Ambidexterous Pitcher
 

Am I mistaken or isn't there also some guidance addresses the situation with a switch hitting batter?
Something that allows the pitcher to switch hands if the batter changes boxes, but only once?

A mind is a terrible thing to lose....:D

That would be contradictory to the rule you just cited.

Used to be such a rule. Now, they've clarified, and matched FED and NCAA -- pitcher must declare.

Dash - that was what was confusing me.
Bob - Thanks for updating me.

Watch this and see how not to handle it:

Switch Hitter VS Switch Pitcher - YouTube

There was no rule then. It's the incident that caused the preliminalry instructions and then the folow-up rule to be written

I was well aware of that. It was still not handled well. I have used this video in clinics to illustrate how to handle things not defined in the book. Make the call.

PBUC issued its new guidelines on July 3, 2008. It reads:

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 with which arm he will throw. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.

The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for by a pinch-hitter or the pitcher incurs an injury.

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 may be in the minority but I would have liked to see that batter have to commit to a side rather than the pitcher. They defensive team responds to the actions of the offense, after all.

The problem is that the batter has always been able to switch which side they hit from. While pitchers have too, it's only been recently that ambidextrous has even been an issue.

Without the new rule I would have required the batter to pick a box for each pitch.

I gotta disagree. Make the pitcher declare. After all, even against a good batter, the pitcher wins about 70% of the time. But I would like to hear your reasoning on your opinion.

6.02 (a) The batter shall take his position in the batter’s box promptly when it is his time at bat.

So?

He can change any time except:

6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when—
(b) He steps from one batter’s box to the other while the pitcher is in position ready to pitch;

I agree. Tell him to get in the box and if he refuses, it is his actions that help guide the outcome.

There are plenty of things that happen on baseball fields that aren't defined by the rules. Sometimes you just have to umpire.

That is why I prefer the batter to commit. I don't concern myself with batting statistics. A batter is considered offensive personnel and by definition, the defense responds to his actions. It's a shame that Venditte didn't make it further. Somewhere, Bill Veeck is spinning at the missed opportunity.

It's the other way around in baseball - the only team sport where the defense controls the ball.