Switch pitcher
Encyclopedia
In baseball, a switch-pitcher is an ambidextrous pitcher who is able to pitch with both the right and left hand from the pitcher's mound.
Four 19th-century pitchers are known to have thrown with both hands: Tony Mullane
in 1882 and again in 1893, Elton Chamberlain
in 1888, Larry Corcoran
in 1884, and George Wheeler. Greg A. Harris
is the only major league
pitcher in the modern era to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural righty, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris did not throw lefty in a regular-season game until September 28, 1995, the penultimate game of his career. Against the Cincinnati Reds
in the ninth inning, Harris (then a member of the Montreal Expos
) retired Reggie Sanders
pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris
and Ed Taubensee, who both batted left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone
to end the inning.
Pat Venditte
, who played college baseball for the Creighton Bluejays
, regularly pitched with both arms. Venditte was drafted by the New York Yankees
, and now plays for the minor league Trenton Thunder
, the Yankees' AA affiliate. When he opposed switch hitter
Ralph Henriquez, Venditte switched his modified glove to his left arm. (Hitters traditionally derive advantages from batting from the opposite side of the plate to the pitcher's throwing arm.) Henriquez then switched to batting left-handed, and a series of changes continued for several minutes. This prompted the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation to issue rules about switch-pitching: switch-pitchers must choose which way they will begin pitching before they start. Then, batters will select with which hand they will bat. The batter and the pitcher are each allowed one switch during the plate appearance, after the first pitch is thrown.
Additionally, in 2003, the Atlanta Braves also drafted a switch pitcher by the name of Brandon Berdoll out of Temple (Texas) Junior College in the 27th round. He never made it to the major leagues.
In the collegiate ranks, there was also Matt Brunnig (Harvard class of '06) who was able to pitch over 85mph on either side, but never pitched with both arms in the same game. As a starter he would pitch every game conventionally with one side, and save the other arm for another start, thus allowing him to be 2 starters in one.
Switch-throwers are commonly taught to switch-throw at a young age. For instance, Venditte's father trained him in ambidextrous throwing from the age of three.
Four 19th-century pitchers are known to have thrown with both hands: Tony Mullane
Tony Mullane
Anthony John "Tony" Mullane , nickamed "Count" and "The Apollo of the Box", was an Irish Major League Baseball player who pitched for seven teams during his 13-season career...
in 1882 and again in 1893, Elton Chamberlain
Elton Chamberlain
Elton P. "Ice Box" Chamberlain was a professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1886 and 1896...
in 1888, Larry Corcoran
Larry Corcoran
Lawrence J. Corcoran was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.Corcoran debuted in 1880, winning 43 games and leading the Chicago team to the National League championship...
in 1884, and George Wheeler. Greg A. Harris
Greg A. Harris
Greg Allen Harris is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees from 1981 to 1995. Harris pitched in 703 games in his career, starting 98...
is the only major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher in the modern era to pitch with both his left and his right arm. A natural righty, by 1986 he could throw well enough with his left hand that he felt capable of pitching with either hand in a game. Harris did not throw lefty in a regular-season game until September 28, 1995, the penultimate game of his career. Against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in the ninth inning, Harris (then a member of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
) retired Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris
Hal Morris
William Harold Morris III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He attended Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and the University of Michigan. Morris was the Player of the Year while attending Munster High School...
and Ed Taubensee, who both batted left-handed. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone
Bret Boone
Bret Robert Boone is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.-Personal life:Boone was born in El Cajon, California to Susan G. Roel and Bob Boone. He is a graduate of El Dorado High School and the University of Southern California. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Ray Boone and...
to end the inning.
Pat Venditte
Pat Venditte
Patrick Michael Venditte Jr. is an American baseball player. He is a minor league baseball player currently in the New York Yankees organization. He currently pitches for the Class-AA Trenton Thunder in the Eastern League. Venditte is a "switch pitcher", meaning he can throw and pitch proficiently...
, who played college baseball for the Creighton Bluejays
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
, regularly pitched with both arms. Venditte was drafted by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and now plays for the minor league Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
, the Yankees' AA affiliate. When he opposed switch hitter
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
Ralph Henriquez, Venditte switched his modified glove to his left arm. (Hitters traditionally derive advantages from batting from the opposite side of the plate to the pitcher's throwing arm.) Henriquez then switched to batting left-handed, and a series of changes continued for several minutes. This prompted the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation to issue rules about switch-pitching: switch-pitchers must choose which way they will begin pitching before they start. Then, batters will select with which hand they will bat. The batter and the pitcher are each allowed one switch during the plate appearance, after the first pitch is thrown.
Additionally, in 2003, the Atlanta Braves also drafted a switch pitcher by the name of Brandon Berdoll out of Temple (Texas) Junior College in the 27th round. He never made it to the major leagues.
In the collegiate ranks, there was also Matt Brunnig (Harvard class of '06) who was able to pitch over 85mph on either side, but never pitched with both arms in the same game. As a starter he would pitch every game conventionally with one side, and save the other arm for another start, thus allowing him to be 2 starters in one.
Switch-throwers are commonly taught to switch-throw at a young age. For instance, Venditte's father trained him in ambidextrous throwing from the age of three.
Further reading
- The Associated Press. "Ambidextrous pitcher stars at Creighton". MSNBC, May 3, 2006. Accessed 12 June 2007.
- German, Norman. Switch-Pitchers. St. Augustine, Florida: BluewaterPress LLC, 2010. In this novel Ernest Hemingway smuggles twin Cuban pitchers to the U.S. for a shot at Major-League fame. A dugout full of rats reveals one to be a switch-pitcher when he throws at the rats equally well either right- or left-handed.
- Holtzman, Jerome. "A lesson in switch-pitching". MajorLeagueBaseball.com via the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
, March 3, 2000. Accessed 12 June 2007.