ryan@fremen.DEC (Mike Ryan DTN 264-8280 MK01-2/H32) (08/10/85)
I recently read that Greg Harris of the Rangers is ambidextrous, and the
Rangers are considering using him from both sides. Right now he pitches
right-handed in games but throws batting practice left-handed. This leads
to some interesting speculations:
He could fill two spots in the starting rotation (pitch right 1 day, left
2 days later, right 2 or 3 days after that...).
Switching arms between batters, according to what side of the plate they're
on. This is tougher - he'd have to warm up with both arms, and might have
trouble, say, keeping his left arm loose while he pitches right-handed
several batters in a row. Also, he'd have to have two gloves - could he
keep the spare on the field (with the rosin bag), or would he have to go
to the bench between batters?
Switching arms during one batter - with one-sided batters, this could be useful
because it could confuse the batter enough to make up for pitching to him
from the "wrong" side. The usefulness of this against switch-hitters is
obvious, but leads to a rules question - who would get the last "switch" -
the batter or the pitcher? I suspect that there is no rule to cover this;
they would go back and forth until either one gave up or the umpire got
impatient and ordered them to stay the hell where they are. The glove
problem is tougher here, too.
An ambidextrous pitcher would be very useful in the bullpen, too, putting
whole new twists on pinch-hitter strategy.
Mike Ryan
ARPA: ryan%fremen.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
UUCP: {decvax,allegra,ihnp4,ucbvax,...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-fremen!ryanbd@peora.UUCP (Bernie Dougan) (08/12/85)
From: ryan@fremen.DEC > Also, he'd have to have two gloves - could he >keep the spare on the field (with the rosin bag), or would he have to go >to the bench between batters? Isn't there a rule where a pitcher (all players?) cannot change their gloves during a game? If so, then I don't think a ball club would take advantage of an ambidextrous pitcher within a game. -- Bernie Dougan Perkin-Elmer Southern Development Center 2486 Sand Lake Road Orlando, Florida 32809 (305)850-1040 {decvax!ucf-cs, ihnp4!pesnta, vax135!petsd}!peora!bd
mupmalis@watarts.UUCP (M. A. Upmalis) (08/13/85)
In article <3550@decwrl.UUCP> ryan@fremen.DEC (Mike Ryan DTN 264-8280 MK01-2/H32) writes: >I recently read that Greg Harris of the Rangers is ambidextrous, and the >Rangers are considering using him from both sides. Right now he pitches >right-handed in games but throws batting practice left-handed. This leads >to some interesting speculations: There is a kid recently in the news who pitches with both arms. He would start with one hand then "come on in relief" of himself to throw from the other side. The question was whether or not he got the eight warm up pitches! I don't know the answer. He is also working up to switching every other inning then on the same batter. His stance would start with the pitcher facing second so the hitter wouldn't know which arm... -- Mike Upmalis (mupmalis@watarts)<University of Waterloo> ihnp4!watmath!watarts!mupmalis
stevev@tekchips.UUCP (Steve Vegdahl) (08/13/85)
> Switching arms during one batter - with one-sided batters, this could be useful > because it could confuse the batter enough to make up for pitching to him > from the "wrong" side. The usefulness of this against switch-hitters is > obvious, but leads to a rules question - who would get the last "switch" - > the batter or the pitcher? I suspect that there is no rule to cover this; > they would go back and forth until either one gave up or the umpire got > impatient and ordered them to stay the hell where they are. The glove > problem is tougher here, too. This subject came up several years ago in The Sporting News' "ask the referee" column. The answer given by Hal was that the batter would have the "last switch". I don't think he discussed whether the pitcher could switch on a pitch-by-pitch basis. Steve Vegdahl Computer Research Lab. Tektronix, Inc. Beaverton, Oregon
mcal@ihuxb.UUCP (Mike Clifford) (08/13/85)
> From: ryan@fremen.DEC > > Also, he'd have to have two gloves - could he > >keep the spare on the field (with the rosin bag), or would he have to go > >to the bench between batters? > > Isn't there a rule where a pitcher (all players?) cannot change > their gloves during a game? If so, then I don't think a ball club > would take advantage of an ambidextrous pitcher within a game. > -- > Bernie Dougan I think that if I managed a team with an ambidextrous pitcher, I would still let him use either arm even if he wasn't allowed to switch gloves. He could for instance, bring out the glove for his left hand when pitching to a lineup that consisted more of righthanded batters, and, when the lefthanded batters would come up, he would perch the glove on his right hand. It would be more difficult to field, but not to the extent that it would even out his advantage to pitch lefthanded to lefty batters and righthanded to righty batters. Mike Clifford
rkp@drutx.UUCP (Russ Pierce) (08/13/85)
>I recently read that Greg Harris of the Rangers is ambidextrous, and the >Rangers are considering using him from both sides. Right now he pitches >right-handed in games but throws batting practice left-handed. This leads >to some interesting speculations: My cubemate (who is an avid Tigers fan) told me that he was talking to his father (from Detroit) the other day, and his father said that Frank Tanana pitched ambidextrously in a Tigers game recently. Is there any truth to this? I would have thought this news would have been all over the media, but I (who follows baseball religiously) did not hear anything. Russell Pierce AT&T 1200 W. 120th Ave. Denver, CO 80234 ...!drutx!rkp (303) 538-2023 "When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself...."
cgeiger@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (charles s. geiger) (08/19/85)
Couldn't they just invent a glove with a thumb on each end? Surely it wouldn't work as well as a normal glove, but only one glove would be needed.
djvh@drutx.UUCP (VanHandelDJ) (08/23/85)
I'm not sure about any of this; maybe somebody else is . . . - Wasn't Early Wynn an ambidextrous pitcher who did pitch both ways? - Isn't there a rule which says a pitcher must use the same arm for the entire game? - After the first pitch in any at-bat, doesn't the hitter have to continue to bat from that side of the plate for the remainder of that at-bat? I always believed the above to be true, though I don't know for sure. Can anybody out there verify any of these for the benefit of us all? Many thanks - and GO CUBS !!! Dave Van Handel drutx!djvh I will also add that Denver deserves a baseball team; the weather here is far better for baseball than the weather was in Milwaukee when I lived there.
rhoads@oasys.UUCP (08/29/85)
> I'm not sure about any of this; maybe somebody else is . . . > > - Wasn't Early Wynn an ambidextrous pitcher who did pitch both ways? > Good Question. Don't know. > - Isn't there a rule which says a pitcher must use the same arm for the > entire game? > There is no such rule. A pitcher may switch every pitch if he desires, but may only have one glove. > - After the first pitch in any at-bat, doesn't the hitter have to continue > to bat from that side of the plate for the remainder of that at-bat? > No. However, the batter may not "jump" the plate once the pitchers steps on the rubber. He may however ask for a time out and switch sides if the ump gives it to him. (What if he leaves the batter's box and runs behind the ump though, without the ump calling time? Of course, he had better not miss the pitch if that happens.) > > Many thanks - and GO CUBS !!! > Go BRAVES. OK, OK, how about Go Dale Murphy? > Dave Van Handel > drutx!djvh > > I will also add that Denver deserves a baseball team; the weather here is > far better for baseball than the weather was in Milwaukee when I lived there. I second that motion!!!! -- Rhoads Hollowell {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires![oasys!]rhoads "I knew I shoulda made dat left turn at Alburqurque!!" --B. Bunny