Sunday, May 08, 2005
Switch pitching
Since I've been talking about quirky baseball ideas like the intentional balk, I should mention that one of my favourite ideas ever is the switch pitcher, perhaps because I had to learn to be ambidextrous at one point in my life. Here's a piece on Greg Harris, the last man to pitch from both sides.
I mentioned it on SoSH, which sparked a mini-discussion of the idea. I still don't quite know why it would be an insult to the game to switch-pitch.
Since I've been talking about quirky baseball ideas like the intentional balk, I should mention that one of my favourite ideas ever is the switch pitcher, perhaps because I had to learn to be ambidextrous at one point in my life. Here's a piece on Greg Harris, the last man to pitch from both sides.
I mentioned it on SoSH, which sparked a mini-discussion of the idea. I still don't quite know why it would be an insult to the game to switch-pitch.
Considering there are no MLB regulations on this, there's technically a possibility that a pitcher could switch hands, then a switch hitter at the plate would switch batter's boxes, causing the pitcher to switch hands again... ad nauseum. Yet another fantastic way to increase the amount of time between pitches, causing even more Canadians to watch curling.
Apparently, you have to declare which hand you're pitching with prior to the at-bat, and you have to stick to that hand. So that helps.
Huh. That's a weird outlier rule. But it reaffirms my belief that there's an entry in the rulebook for every possible situation, so that's nice.
It would certainly wreak hell with Terry's managerial style, given how much he likes to play the match-ups. Although then again, maybe not. Perhaps it would make it even more complicated.
(It would also put an obstacle in the way of his mancrush on Mike Myers. The switch pitcher could become the new LOOGY.)
(It would also put an obstacle in the way of his mancrush on Mike Myers. The switch pitcher could become the new LOOGY.)
Yeah, the MLB rulebook covers every possibility... they should write it Choose Your Own Adventure style: "If you pitch with your right hand, turn to page 24. If you decide to be a southpaw, turn to page 32."
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