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From: ryan@fremen.DEC (Mike Ryan	DTN 264-8280 MK01-2/H32)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Ambidextrous pitchers
Message-ID: <3550@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 17:28:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3550
Posted: Fri Aug  9 17:28:20 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 21:19:42 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
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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
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