Switch pitcher

{{Short description|Baseball pitcher who can throw with both arms}}

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In baseball, a switch pitcher is an ambidextrous pitcher who is able to pitch with either the right or left hand from the pitcher's mound.{{efn|The term should not be confused with a pitcher who bats either right-handed or left-handed, as a switch hitter.}} Switch pitchers are rare at higher levels of competition, with Pat Venditte being the only pitcher to regularly throw with both arms in Major League Baseball since 1901.

History

=Professional baseball=

==19th century==

File:Tony Mullane.jpg]]

Four 19th-century pitchers are known to have thrown with both hands:

Tony Mullane, whose major-league career spanned from 1881 to 1894, is listed as both as switch pitcher and switch hitter.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmullt101.htm |title=Tony Mullane |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}
Larry Corcoran, whose major-league career spanned lasted from 1880 to 1887, is listed as a right-handed pitcher and switch hitter,{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcorcl101.htm |title=Larry Corcoran |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}} but he pitched four innings alternating between his right arm and left arm on June 16, 1884, due to injury.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Larry-Corcoran/ |title=Larry Corcoran |first=Bob |last=LeMoine |website=Society for American Baseball Research |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}
Elton "Ice Box" Chamberlain, whose major-league career was from 1886 to 1896, was listed as a right-handed pitcher and batter.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pchame101.htm |title=Ice Box Chamberlain |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}} He pitched four innings left-handed in a minor-league game on May 9, 1888.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Ice-Box-Chamberlain/ |title=Ice Box Chamberlain |first=Charles F. |last=Faber |website=Society for American Baseball Research |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}
George Wheeler, whose major-league career spanned from 1896 to 1899 was listed as both as switch pitcher and switch hitter,{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwheeg102.htm |title=George Wheeler |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}} but he "threw left-handed a handful of times."{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wheelge01.shtml |title=George Wheeler Stats |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

==20th century==

Paul Richards, who was a major league catcher from 1932 to 1946, occasionally was a switch pitcher for the Muskogee Chiefs in the minor league Western Association. He hurt his left arm playing football in 1929 or 1930 and no longer pitched as a lefty. He also claimed that in high school, he threw two complete games in two days, throwing with both arms in both games.{{Cite web |last=Hersom |first=Bob |title="Switch-Pitcher' Richards Sets Record Straight |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1983/05/12/switch-pitcher-richards-sets-record-straight/62845872007/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Hecht |first=Henry |date=August 25, 1986 |title=A fond farewell to a baseball man who wasn't afraid to take chances |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/08/25/a-fond-farewell-to-a-baseball-man-who-wasnt-afraid-to-take-chances |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230426103211/https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/08/25/a-fond-farewell-to-a-baseball-man-who-wasnt-afraid-to-take-chances |archive-date=2023-04-26 |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=Sports Illustrated}}

A 1940 newspaper article noted that Jimmy Brown, who played in the major leagues between 1937 and 1946, primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals, said that he learned to throw with either arm at a young age after breaking his right arm and was a switch pitcher during high school.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-jimmy-brown-once/148536239/ |title=Jimmy Brown Once A Switch Pitcher |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |page=2B |date=April 22, 1940 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Brown played exclusively as an infielder during his major-league career.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbrowj107.htm |title=Jimmy Brown |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

Larry Kimbrough pitched in Negro league baseball from 1942 to 1948. He was naturally left-handed, but he learned to throw right-handed as a child while recovering from an injury. He said, "I could throw them as hard left-handed as I could right-handed, with a better curveball left-handed."{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Rainey |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/larry-kimbrough/ |title=Larry Kimbrough |website=Society for American Baseball Research |accessdate=August 4, 2020}} Independent accounts verifying that Kimbrough operated as a switch pitcher during his baseball career are lacking, but Kimbrough claimed that he earned a complete game victory in 1943 pitching from both sides.

