Ambidextrous Pitcher Question
 

I read a report of a pitcher for a college (Creighton maybe) who is ambidextrous. I had heard that he must choose which hand he is going to throw with either a)at the beginning of the inning or b)before the first pitch to a batter.

However, I can't find the rule that states that. I looked in OBR but do not have access to FED/NCAA.

Did I miss it in OBR?

Sorry I don't have my book for rule reference, but Fed he has to declare for each batter.
I'm betting OBR and NCAA is the same.

I would doubt that because the batter is free to switch from which side they want to bat from in between each pitch. I know the rules aren't meant to be fair but it would seem strange that the batter is free to choose which way they want to hit the ball for every pitch but the pitcher has to declare for each batter??? Doesn't make sense. (Which doesn't mean it isn't true!!)

FED 6-1-1

ART. 1... The pitcher shall pitch while facing the batter from either a windup position (Art. 2) or a set position (Art 3). The position of his feet determine whether he will pitch from the windup or the set position. He shall take his sign from the catcher with his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher's plate. The pitching regulations begin when he intentionally contacts the pitcher's plate. Turning the shoulders to check runners while in contact with the pitcher's plate in the set position is legal. Turning the shoulders after bringing the hands together during or after the stretch is a balk. He shall not make a quick-return pitch in an attempt to catch a batter off balance. The catcher shall have both feet in the catcher's box at the time of the pitch. If a pitcher is ambidextrous, the umpire shall require the pitcher to face a batter as either a left-handed pitcher or right-handed pitcher, but not both.

That's just why they have it. Otherwise the batter would switch, the pitcher would switch, the batter would switch, the pitcher would switch, .... and the game would be a stalemate.

OBR: Each can switch once. It's in NAPBL, if not elsewhere.

NCAA and FED: Pitcher must declare. No restrictions on the batter.

The reason it makes sense is that if one or the other does not have to declare, then you have the batter getting in one of the boxes, the pitcher putting the ball in the glove and getting ready to pitch with the handedness that gives him an advantage over that handedness of a hitter... thus the hitter steps out and gets in the OTHER box ... then the pitcher switches back... ad infinitum. We'd never ever get a pitch in.

Basically, to avoid this stymie, the rulesmakers require the pitcher to declare, THEN the batter gets in the box that is most advantageous to him.

Not to doubt anyone here but where can I find this in OBR???

It talks about the batter not being able to leave the batter's box once the pitcher is in the set position or starts his windup but where is the rule about the pitcher?? Or is this another "omission" from the rulebook?

For the first time in my career, I had this last year in a CICL game. I noticed the pitcher using a different hand when a lefty came up to bat following a righty. At first I thought I was imagining things--not an impossibility--then the next batter was a righty again and lo and behold, the pitcher goes back to the other hand to throw.

It's in the PBUC Manual.

Question for you - where did the keep their other glove when pitching - behind the mound or did they just put the same glove on the other hand? Just curious.

He used the same glove, which was a rather unique one. From what the catcher told me, it's made for such an ambidextrous pitcher.

The guy from Creighton has a special glove as well. It has a thumb on each end and a centrally located trap.

As far as the switching arms goes, it is the same principle used as when, say, a RH batter pinch hits to face a LH pitcher. The defense makes a pitching change for a RH pitcher to go against the Righty. The offense then gets the last move, and can burn another LH bench player to get the match-up they want. That pitcher is then required to pitch to the offense's final choice.

If there were no such rule in place to stop the switching, it would also result in a stalemate, or teams running out of players.

Never heard of it - what will they think of next!:D

I had him on the plate at Winthrop against Gardner Webb and he has to declare before each batter.
Clint Lawson

My Grandson is a 10 year old Switch pitcher. He pitches 50 MPH with both arms and has great control with both arms. He plays on a select team and has an ERA of .166. See him pitch at www.bohannan.us

post again in 10 years and let us know how he's doing.

The ambidextrous kid would make an interesting case for the new Little League pitch-count rule, which was created to protect youngster's arms. Should a pitcher be allowed to pitch up to the maximum number for each arm?

That WAS the guy from Creighton. Pretty cool. And he threw the ball VERY well - watch for him to get signed in next year's amateur draft.

JJ

Sure it makes sense. You have to give the nod to either the pitcher or the batter on this matter. What if a switch-hitting batter faces an ambidextrous pitcher?

The pitcher is pitching left-handed so the batter decides to bat right-handed. So the pitcher switches to right-handed. Then the batter steps into the left-handed batter's box. Which causes the pitcher to switch ... and then the batter switches back.

When will this nonsense end?

The rulesmakers have decided to give the nod to the batter. He gets the final say. The only other choice was to give the nod to the pitcher. But somebody has to get the nod.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I remember him, John. He did indeed pitch very well.

