Switch Pitching 101

David Alan Robertson Born: April 8, 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama College: University of Alabama Height/Weight: 5'11", 195 lb Team:  New York Yankees Position: RHP Bats: Right Throws: Both, RHP in the MLB David Robertson, a right-handed pitcher, started throwing left-handed as a teenager, when his right shoulder was weak. He continued to throw lefty for fun at the University of Alabama.    As a pro, he throws BP lefty in the offseason. He did not become a switch pitcher, but he did face an ambidextrous pitcher in high school. As a pro, he throws BP lefty in the offseason. Nicknamed " Houdini " for his ability to escape pressure situations with runners on base. How Phillies reliever David Robertson became an ambidextrous pitcher, sort of | Scott Lauber by Scott Lauber, Updated: May 12, 2019 A Wacky Wannabe Southpaw Robertson Earns a Living With His Right Arm but Has More Fun Throwing Lefty David Robertson Stats and Bio David Robertson Stati...

York Castoff Is Switch Pitcher Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 8 Jun 1944 Jimmy Wadlow , 22 year-old pitcher who can throw from either port or starboard, is trying to make up his mind whether to be right or lefthanded when he tries out with Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League. Wadlow is registered as a righthander but he always has carried a pretty fair spare tire in the southpaw, even before he broke his right arm serving up a fast pitch in 1941. "I've got a lot more speed and a better curve when I'm a southpaw," said Jimmy while visiting his parents here. "But my control is bad from the port side." Cut loose by York, Pa., of the Interstate League after he had beaten Wilmington, 4-2, in his only start of the season, Jimmy began thinking seriously about switching to southpawing. "My arm felt good but after I beat Wilmington it got tight and sore. Maybe I'll give it another try in the warm California sunshine. The, ...

Pablo Sandoval catching (source: Dirk Hansen ) Pro Team: Boston Red Sox (new contract)   formerly with the San Francisco Giants Position:  third baseman/ first baseman Number: 48 Height: 5'11"  Weight: 245 lb.   Throws: Right-handed (since 9-years-old), but is naturally left-handed Bats: Switch hitter  .303 Born: Aug 11, 1986, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Stats Sandoval, 28, hit .279 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs last season. He has hit .294 with 106 homers and 462 RBIs in seven big league seasons, all with the Giants. Pablo Sandoval's career postseason batting average of .344 is the best in baseball history among players with at least 150 plate appearances.  ( espn ) World Series MVP in 2012 Pablo Sandoval took home the Most Valuable Player trophy following the San Francisco Giants' sweep of the Detroit Tigers, after hitting .500 with three home runs, a double and four RBIs in 16 Series at-bats. Pablo Sandoval, nicknamed Kung F...

Matthew Boyd Matt Boyd LHP   @ mattboyd31 Born February 2, 1991 in Bellevue, WA Hometown: Mercer Island, WA High School:  Eastside Catholic 2009 College: Oregon State University (OSU) MLB First-Year Player Draft Boyd was drafted in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft by Cincinnati but did not sign. Following his senior year at OSU, LHP Matt Boyd was drafted in the 6th round (175th overall) of the  2013  MLB First-Year Player Draft by Toronto. Read more Matt Boyd is now in the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays. Height/Weight: 6' 3", 215 lb Position: Pitcher Throws: Left (throws a football right-handed) Velocity: 95 mph  Other sports: football, hockey Matt Boyd is a left-handed pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays.  A natural right-hander, h e started throwing a baseball left-handed when he was five years old.  Boyd was a starting left-handed pitcher for the Oregon State Beavers in the PAC 12, ...

George Lynn “Pat” Paige Nickname:  Piggy Born: May 5, 1882, in Paw Paw, Michigan Big League Team:   Cleveland Naps 1911 Position:  Pitcher Height/Weight:   5’ 10”, 175 pounds Bats: Left Throws: RHP (ambidextrous thrower)  right hand dominant From the Biography of Pat Paige: Pat Paige achieved a kind of perfection during his cup-of-coffee in the big leagues, posting a 1-0 record and a 4.50 ERA in two games with the 1911 Cleveland Naps. He was also found wanting during three opportunities at the major league level, labeled by  Sporting Life  as a pitcher who “does not have the class to stick in the American League.”  At 5’ 10” and 175 pounds, the stocky right-hander (who was ambidextrous and owned gloves for both hands, according to researcher Bill Haber) was known as a clever and cool performer during his nine years in the minors, where he fashioned a 116-117 record. A fine fielder, Paige was a curveball specialist who rel...

Andrew Wells, Virginia Tech Pitcher Andrew Martin Wells Born: June 6, 1983 in Alexandria, VA High School:   St. Stephen's & St. Agnes High School  2002 Hometown: Alexandria, VA  College: Virginia Tech 2002-2008 Height/Weight:  6' 4", 222 lbs. Position:  Pitcher Bats:  Left Throws: Lefty,  naturally right-handed Andrew Wells was selected as a left-handed pitcher by the Expos in the 33rd round of the 2002 draft - following his senior year of high school. He decided to pitch in college instead of signing a pro contract. Wells pitched left-handed for the Virginia Tech Hokies.  In high school Andrew Wells was a dominant pitcher and won several awards. Plus he was versatile - playing first base & outfield.   He had a career ERA of 0.70 and turned in 20 career complete games. Opponents' combined batting average against him during his four seasons was only .151. A natural righty, Wells learned to throw left-hand...

Tristram E. Speaker  Nicknames: " Spoke " and " The Grey Eagle " Born: April 4, 1888 in Hubbard, Texas Died:  Dec 8, 1958 (Aged 70) High School: Hubbard HS, Hubbard, TX College:  Polytechnic College , Fort Worth, TX   ( The college  became Texas Wesleyan University) Teams:   Boston Red Sox (1907-1915), Cleveland Indians (1916-1926), Washington Senators (1927), Philadelphia A's (1928) Inducted  into the  Hall of Fame  by BBWAA as Player in 1937 (165/201 ballots). Tris Speaker - Hall of Fame Position:  CF Height: 5' 11" Weight: 193 lbs. Bats: Left Throws: Left, ambidextrous Hall of Fame centerfielder, Tris Speaker, played pro ball until he was 40 years old.  He tallied  3,514 hits over 22 years.  Speaker's specialty was hitting doubles -- he led the league eight times and still holds the career mark with 793. He only struck out 220 times in his entire career.  Speaker finished his...

Pete Reiser - Dodgers Harold Patrick Reiser -  “ Pistol Pete ” Born: March 17, 1919 —St. Patrick’s Day—in St. Louis, Missouri. Position: Outfielder Team: Brooklyn Dodgers Height: 5' 11". Weight: 185 lbs Batted: Left  .295 BA Threw: Right,  Could also throw left-handed. Pete Reiser was a terrific football player, bowler and ice skater, too. On top of everything, he was also ambidextrous. Pete threw and batted right-handed as a boy, but he could swing around and do almost as well left-handed.  Reiser was fearless - and ambidextrous He had this thing for running into walls after fly balls, and standing his ground against knockdown pitches, so his head kept taking this awful punishment, and when it wasn't his head it was his shoulder, which he broke diving for a ball. When somebody asked him what he would do if he couldn't throw again when he got back to the Dodgers, he said "I'll just throw left-haned." That's another thing he...