Matt Brunnig
Hometown: Deland, FloridaHigh 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, guaranteeing balance in the development of the muscles on both his right and left sides.
John said he worked on his son's switch-pitching for two reasons: to keep Matt's body in as perfect balance as possible; and because he would be coveted by major-league teams.
Throwing the Heat
At Harvard, he threw 87-90 miles per hour from the right side and about 85 from the left.
“Right handed, I’m more of a power pitcher,” Brunnig says. “As of now, I’m a fastball pitcher—fastball, slider, forkball or splitter and a little curve. Left handed, I use more movement…[and] try to spot it a little more.” (The Harvard Crimson)
He never threw with both arms in the same game, but he was 2 starters in one. He threw each start entirely with the same arm, and on a different start on a different day he would use a different arm. Maybe that was because he didn't use a 6 fingered glove. He used separate gloves for each hand, and never switched sides in the middle of a game.
Career Notes:
6-foot-7 switch-pitcher Matt Brunnig went 4-3 with a 3.55 earned-run average for Harvard during his freshman season in 2003.
"What are the cost/benefits of ambidextrous baseball pitching at the college level?" - Answer from Matt Brunnig , ambidextrous pitcher at Harvard
Pros:It's a cool talent to have and it will help market your name.It's great to have another hand to turn to if you can play outfield.Lefty's have better curveballs...even when they're also righties. Cons:It is a lot more work, if you aren't willing to put the time in don't try it.It is more stress on the back, sometimes my back got sore after pitching lefty.Getting a soft throw touch with the alternate hand is difficult, I would try to actively develop that if I could do it again.
Ambidextrous Harvard Pitcher Brunnig a Double Threat to Hitters ...
Pretty Fly for a Shy Guy - The Harvard Crimson
Switch-pitcher seeks team glory while avoiding the spotlight
Injuries Leave Baseball With Arms Tied Behind Back - The Harvard Crimson, Feb 25, 2004
No gimmick: Floridian is two pitchers in one - St. Petersburg Times
A real double threat: Harvard's Brunnig is two good - The Milford Daily News
Matt Brunnig Statistics (2003-2006) - The Baseball Cube
11-9 record with a 4.83 ERA over 42 games pitched
High School Stats: 15-3 for Warner Christian
Matt Brunnig, the ambidextrous pitcher who was 15-3 for Warner Christian, was at one point hopeful of being drafted in the first 10 rounds, but interest waned as Brunnig dealt with soreness in his right arm. He now appears to be ticketed for Harvard and college ball.
"I threw a lot of innings this year [98 right-handed], and I just didn't have the velocity the last few starts," Brunnig said Monday after missing a scheduled start for the Central Florida Renegades summer team.
Hotshot Pitcher is a Righty and a Lefty
Matt Brunnigq, A Senior Star for Warner Christian, is Attracting Major League Scouts.
April 25, 2002 | By Buddy Collings, Orlando Sentinel
DELAND -- Matt Brunnig was a novelty in the DeLand Little League when he was able to pitch with either arm.
A decade later, he's still doing it. And the buzz about the home-schooled Florida boy who can throw more than 80 mph from either side is bouncing around college and pro baseball dugouts from Daytona Beach to Seattle.
runnig, who leads Central Florida in pitching wins (12-2) and strikeouts (139) for Class A state championship contender Warner Christian, caught the eyes of scouts in fall ball when he played with an 18-and-under traveling-team league, the Central Florida Renegades. That exposure coincided with a growth spurt and added velocity. Brunnig, 18, said he has been contacted by 18 major-league teams.
"This kid's the real deal," said Frank Viola, a 15-year major-league pitcher and 1988 Cy Young Award winner who now coaches Lake Highland Prep. "He's got the big-time, tall, lanky body, great arm speed. He might be just a hair under a Zack Greinke [of Apopka], if at all. And he's a great kid to boot. The interesting thing is going to be seeing which arm he makes his money with."
Read More
Baseball Notebook, By Chase Goodbread, May 14, 2002
Daytona Beach Warner Christian pitcher Matt Brunnig, who threw last night against St. Petersburg Northside Christian in a Class A semifinal, can pitch effectively with either arm.
The 6-foot-6 Brunnig has approached 90 mph with his right-handed fastball, and regularly reaches the low 80s with his fastball from the left side.
He leads Central Florida in wins (12) and strikeouts (123), is unbeaten with his right arm (10-0), and carries a 2.45 ERA with his left arm.
Former Twins pitcher Frank Viola, now a coach at Orlando Lake Highland Prep, told the Orlando Sentinel: "The interesting thing is going to be seeing which arm he makes his money with."
Brunnig has been projected to go in the top 20 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft next month.
Source: Jacksonville.com
1932 New York Yankees, No. 4 Lou Gehrig » Oldtime Baseball Game
Baseball in Europe
Namur Angels, Merchtem Cats bolster Rosters, Europe gets a Switch Pitcher
June 10, 2008, mister-baseball.com
Trying to make a push towards the playoffs the Namur Angels have added outfielder/pitcher Matt Brunnig to help out for a month. He went 2-for-4 in his debut last Saturday and is expected to join the bullpen next weekend. He spent four seasons at Harvard University (NCAA Division I) between 2003 and 2006. He had a 12-9 record with an ERA of 4.78 in 43 games (18 starts). He struck out 93 batters in 133 2/3 innings, walking 44.
Brunnig is an ambidextrous pitcher and can throw from either the left or the right side. Even though he brought both gloves with him he is likely only going to pitch right-handed in regular games. He played together with Trey Hendricks in Harvard, who is currently playing in the German Baseball-Bundesliga for the Saarlouis Hornets.
Best Batter: Matt Brunnig. Usually known for his pitching abilities as a switch pitcher, the Harvard graduate had quite an impact on the Namur team, although he didn’t play that much. He went 9-for-22 with two triples, three doubles, five runs and six RBI.
Read more2010 in Review – Belgian First Division – Namur Angels
Best Batter: Matt Brunnig. Usually known for his pitching abilities as a switch pitcher, the Harvard graduate had quite an impact on the Namur team, although he didn’t play that much. He went 9-for-22 with two triples, three doubles, five runs and six RBI.
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Namur Angels Baseball | Facebook
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