Has there ever been an ambidextrous major league pitcher?

Question

Has there ever been a major league pitcher that could pitch with both arms and is there a rule about whether a pitcher can pitch from one set arm in a game or not?

Answer 1

Yes. Greg Harris is the only one remotely recent, and he did it only one time, in the second-last game of his career. Before Harris we need to reach back to the 19th century, where Tony Mullane, Icebox Chamberlain, and perhaps a very few others were so gifted.

When the possibility arose that Harris might switch-pitch, the NL issued player rules covering the situation. I've never been able to find an on-line cite for this, but memory tells me these included:
a. pitcher may have only one glove with him (cannot put an opposite glove in the back pocket or stash it on the backside of the mound);
b. pitcher may not go to the dugout to exchange gloves;
c. pitcher must commit to his delivery hand before pitching to each batter (not much of an issue unless a switch-hitter is coming up);
d. pitcher must continue with that hand for the duration of the batter's plate appearance.

To conform with (a) and (b), Harris had a special, ambidextrous glove made; it looks symmetric, with a thumb piece at either end. He got so accustomed to using it that he felt odd using conventional gloves.

Apparently there was a switch-pitcher, Pat Venditte, at Creighton U. this past season.

Answer 2

The answer is kind-of. There is only one pitcher that I have ever seen listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia as throwing "B" for both. He is Tony Mullane. However, more modern sources (baseball-reference.com) lists his as throwing right, but that he also "threw left-handed a handful of times." I doubt there has been a truly ambidextrous ML pitcher.

At lower levels, it does happen. Creighton University had a truly ambidextrous pitcher this season - Pat Venditte. He has a special glove that fits either hand with two webs. According to Venditte's bio on Creighton's baseball site, he is one of three verified ambidextrous pitchers in college baseball this season. I saw him pitch a game, and he changes throwing hands based on the batter's side.

UPDATE: I forgot about Greg A. Harris - he did switch throwing arms in one game.

Answer 3

Tony Mullane and a couple of other major leaguers pitched ambidextrously a few times but no one has ever been a full time lefty/righty. Harris is the only one in the modern era I know of EXCEPT -- Bert Campaneris, who, when he played all 9 positions in a game for Kansas City pitched ambidextrously in the inning that he pitched.

Answer 4

i dont recall any but there is an up and comer who has good stuff. I highly doubt there is a rule against it. The only problem would be the glove. He'd can only have one on so what would he do? switch with every batter he faces? plus there are always switch hitters so i guess he'd have to pick unless some company manages to make a universal glove.

Answer 5

Greg Harris

Answer 6

having a mlb'er that could compete throwing with both arms will never happen in our lifetimes. there have been a few college guys do it but the compeition is no where near as great. we are born with one of our arms just too weak to get major league hitters out , consistantly, no doubt about it, the end , bonga bonga.greg harris deal was a freak deal and i don't care whan happend in the 18th centry

Answer 7

Yes there has been. I do not recall the name. The rule for switch hitting applies to pitching as well. A player cannot switch from left or right during an at-bat. They can switch between at-bats as often as they like.