A 1944 newspaper article noted that Cal McLish, then a right-handed rookie pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers, could throw with either arm,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkshire-eagle-lo-the-reversible-c/148537623/ |title=Lo, the Reversible Choctaw |newspaper=The Berkshire Eagle |location=Pittsfield, Massachusetts |page=6 |date=June 10, 1944 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} but there is no record of McLish ever doing so in a major-league game. McLish claimed to have thrown one pitch left-handed during a game in Venezuela.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Cal-McLish/ |title=Cal McLish |first=Joseph |last=Wancho |website=Society for American Baseball Research |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

Ulysses Greene pitched for the independent Indianapolis Clowns from 1958 until at least 1961, throwing with both hands.{{Cite news |date=7 August 1958 |title=Two-Way Hurler |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9bcDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Ulysses%20Greene%20clowns&pg=PA54 |access-date=5 August 2024 |work=Jet Magazine |pages=54}}{{Cite news |date=May 6, 1961 |title='Switch pitcher' set for Clowns' mound |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=70knAAAAIBAJ&dq=Ulysses%20Greene%20clowns&pg=PA11 |work=The Baltimore Afro-American |pages=22}} The Clowns were a barnstorming team with comedic acts, which included Greene performing a jitterbug dance routine.{{Cite news |date=April 20, 1960 |title=Indianapolis Clowns always thrill fans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5lSAAAAIBAJ&dq=ulysses%20Green%20jitterbug&pg=PA19 |access-date=5 August 2024 |work=St. Petersburg Times |pages=10–B}} Clowns owner Syd Pollock stated that MLB teams were interested in signing Greene in 1960, though Greene never played in affiliated baseball.{{Cite news |date=September 12, 1959 |title=Major league scouts eye Clowns in Eastern finale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yf0mAAAAIBAJ&dq=Ulysses%20Greene%20clowns&pg=PA8 |access-date=5 August 2024 |work=The Baltimore Afro-American |pages=14}}

Right-handed pitcher Jorge Rubio, who pitched for the California Angels in 1966 and 1967, claimed that he had experimented as a switch pitcher in high school and could throw with "the same speed left-handed" but with less control. Following the 1967 season, he pitched some games left-handed in winter league baseball to rest his right arm and continued doing so into spring training.{{cite news |title=Ambidextrous Rubio Says Two Pitching Arms Better Than One |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115049347/ambidextrous-rubio-says-two-pitching/ |access-date=23 December 2022 |work=The Los Angeles Times |agency=UPI |date=15 March 1968 |page=3}}File:Greg Harris - Indianapolis Indians.jpg]]No pitcher in the American League or National League is known to have switch pitched in a game in the 20th century until Greg A. Harris of the Montreal Expos did so in 1995.{{cite news |date=September 29, 1995 |title=Who's Hot...And Not |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-whos-hotand-not/148531478/ |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |newspaper=The Kansas City Star |page=D2 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last=Holtzman |first=Jerome |author-link=Jerome Holtzman |date=March 3, 2000 |title=A lesson in switch-pitching |url=http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com/u/baseball/mlbcom/features/mar00/holtzman_030300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000408222020/http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com/u/baseball/mlbcom/features/mar00/holtzman_030300.htm |archive-date=April 8, 2000 |accessdate=June 12, 2007 |website=MLB.com}} Harris, a natural right-hander, said in 1986 that he was capable of pitching with either arm in a game.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-baseball-notes/148530922/ |title=Baseball Notes |newspaper=Spokane Chronicle |page=C1 |date=July 24, 1986 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} He did not throw left-handed in a regular season game until September 28, 1995, the penultimate game of his career.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/Iharrg0010181995.htm |title=The 1995 MON N Regular Season Batting Log for Greg Harris |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}} Pitching for the Montreal Expos against the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth inning, Harris retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two left-handed batters, Hal Morris and Eddie Taubensee. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. Harris then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone with another groundout to end the inning.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/B09280MON1995.htm |title=Cincinnati Reds 9, Montreal Expos 7 |date=September 28, 1995 |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

