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switch pitcher

Discussion in 'Sports' started by rob lay, Jul 14, 2013.

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  1. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #1 rob lay, Jul 14, 2013
    for some reason I started thinking last night at dinner if there were any switch pitchers. there are many ambidextrous people and it seems like it would be a big advantage for pitchers. I never heard of one though. just did a search. there were a couple over a century ago and one pitched an inning in majors back in 1995. Currently there is a minor league switch pitcher, but he doesn't seem to be making it.

    Pat Venditte was all-American out of Creighton, rookie season in minors seemed to be going well with a 0.8 ERA. ESPN even did an article few years ago, but he has bounced around the minor minors since and doesn't seem to be headed towards majors.

    Rick Reilly: Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte is living history - ESPN The Magazine
     
  2. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #2 rdefabri, Jul 15, 2013
    Interesting, somewhere I thought there was a rule against that, but I guess I am wrong.

    Can he switch during an active count or only when a batter changes?
     
  3. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #3 rob lay, Jul 15, 2013
    from what I read they had to make a new rule, something along lines he has to tell batter upfront which arm he's using, but each better he can pick.

    personally I think if he's good enough to pitch with both hands he should be able to pick each pitch and not tell the batter. why should the batter get a handicap because the pitcher has more skill. pitchers don't have to tell batters which pitch they're throwing.
     
  4. FarmerDave

    FarmerDave F1 World Champ
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    #4 FarmerDave, Jul 15, 2013
    From a practicality standpoint, an ambidextrous pitcher would have to have an ambidextrous glove, which would be challenging.... Also the batter should be able to tell which side a pitch is coming from based on being opposite of the hand swearing a fielding glove....

    Edit... I see the glove is addressed in the article...
     
  5. sherpa23

    sherpa23 F1 Veteran
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    #5 sherpa23, Jul 15, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2013
    There were two guys back in the 90's whose names escape me. One was with the Red Sox ( greg harris?) and one with the Indians, I think. The problem they said was that the off arm didn't quite have the velocity, although they were accurate into the high 80's. In the big leagues, a high 80's fastball is put into the stands pretty regularly.
     
  6. Whisky

    Whisky Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 Whisky, Jul 25, 2013
    I watched Venditte in HS ball and a few CU games here, and while he is a decent pitcher, he doesn't have the constant velocity you need in the majors.
    There are a ton of guys that are 'legend' in HS and college, and NEVER make it to the big leagues - in all kinds of sports.
     
  7. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #7 rob lay, Jul 26, 2013
    so true, I was never a legend at anything. :D I was maybe youngest to hit over 300 in late 80's on golf team, but didn't matter as I was still 6-8th man on HS team. :D I also went to several big college swim camps and had Gary Kemph at Kansas and the famous Eddie Reese at Texas say I had one of the prettiest breaststrokes they had ever seen, but obviously that didn't translate into Division I competitive times. :D can you be famous for not being famous? ;)
     
  8. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 wax, Jul 26, 2013
    I pitched 100 + games, could never get the left to speed in goofin' time, just a knuckleball.

    That said, can only bowl lefty, as strong shoulder is gone & it just destroys my back.

    Batted left a few times, but only against predominantly Hispanic teams, making sure to cross myself, but only when batting lefty & only after I'd batted right without sign of the cross.


    via rubber ducky
     
  9. JG333SP

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    #9 JG333SP, Sep 4, 2013
    I remember this guy with the Sox but I think it was more of a 'legend' than it being actually useful.....kind of like Matsuzaka's 'gyro ball', you never heard about that bs after they signed him-it's a tailing fastball that they couldn't him in Japan-and they could hit it here!
     

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