# baseball: has there ever been a "switch-pitcher"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 3, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145 "2006-10-03T19:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/1 "2006-10-03T19:39:44Z")
Baseball history (and its present) has many instances of great switch-hitters, who could bat for high average/power from either side of the plate. Many of them (such as Mickey Mantle) were not naturally ambidextrous, but developed their “off-side” hitting skills through training and repetition. Given the premium placed on switch-hitting as a counterweapon to the left- or right-handed ace or specialist relief pitcher, how is it that we have not seen the similar development of a switch-thrower on the pitcher’s mound? Is the skill level of throwing major-league “stuff” simply too high to develop for both arms even in naturally ambidextrous people? I have personally met a couple of naturally ambidextrous people who could write equally well with the left or right hand, without too much effort, so it seems like the possibility at least exists. And supposing such a pitcher did exist, and threw to a switch-hitter. Is there anything in the baseball rulebook governing how many times a hitter or pitcher is allowed to change their stance? Or is an “infinite loop” possible as the pitcher switches to his lefty glove, the batter then to his righty stance, and so on back and forth _ad infinitum_? Would they flip a coin, shoot odds-and-evens, go rock-paper-scissors, do the fist-over-fist-on-the-baseball-bat thing, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/2 "2006-10-03T19:42:10Z")
[thread=374388]Here[/thread] is a recent thread on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/3 "2006-10-03T20:24:38Z")
According to the rules: > [@](#): > > 6.02 > The batter shall take his position in the batter’s box promptly when it is his time at bat. > (b) The batter shall not leave his position in the batter’s box after the pitcher comes to Set Position, or starts his windup. > PENALTY: If the pitcher pitches, the umpire shall call “Ball” or “Strike,” as the case may be. > Rule 6.02(b) Comment: The batter leaves the batter’s box at the risk of having a strike delivered and called, unless he requests the umpire to call “Time.” The batter is not at liberty to step in and out of the batter’s box at will. If the umpire doesn’t grant time, then the pitch counts. Also there’s an experimental rule currently in effect that prevents the batter from leaving the box at all: > [@](#): > > (d) The following experimental rule shall be in effect for all National Association Leagues in 2006: > (1) The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout the batter’s time at bat, unless one of the following exceptions applies, in which case the batter may leave the batter’s box but not the dirt area surrounding home plate: > (i) The batter swings at a pitch; > (ii) The batter is forced out of the batter’s box by a pitch; > (iii) A member of either team requests and is granted “Time”; > (iv) A defensive player attempts a play on a runner at any base; > (v) The batter feints a bunt; > (vi) A wild pitch or passed ball occurs; > (vii) The pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound after receiving the ball; or > (viii) The catcher leaves the catcher’s box to give defensive signals. > Notwithstanding Rule 6.02(c), if the batter intentionally leaves the batter’s box and delays play, and none of the exceptions listed in Rule 6.02(d)(1)(i) through (viii) applies, the umpire shall award a strike without the pitcher having to deliver the pitch. The ball shall remain alive. The umpire shall award additional strikes, without the pitcher having to deliver the pitch, if the batter remains outside the batter’s box and further delays play. Again, the umpire would have to grant any call of “time.” Finally: > [@](#): > > 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; Essentially, the umpire can just refuse to grant the batter’s request for time, and he’s stuck in the batter’s box. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/4 "2006-10-03T20:38:12Z")
Very thorough set of cites on the issue of whether the batter is allowed to change sides of the plate during an at-bat, **Reality Chuck**. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t quite see how it addresses the question of whether any pitchers have ever had the skill of delivering pitches from either arm. Could you kind of nudge me in the right direction? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/5 "2006-10-03T20:44:14Z")
:smack: D’oh! I get it now. You were just answering the question of whether the pitcher and batter would be allowed to play “Vizzini and the Pirate” _ad infinitum_. Please forgive. Would the rulebook even allow the pitcher to have a spare glove up on the mound with him? If not, a switch pitcher could always use Jim Abbott’s glove technique, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/6 "2006-10-03T21:00:37Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] According to the rules: …lots of rules snipped…QUOTE]But the batter’s box covers both sides of the plate. Couldn’t the batter just step over the plate and bat from the other side? Is there a definition of the batter’s box such that it is only one side of the plate at a time? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/7 "2006-10-03T21:19:34Z")
The pitcher has to commit first. See post#7 in the previous thread. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/8 "2006-10-06T05:36:48Z")
For me, the most impressive example is Billy Wagner. He broke his right arm a few times as a kid so he taught himself to throw lefty. You can kind of tell when you see him deliver (kind of herky-jerky) but man does he throw gas. ---
**Author:** ![Revedge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@Revedge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revedge)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/9 "2006-10-06T08:04:18Z")
I vaguely recall reading about a pitcher who pitch a game right handed, then pitched the next game of a double header left handed. But it could have been unbelievable BS that somebody wrote as a joke/april fools joke/etc. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/10 "2006-10-06T08:41:39Z")
i heard mentioned on sportsnet the other day an ambidextrous pitcher who had a reversible (six fingered) glove, and threw with both arms in the same inning… a quick google turns up [this mlb.com story:](http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_story.jsp?article_id=mlb_20000303_holtzman_cols&team_id=mlb) > [@](#): > > Greg Harris of the Montreal Expos, a natural right-hander, is the only pitcher in modern baseball history (since 1900) to throw with both hands in a Major League game. It was on September 28, 1995, against Cincinnati in the final week of the season when the Expos were 24 ½ games out of the lead in the National League East. > > The ambidextrous Harris worked a scoreless ninth inning in a 9-7 loss. Using a special reversible six-finger glove, which had two thumbs, Harris faced four batters, two right-handed and two left-handed. He allowed one runner, on a walk. > > The play-by-play follows: Pitching right handed, Harris retired the righty-hitting Reggie Sanders who swung at the first pitch and grounded to short. The next two batters were Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, both left-handed hitters. Throwing with his left hand, Harris walked Morris on four pitches. Taubensee carried Harris to a full count and hit a nubber in front of the plate. Harris switched back to his right hand for the righty-hitting Bret Boone, who grounded to the mound for the third out. so there was one. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/11 "2006-10-06T08:47:10Z")
or, i mean, so there was one pretty recently. but you gotta go way back before you find any others. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-has-there-ever-been-a-switch-pitcher/375145/12 "2006-10-06T19:34:28Z")
Speaking of ambidextrous gear, minor league players are required to wear batting helmets with both earflaps. Major leaguers may wear a single flap. Most of them do, but they have the option to wear two earflaps.