Skip to main content

Switch pitcher news

Recent stories about Ambidextrous Pitchers

Ryan Perez
Judson University, Illinois
Collegiate League: Cape Cod League

An Ambidextrous pitcher wows Cape Cod League

by Eric Olson, AP Sports Writer | Aug 3, 2014

Ryan Perez might look back someday and say having Tommy John surgery on his right arm was the best thing that could have happened to his left.

That's right, his left.

The 20-year-old from tiny Judson University in Illinois is one of baseball's rare ambidextrous pitchers. He's been all the rage in the prestigious Cape Cod League since he touched the low 90s on the radar gun — with both arms — in last week's All-Star game.
He came on in the third inning and struck out the first batter left-handed, the second right-handed and the third left-handed.
Read more 


One awesome All-Star Game

by Ted Pappas | Aug 1, 2014
Perez, who was named the West MVP, pitched a perfect three up, three down frame, striking out the side from both sides of the rubber, clocking a 90-91 throw from the right, and a 93 from the left. He didn’t stop there, as the ambidextrous hurler also lobbed a nasty breaking slurve (sliding curve) that broke in on the hitter at 80 mph.
Perez came into the game with a pedestrian ERA of 2.05 across 26.1 innings pitched, albeit with an impressive 38 strikeouts. His electric inning not only clinched the MVP award, but also drew quite a bit of attention at the League’s biggest outing.
......................................

Pat Venditte
Minor League

Venditte tallies first win with scoreless relief | MLB.com
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com, 20 March 2015



SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Athletics switch-pitcher Pat Venditte earned his first Cactus League win with two scoreless innings in a 3-2 victory over the Rockies on Friday at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Venditte gave up one hit, struck out one and walked one.

His MLB goals intact, ex-Creighton pitcher Pat Venditte is no novelty act

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre General Manager Rob Crain can always tell when Pat Venditte is stirring in the RailRiders’ bullpen.
“We have a bridge that goes over the top of our bullpens,” Crain said. “Every time that Pat starts to warm up, you’ll see a throng of people make their way over there.
“He’ll start throwing lefty, then righty and then lefty again. Our fans love it. They think it’s great.”
The former Creighton standout, professional baseball’s only ambidextrous pitcher, is used to the commotion after seven seasons in the New York Yankees’ organization.

......................................

Alex Trautner Chooses Creighton

By: Trevor Hampton 
June 30, 2014
Alexander Trautner, a 6-foot-3, 210 pound ambidextrous pitcher from San Ramon Valley High School has committed to the Creighton University Bluejays’ D1 baseball program out of Omaha, Nebraska.
Trautner had garnered interest from Kansas, Hawaii, and Utah Valley among other D1 baseball programs.  However, Creighton University had special interest in him because of his unique ambidextrous pitching ability. The school in Omaha had previous success with nationally recognized ambidextrous pitcher, Pat Venditte, drafted twice during college, now pitching with the New York Yankees’ AAA organization.
......................................

Brock Mammoser
Newton Community HS (Class of 2016)


Switching it up; Newton's Mammoser trying his hands at switch pitching

Ryan Czachorski
Posted:  08/01/2014 

American Legion fans around the central Illinois area have started to hear of Newton’s Brock Mammoser.

The pole vaulter, point guard and quarterback also finds time for the baseball field, and while he routinely sat in the middle of the order for Post 20 played shortstop and first base with flair, there’s one thing everyone came back to.

He’s a switch pitcher. Mammoser took to the mound left and right for Newton, literally, pitching games with both his left and his right arm.

It all started with a half-hearted suggestion a few years back.


Comments

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 ...

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 recor...

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 smal...