Jamie Irving was primarily a right-handed pitcher for the Johnstown Steal of the independent Frontier League from 1995 to 1998, but occasionally threw left handed.{{Cite web |title=Jamie Irving Independent Baseball Statistics |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/178348/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=The Baseball Cube}}{{Cite news |date=1998-07-30 |title=Ambidextrous pitcher miffs Paints |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chillicothe-gazette-ambidextrous-pitcher/169476114/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=Chillicothe Gazette |pages=6A |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Gadd |first=Brian |date=1996-08-11 |title=Greys, Steal play another close contest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-recorder-greys-steal-play-ano/169477085/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=The Times Recorder |pages=2B |via=Newspapers.com}} He had switch pitched for Harvard, where he started back-to-back games, first as a righty then as a lefty, and served as his own reliever as a lefty after starting a game as a right-handed pitcher. He switch pitched in high school, though he had elbow surgery his sophomore season, limiting him to being a lefty.{{Cite news |last=Montville |first=Leigh |author-link=Leigh Montville |date=May 17, 1993 |title=Jamie Irving |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1993/05/17/jamie-irving |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210503014319/https://vault.si.com/vault/1993/05/17/jamie-irving |archive-date=2021-05-03 |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Niedzielka |first=Amy |date=1993-05-24 |title=Two arms: pitcher dazzles opposition\ Harvard's Irving carries two gloves |url=https://greensboro.com/two-arms-pitcher-dazzles-opposition-harvards-irving-carries-two-gloves/article_ed9ed7c1-91c6-5b2c-9e6c-5b75bb1c150b.html |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Greensboro News and Record |language=en |agency=Knight-Ridder}}

==21st century==

Pat Venditte pitched with both arms in the major leagues from 2015 to 2020.{{Cite web |title=Three years ago, Pat Venditte became the first full-time switch-pitcher in the modern era of MLB |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/three-years-ago-venditte-became-the-first-full-time-switch-pitcher-in-the-modern |first=Jessica |last=Kleinschmidt |date=June 5, 2018 |access-date=August 24, 2022 |website=MLB.com}}{{Cite news |last=Schwarz |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Schwarz |date=April 6, 2007 |title=Throwing Batters Curves Before Throwing a Pitch |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/sports/baseball/06pitcher.html?ex=1333512000&en=a34837d6efb38b04&ei=5124 |newspaper=The New York Times}} He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2008 and pitched for six different MLB teams as a reliever, appearing in 61 games with a 4.73 earned run average (ERA).{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/V/Pvendp001.htm |title=Pat Venditte |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

Dutch-born switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Both Cijntje and the Mariners stated at the time of his signing that he would continue to switch pitch in professional baseball.{{Cite web |last=Franco |first=Anthony |date=2024-07-16 |title=Mariners Agree To Deal With First Rounder Jurrangelo Cijntje |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/mariners-agree-to-deal-with-first-rounder-jurrangelo-cijntje.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}} He began the 2025 season in High-A.{{Cite web |last=Hereth |first=Zac |date=2025-04-01 |title=Top pick, 3 top Seattle Mariners prospects on Everett roster |url=https://sports.mynorthwest.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/top-100-seattle-mariners-prospects-everett-aquasox/1805505 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Seattle Sports |language=en}}

=Amateur baseball=

Newspaper articles in 1947 noted that freshman Roy Gibbons{{efn|His name also appears as Roy Gibbens in some sources.}} of Texas A&M was a switch pitcher.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-chronicle-one-line-stories/148540789/ |title=One Line Stories |first=Don C. |last=Estes |newspaper=The News-Chronicle |location=Shippensburg, Pennsylvania |page=1-B |date=April 1, 1947 |accessdate=June 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-herald-post-ambidextrous-aggie-h/148541018/ |title=Ambidextrous Aggie Hurler Wins Second |newspaper=El Paso Herald-Post |date=March 21, 1947 |accessdate=June 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Gibbons was later ruled ineligible as a college player, because he had played in a professional minor league.{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bryan-college-station-eagle-bomber-roy-g/148541226/ |title=Bomber Roy Gibbons |newspaper=The Bryan-College Station Eagle |location=Bryan, Texas |page=8 |date=April 19, 1948 |accessdate=June 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Baseball Reference indicates Gibbons played for the Tucson Cowboys, but detail is lacking.{{efn|Baseball-Reference.com has pages for both "Roy Gibbons" and "Roy Gibbens", as having played for Tucson in 1940 and 1941, respectively.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gibbon001roy |title=Roy Gibbons Minor Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=June 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gibben001roy |title=Roy Gibbens Minor Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=June 2, 2024}}}} There is no record of Gibbons pitching ambidextrously for Tucson.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-bisbee-downs-tucson-5-to/148541470/ |title=Bisbee Downs Tucson, 5 To 4 |newspaper=El Paso Times |page=18 |date=July 28, 1940 |accessdate=June 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

Ángel Macías was a Mexican switch pitcher who, exclusively as a right hander, threw a perfect game in the 1957 Little League World Series championship game, the only known perfect game in the youth tournament. His team from Monterrey later met President Dwight Eisenhower.{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2017 |title=Mexico champs, Macias perfect game remembered 60 years later |url=https://www.sungazette.com/sports/local-sports/2017/08/angel-macias-still-remembers-throwing-his-perfect-game-60-years-later/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Williamsport Sun Gazette}}{{Cite web |date=2017-08-24 |title=The Little Giants of Monterrey |url=https://www.lavidabaseball.com/monterrey-1957-llws-champs/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=La Vida Baseball |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=May 31, 1960 |title=All Mexico is hailing ambidextrous pitcher |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xOYrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OmcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4245,4652745 |access-date=2025-04-03 |publisher=Hopkinsville Kentucky New Era |page=12 |via=Google News Archive Search |agency=Associated Press}} Macías was a position player in the Los Angeles Angels farm system in 1962 and 1963 and then played in the Mexican League for 12 years.{{Cite web |title=LMB: Día triste, el recuerdo de Ángel Macías y la muerte de Tom Seaver |url=https://www.milb.com/news/lmb-dia-triste-el-recuerdo-de-angel-macias-y-la-muerte-de-tom-seaver |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=MiLB.com |language=es}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-08-23 |title=El juego perfecto de Ángel Macías en Serie Mundial de Pequeñas Ligas |url=https://www.septimaentrada.com/beisbol/serie-mundial-ligas-pequenas-juego-perfecto-mexico-angel-macias-1957 |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Séptima Entrada |language=es-MX}}{{Cite web |title=Angel Macias Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=macias001ang |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Brandon Berdoll switch pitched for Temple Junior College in Texas. He could throw fastballs between {{convert|85|and|90|mph|kph}} as well as curveballs with each arm. Atlanta drafted Berdoll in the 27th round of the 2003 MLB draft, but he never played professionally.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=berdol000bra |title=Brandon Berdoll Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=June 1, 2024}} He gave up baseball due to injuries and went on to operate a sawmill.{{Cite web |title=Brandon Berdoll's Story |url=https://berdollsawmill.com/our-story/ |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=Berdoll Sawmill |language=en-US}}

Matt Brunnig was a switch pitcher for Harvard beginning in 2003.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-big-things-expected-of-sw/148534907/ |title=Big things expected of switch-pitching 'Freak' |newspaper=Calgary Herald |page=E4 |date=May 14, 2003 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} He could throw {{convert|90|mph|kph|abbr=on}} right-handed and {{convert|85|mph|kph|abbr=on}} left-handed.{{cite news |last=Lowitt |first=Bruce |date=July 8, 2003 |title=No gimmick: Floridian is two pitchers in one |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/07/08/no-gimmick-floridian-is-two-pitchers-in-one/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130235420/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/07/08/no-gimmick-floridian-is-two-pitchers-in-one/ |archive-date=2020-11-30 |access-date=October 28, 2016 |work=St. Petersburg Times |via=Tampa Bay Times}} As a freshman, he started from the right side and pitched some relief as a lefty.{{Cite news |last=Crasnick |first=Jerry |author-link=Jerry Crasnick |date=2003-05-15 |title=A handy trait, for two reasons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-a-handy-trait-for-two-rea/169477433/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=National Post |pages=S2 |agency=Bloomberg News}} He only pitched with both arms in the same game a few times. When playing in the outfield between pitching appearances, he would typically throw with the other arm to rest the arm he just pitched with.{{cn|date=June 2024}} He only pitched right-handed as a senior in 2006.{{cite news |last=Olson |first=Eric |date=April 28, 2006 |title=Pitcher well-armed as righty and lefty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbian-pitcher-well-armed-as-righ/148535116/ |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |newspaper=The Columbian |page=B3 |via=newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite web |last=McPhillips |first=Alex |date=2006-04-18 |title=Harvard Wins, Dreams of Beanpot Repeat |url=http://api.thecrimson.com/article/2006/4/18/harvard-wins-dreams-of-beanpot-repeat/ |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=The Harvard Crimson |language=en}}

Venditte pitched for Creighton, pitching only right-handed during his freshman season of 2005. He then began switch pitching during his sophomore season of 2006.

