Ambidextrous Pitcher Rule Change?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

Anybody know the reason for this change in OBR? Was there no previous rule in OBR covering ambidextrous pitchers and just the PBUC interp? Im just curious as to how/why this was changed. I know the Staten Island minor league team last year had a big controversy with an ambidextrous pitcher but was curious if there were other reasons to simplify OBR.

There was a minor league pitcher (it might have been the one you mentioned) -- he'd stand off to the side of the mound with the glove off -- the batter would wiat / swithc his grip.

The old PBUC rule didn't make it clear who had to declare first -- so the action above was a stalemate. Now, we know who has to declare first. It's a better rule, and consistent with the others.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Pat Venditte, who got written up in SI when he was at Creighton, and was drafted by the Yankees, is the guy whose emergence spurred the rule change. They even call it the Pat Venditte Rule in the manual.

[mrm21711]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Pat Venditte, who got written up in SI when he was at Creighton, and was drafted by the Yankees, is the guy whose emergence spurred the rule change. They even call it the Pat Venditte Rule in the manual.

The PBUC manual? Has it been updated for the 2009 season?

[Kevin Finnerty]

This is all I read:

The Pat Venditte Rule

The Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) released its official rules for dealing with ambidextrous pitchers. These guidelines were reached after PBUC staff consulted with a variety of sources, including the Major League Baseball Rules Committee.
* The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter, and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.
* The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any "switch" by either player is allowed.
* After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter's boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again "switch" one time).
* Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire. There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.
* If an injury occurs, the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.

[mrm21711]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

This is all I read:

The Pat Venditte Rule

The Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) released its official rules for dealing with ambidextrous pitchers. These guidelines were reached after PBUC staff consulted with a variety of sources, including the Major League Baseball Rules Committee.
* The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter, and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.
* The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any "switch" by either player is allowed.
* After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter's boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again "switch" one time).
* Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire. There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.
* If an injury occurs, the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.

I believe that came out last year after Staten Island's Venditte switched pitching arms in a game. The 2009 change in OBR would nullify this PBUC interpretation because the rule has changed - pitchers are no longer able to switch arms once per batter. I dont do NCAA, but based on Bob's post above, the OBR change brings the ambidextrous pitcher rule in-line with NCAA & NFHS.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

The PBUC manual? Has it been updated for the 2009 season?

Yes, it has been updated -- but perhaps only with a 13 page (or so) separate document "2009 Changes to PBUC Manual" -- I don't know whether those changes are in the books you buy from the various umpire suppliers.