Switch-Hitter vs Switch-Pitcher
 

This one came up in a minor league game last night between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones. Ninth inning-- with a switch-hitter up. Pitching is a player who throws from either side also, depending on the batter's location. The problem was that neither player would commit to a side for the first pitch. They both kept fandangoing back and forth. Apparently, and I sureashell don't know, the rules say that both the pitcher and hitter can switch one time after committing to a side. The problem seemed to be that the rules don't state who has to commit first- the pitcher or batter. Soooooo, both players kept switching as soon as the other one moved. The decision finally made by the umpires(before global warming put the ballpark underwater) was that the batter had to commit first.

Thoughts?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06202008...ion_116313.htm

The batter committing first makes more sense to this non-baseball guy.

FED and NCAA require the pitcher to face the batter as a righty or lefty, but not both, so the pitcher has to commit. Don't know about OBR.

:D - this story made headlines on TSN - one of Canada's ESPN-like channels.

Can I ask what the rationale is for this method?

I imagine the rationale was "pick one."

In OBR each can switch once.


In reality it will always be the pitcher who switches first because the batter will pick a side as he steps up. The pitcher will then switch. The batter will then switch.

If the batter has to be in the box before the pitcher takes the rubber, then the batter will switch first.

There is no rule that states that the pitcher must wear a glove. What is stopping the pitcher from standing facing the batter with both feet on the rubber and the ball in front of him in both bare hands. (wind-up position) Once the batter gets in the box, the pitcher can then decide which foot to use as his pivot foot, and go from there with the corresponding hand.

If the pitcher was pitching RH to the last batter then changing to LH is a switch is it not?

That's one way to look at it. Another way is the pitcher starts over with each batter. In the Cyclone's game, RH pitcher ultimately faced RH batter, so the pitcher got the last switch.

But then from the video it didn't look like anyone knew how to handle it.

Do you think they got it wrong?

Ejecting the pitcher would solve EVERYTHING.

COOL!! :cool: