Switch Pitching Rules - The Pat Venditte Rule

Pat Venditte shows off his Mizuno Ambidextrous Glove

Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte's ability to pitch right- or left-handed prompted a change in the MLB rule book.

At the heart of the new guidelines, for switch pitchers, is the following provision:
The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.

The guidelines also permit both the batter and pitcher to change positions (from right-handed to left-handed or vice versa) once per at-bat.

The Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) released its official rules for dealing with ambidextrous pitchers in July 2008. These guidelines were reached after PBUC staff consulted with a variety of sources, including the Major League Baseball Rules Committee.

The new rules regarding ambidextrous pitchers:

• The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.

• The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any "switch" by either player is allowed.

• After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter's boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again "switch" one time).

• Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire.

• There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.

• If an injury occurs the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.

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Pat Venditte comments on the rule.

BBD: What are your thoughts on the Pat Venditte rule? Is it fair?

PV: I wish it was the other way around where the switch hitters didn’t get the advantage. If the switch hitters had to decide which side they would hit from before the at bat instead of vice versa, that would have been really helpful. It would be a huge advantage to be able to face those switch hitters as right handers, but it is what it is and I’ve been working through it. The rule has been in place for a long time now though and I will continue to do my best to work around it.

BBD Interview with Pat Venditte April 25, 2012

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2015 Official Baseball Rule 5.07(f) (formerly 2014 OBR 8.01(f))
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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

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

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

DanAxtellJune 13, 2018
July 3, 2018 is the 10th anniversary of the Pat Venditte Rule 5.07(f). It's clear now that switch pitching does not give a strong advantage to the pitcher, but it does add interest to the game, reduce repetitive use of one arm, and let a pitcher continue to play if one arm is injured. I'd like to see the rule turned around to prevent the switch hitter from switching during plate appearances.

I'd also like to see the high school rule change to limit the pitch count only for each arm. The rule currently limits the total pitch count, and switch pitchers get much less accumulated strain. It doesn't make sense and it doesn't reward the admirable athleticism of switch pitchers.

Rewarding switch pitching would add interest and athleticism (and probably viewership) to baseball. The question is, "How do we convince MLB to see the light?" If someone starts a Change.org petition, I'll certainly sign it. Coach Knight, maybe you can weigh in on the issue, since you have expertise and credibility on the subject.

Switch Pitching 101

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