Ryan Perez of Judson University played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2014. Perez won the league's all-star game MVP award after pitching from both sides.{{cite news | last =Pappas | first =Ted | title = One awesome All-Star Game | pages = A11 | newspaper = Barnstable Patriot | location = Barnstable, MA | date = August 1, 2014 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Sturgis/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=BAR%2F2014%2F08%2F01&id=Ar01101&sk=8FFD22C9&viewMode=image }}{{cite web |date=August 3, 2014 |title=An ambidextrous pitcher wows Cape Cod League |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2014/08/03/an-ambidextrous-pitcher-wows-cape-cod-league/13543615/ |access-date=January 9, 2020 |publisher=USA Today}}{{cite web|author=Dayn Perry |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/meet-ryan-perez-the-cape-cod-leagues-ambidextrous-pitcher/ |title=Meet Ryan Perez, the Cape Cod League's ambidextrous pitcher |publisher=cbssports.com |date=August 6, 2014 |access-date=January 9, 2020}} Cleveland drafted Perez in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB draft. He pitched professionally in the New York–Penn League in 2015 and 2016, then in the Mexican League in 2018, apparently pitching only left-handed.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=perez-000rya |title=Ryan Perez Amateur & Minor Leagues Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=June 1, 2024}}

Anthony Seigler, drafted 23rd overall by the New York Yankees in the 2018 MLB draft,{{cite news |last=Kuty |first=Brendan |date=June 9, 2018 |title=How much money did Yankees' 1st-round pick Anthony Seigler get? |url=http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2018/06/how_much_money_did_yankees_1st-round_pick_anthony.html |work=NJ.com}} was both a switch pitcher and switch hitter in high school.{{Cite web |last=Knobler |first=Danny |date=2018-05-29 |title=Meet Anthony Seigler, the Switch-Hitting, Switch-Pitching MLB Draft Gem |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2775984-meet-anthony-seigler-the-switch-hitting-switch-pitching-mlb-draft-gem |work=Bleacher Report}} Professionally, he is a position player and, {{asof|2025|lc=yes}}, is in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system.{{cite web |title=Anthony Seigler Minor League Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=seigle000ant |accessdate=June 2, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}} As a catcher, Seigler throws with his right hand, but in the outfield, he throws with his left hand.{{Cite web |last=Borek |first=Jesse |date=August 4, 2023 |title=The Yankees prospect taking ambidexterity to a whole new level |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-prospect-anthony-seigler-switch-thrower |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}

Cijntje pitched for Mississippi State in 2023 and 2024, pitching with both his right and left hands.{{Cite web |title=Jurrangelo Cijntje College Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cijntj000jur |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In 2024, he was a second-team All-American.{{Cite web |date=12 June 2024 |title=NCBWA announces 2024 Division I All-America Teams |url=https://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/news/2024/06/12/ncbwa-announces-2024-division-i-all-america-teams |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association |language=}}{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2024 |title=Collegiate All-Americans & Postseason Awards |url=https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=22953 |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Perfect Game}} He was also a switch pitcher and switch hitter in high school in Florida{{Cite web |last=McCalvy |first=Adam |title=Crew drafts switch-pitching phenom Cijntje in 18th round |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-draft-switch-pitcher-jurrangelo-cijntje-in-2022 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} and for Curaçao in the 2016 Little League World Series.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bksrmJaGQtk |title=Switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje has been ambidextrous since the #LLWS {{!}} Little League World Series |language=en |access-date=2024-07-24 |via=www.youtube.com}}

Training methods

Switch pitchers are often taught to throw ambidextrously at a young age. For instance, Venditte's father trained him in ambidextrous throwing from the age of three, Brunnig's father taught him from age five, Cijntje began training when he was six,{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Ryan |date=2024-04-19 |title=Like hitting a tire with a nail-spiked baseball: Jurrangelo Cijntje and the mastery of switch-pitching |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/39947979/jurrangelo-cijntje-switch-pitcher-mlb-mississippi-state |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} and Berdoll started practicing throwing with both arms at age 10.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2003-06-29 |title=Switch-pitcher's hope: Major-league job |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/06/29/switch-pitchers-hope-major-league-job/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729094953/https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/06/29/switch-pitchers-hope-major-league-job/ |archive-date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}

