Switch Pitching 101

Pasadena Independent (CA) 26 Mar 1966 Casa Grande, Ariz. - The San Francisco Giants have come up with a baseball phenomenon - a switch-pitcher. He is Shozo Yoshinari, a young Japanese player who can throw from either side. Read more .

Shozo Yoshinari Born:  1946, Japan High School: Akita High School Team: Tokyo Giants Height/Weight:  5' 11", 175 lbs. Bats: Right Throws: Both (ambidextrous) Positions: RHP/ LHP Pitches: Fastball, Curve, Slider -- with both hands In 1966, Shozo Yoshinari , a was young Japanese pitcher who could throw from either side. He worked out with the  Giants ' Fresno team in the California League. He pitched in the minors briefly, but never made the majors. "I saw him pitch his Akita High School team to the Japanese National Championships, winning three games in three starts in the national tournament finals in 1964," scout Cappy Harada said. "He pitched all three of those games right handed. I saw him again that same year, pitching left handed in an exhibition game for the Tokyo Giants." Harada said that Yoshinari has excellent control, keeps the ball low and throws good curves and sliders -- with either hand. ( Arizona Republic, 1966 ) Fou...

Rafe Milo Nickname:  the Hydra , or in Japanese "Orochi." Hometown: Tokyo, Japan Positions:  Pitcher, CF, 1B Bats: Both Throws: Both (ambidextrous) Team: Honshu Rounders Baseball Club , Japan Milo is captain of the Oak Squad. Rafe Milo is a young switch hitter and ambidextrous pitcher who plays Little League baseball in Tokyo, Japan. His father, Mitchell Milo , is the Head Coach of the Honshu Rounders Baseball Club, and writes a blog about "Coaching a Switch Pitcher." Rafe Milo pitching right-handed in Japan As a 13-year-old switch pitcher, Milo throws a 4-seam, 2 seam, & 3- finger fastball; 3-finger change up; palm-ball and knuckleball. That's a large array of pitches to keep hitters off-balance.  In games, he pitches with one arm – which is a good strategy for a young pitcher. During practice - which can last up to 5 hours - he alternates days throwing right- and left-handed. How Rafe Milo got started throwing with both arms ...

By  Patrick Newman NPB Tracker    18 January 2009 It’s not often you see a switch-pitcher come along, but we have two such ambidextrous prospects to watch in  Nippon Pro Baseball ( NPB). Both pitchers were  selected in the 2008 draft and will make their debuts this season. Natural lefty  Kazuki Miyata  was selected in the 4th round  by the Seibu Lions. Miyata started throwing right handed in high school as an exercise in balance, and kept it up in junior college as it helped him alleviate back pain. He hasn’t thrown right handed in an official game, but is still working on his right handed pitching and has learned to throw a curve. Yakult instructional draftee  Rafael Fernandez  is also a natural lefty, but throws right handed all the time.  Sponichi explains  that when Fernandez started playing baseball in Brazil when he was 10, he thought that the ball must be thrown with the right hand. Fernandez threw lefty in Yaku...