous pitcher faces off against a switch-hitting batter? Henry Knight, ambidextrous pitcher - Columbia City Reds The "Venditte Rule" With Venditte able to throw with either arm, he will have to declare whether he will pitch right-handed or left-handed at the start of each at-bat. Venditte won't be allowed to routinely change arms like he once could. A minor-league confrontation with a switch hitter led to the "Venditte Rule." - Alex Schiffer,  NJ.com 2015 Official Baseball Rule 5.07(f)  (formerly 2014 OBR 8.01(f)) covers this situation: A pitcher must indicate visually to the umpire-in-chief, the batter and any runners the hand with which he intends to pitch, which may be done by wearing his glove on the other hand while touching the pitcher's plate. The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for b...