Mizuno makes a special six-fingered glove for switch pitchers. Harris used one in his 1995 game, and the company made gloves for Venditte from the age of seven.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12845975/ambidextrous-nashville-sounds-pitcher-pat-venditte-rarest-mlb-skills|title=Show of Hands: Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte has the rarest of MLB skills|work=ESPN The Magazine|first=Chris|last=Jones|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=June 6, 2015}} Cijntje used a special glove made by Wilson.{{Cite web |title=Meet the Mariners' new pitcher who throws 95 mph ... with both arms |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jurrangelo-cijntje-mississippi-state-pitcher-ambidextrous |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}

Major league right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish throws with his left hand when training to keep both arms strong and balanced, but he has not pitched left-handed in a game.{{cite news | last = Grant | first = Evan | title = See Rangers' righty Yu Darvish throw left-handed in practice | publisher = The Dallas Morning News | date = February 22, 2012 | url = http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/02/see-yu-darvish-throwing-left-h.html | accessdate = 2012-04-19 }} Other pitchers, including McLish, Tug McGraw, Dave Ferriss, and coach Larry Rothschild reportedly practiced pitching with their off hand.

Switch pitchers and switch hitters

There have been several instances of switch pitchers pitching to switch hitters, which can result in delay or confusion as both players may try to gain an advantage. Hitters traditionally feel they have an advantage by batting from the opposite side of the plate from the pitcher's throwing arm (e.g. batting left-handed when facing a right-handed pitcher), and pitchers traditionally feel they have an advantage by throwing with the same arm as the batter hits from (e.g. throwing right-handed to a right-handed batter).

In a minor-league game in the Western Association on July 23, 1928, shortstop Paul Richards was called in to pitch for the Muskogee Chiefs against the Topeka Jayhawks. Richards pitched both right-handed and left-handed, including facing a switch hitter, Charlie Wilson. This briefly resulted in the pitcher and batter switching hands and batter's boxes, respectively, several times until Richards broke the stalemate by alternating hands with each pitch, regardless of where Wilson positioned himself.{{cite book |first1=H. Allen |last1=Smith |first2=Ira L. |last2=Smith |year=2000 |title=Three Men on Third: A Book of Baseball Anecdotes, Oddities, and Curiosities |pages=113–114 |publisher=Breakaway Books |isbn=1-891369-15-6}} Wilson walked.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-switch-pitcher/148514489/ |title=Switch Pitcher Stumped; Meets Switch Batsman and Walk Results |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |page=15 |date=July 23, 1928 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

In 2008, Venditte, pitching for the Staten Island Yankees, faced switch hitter Ralph Henriquez of the Brooklyn Cyclones. When Venditte switched his modified glove to his left hand in order to pitch right-handed, Henriquez switched to batting left-handed. A series of changes continued for several minutes, until the umpires and managers conferred and decided to allow only one change of side by each player during the at bat. Henriquez struck out, batting right-handed as Venditte pitched as a righty.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/columbia-daily-tribune-take-your-pick/148515791/ |title=Take your pick |agency=AP |newspaper=Columbia Daily Tribune |location=Columbia, Missouri |page=3B |date=June 22, 2008 |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} This incident prompted the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation to issue a new rule about switch-pitching,{{Cite web |title=Venditte's versatility prompts new rule |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-426813 |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}} which MLB later adopted.{{cite web |title=Ambidextrous Pitchers |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/ambidextrous-pitchers |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |website=MLB.com}} Switch pitchers must indicate which hand they will use to pitch, "by wearing his glove on his non-throwing hand and placing his foot on the pitching rubber." The pitcher must continue using this hand for the duration of the at bat, with exceptions allowed in the event of injury or the use of a pinch hitter. After the pitcher makes his choice, the batter can then select which side of the plate to bat from. This rule is colloquially known as the "Pat Venditte Rule."{{Cite web |date=2018-06-05 |title=Three years ago, Pat Venditte became the first full-time switch-pitcher in the modern era of MLB |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/three-years-ago-venditte-became-the-first-full-time-switch-pitcher-in-the-modern |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}

Notes

References

Category:Handedness in baseball

Category:Pitching (baseball)