has there ever been a switch pitcher in major league baseball
Switch pitcher Pat Venditte regularly pitches with both arms.[3] Venditte was drafted by the New York Yankees, played for the Seattle Mariners, and now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. While with the Staten Island Yankees, the Yankees' Single-A affiliate, when he opposed switch hitter Ralph Henriquez, Venditte switched his modified glove to his left arm. (Hitters traditionally derive advantages from batting from the opposite side of the plate to the pitcher's throwing arm.) Henriquez then switched to batting left-handed, and a series of changes continued for several minutes. This prompted the PBUC (Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation) to issue a new rule about switch-pitching. In short, switch-pitchers must indicate to the umpire, batter, and any runners the hand with which they will use to pitch. The pitcher must continue using this hand for the duration of the at bat, with some exceptions for injury and the use of pinch hitters. Following this choice, batters can then select with which hand they will bat. [4]
Steve Dalkowski Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (born June 3, 1939[1]), nicknamed Dalko,[2] is an American retired left-handed pitcher. He is sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h). Some experts believed it went as fast as 125 mph (201 km/h), others that his pitches traveled at 120 mph (190 km/h) or less.[3] As no radar gun or other device was available at games to measure the speed of his pitches precisely, the actual top speed of his pitches remains unknown. Regardless of its actual speed, his fastball earned him the nickname "White Lightning".[4] Such was his reputation that despite never reaching the major leagues, and finishing his minor league years in class-B ball, the 1966 Sporting News item about the end of his career was headlined "LIVING LEGEND RELEASED."[5]