Great story, and video. But please explain how he can be 6-0 with .167 ERA in 18 innings. If he had allowed only 1 run in 18 innings his ERA would be .333, assuming 6 inning games.

From watching the video, your grandson has great mechanics throwing as both a lefty and a righty. 50 MPH is good; 25 miles an hour less than what I throw (GRINS), but I'm 19. Heck I think it took me till I was at least 14 to throw 50.

Make sure he keeps at it; he's got some of the best form for a pitcher of that age that I've seen, and I say that having umpired dozens of Allstar ballgames of his age level. No doubt he has great control.

I have seen and umpired a few 13-14 year old Pony League players who could throw 80+ from 54'. Some are now in pro ball throwing in the 90s from 60'6".

Did anyone notice this thread is 5+ months old?

Ambidextrous youngster
 

His southpaw delivery looks like Okajima's.

I did.

Grandpa dug up an old one.

prolly takes twice as long for him to warm up.:)

Never heard of him. . .where does Prolly play?

im down wit teh slang n teh hep urbn langage n i lerned how not 2 spell or use punction so now my posts r so ez to read even 4 dem yoofs who run round texting there l33t buds man im so 00br kewl. u r pwned and teh ghey.:rolleyes:

what are you saying??

I got to see him pitch several times this summer. He played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks, a team in the Northwoods League (a summer collegiate wood bat league in Wisconsin, Minnisota, and Iowa). It was remarkable.

Here is his Bio from the Woodchuck website.

http://www.woodchucks.com/2007Players/Venditte.shtml

Also, he's already been drafted by the New York Yankees in the 49th round of the 2007 MLB Draft

Wanna Cracker.

I have seen and umpired a few hundred 13-14 year players who could throw 80+ from 54'. So many went on to pro ball throwing in the 90s from 60'6" I can't count them.

People are mistaken if they believe velocity makes a successful pitcher. As Leo Mazonne stated, those radar guns belong in the garbage. So long as the pitcher can throw hard enough (70+ mph) to mix in a changeup, control his pitches, and has good movement, he can retire any Major League hitter. Just ask Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, Chad Bradford or Pedro Martinez in the latter half of his career. Heck I got cut from my university baseball team because I didn't throw hard enough, even though nobody could come close to hitting the ball into the outfield against me:eek: .

Don't lie, it's not cool. Okay, name one hundred 13-14 year olds who could throw 80+. I want names and the pro team they went on to play for.

Let's assume that second half of that sentence is true. (I know, I know, we have to suspend reality, but let's try)

Okay, NOBODY came close to hitting to the outfield when you pitched. That would mean your ERA must have been close to or below 0.50. (Unless of course the infield couln't throw to first.)

That would also mean you must have had many, many games with very few hits.

So,then, your "University" coach cut a pitcher who gave up extremely few hits and next to zero runs.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

You seem to have a history of being very good at what you do, yet unappreciated by your superiors. Your assignor doesn't give you good games and your old coach cut you when you must have been the best pitcher he had ever seen.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


What's that smell? Oh, yeah. Bullsh!t.

Sorry for the confusion, but I only pitched two innings as these were tryouts. 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout and it took them two errors and a double steal, all in the same inning, to score a run against me.

You probably said that to bait me into going into a tirade, but that's not going to happen. Yes I have been under-rated as an umpire. Yes I have also been under-rated as a ballplayer. But that's the past and I'm looking forward to the future.

Jack Morris once said "let sleeping dogs lie" after the Blue Jays staged a comeback against the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. I suggest you follow his advice.

Hey speaking of bull****, remember that time you said you'd love to see me work a game? Yeah that's what I thought.

:D




No baiting....just looking for the truth, and it was as convoluted as I thought it would be.


Is that a threat? What are you going to do...Lie about me and my son again? That was real classy.

That was no bull. As would many who post here, I would LOVE to see you work a game. And as I said earlier, the next time I find myself visiting family in upstate New York, I'd be happy to drive up and buy a ticket for that honor.

I'm not gonna lie; I shouldn't have brought your son into our argument. That was wrong. Not justifying it, but you had been asking for a tongue-lashing for weeks, and really pushed me over the edge on that occasion.

Perfect. I would love to meet you, because as much as you and I feud, I'm sure I could learn a few things from you on umpiring. You don't have to buy a ticket. I'd be happy to pay for your transportation and a small mentoring fee, that is if mentoring is your motivation.

You have seriously misinterpreted what's going on here.

I'm straight. Sorry if you got your hopes up.

The batter is free to switch sides pitch by pitch as long as he doesn't disconcert the pitcher. The one time switch is only with an ambidextrous pitcher. and yes, it's in PBUC.