What does "switch" means for "batting" in baseball?
Baseball isn't at all mainstream in my country. In fact, it is almost existent. Can someone please tell me what "switch" means for batting in baseball? Thanks
Jon is correct.
A switch-hitter is a batter who can hit both left handed and right handed (although not necessarily equally well from both sides of the plate, but at least adequate for the major leagues from both sides).
A switch hitter will normally bat the "opposite" of the pitcher's throwing arm. If a pitcher is right handed, a switch hitter will usually bat left-handed against him. And vice versa. If a pitcher is left handed, a switch hitter will normally hit right handed against him.
The reason for batting the "opposite" of the pitcher's throwing style is because of the way certain pitches act when thrown. A right handed pitcher, when he throws a curve ball, will normally have the ball break down and away from a right handed batter... that same pitch is easier to hit for a left handed batter, because the pitch is not breaking away from him, it's breaking toward him. Therefore, a switch hitter will usually choose to hit left handed against a right handed pitcher.
Most switch hitters hit better from one side than the other. Some hit better from their "natural" side (i.e. they were born either left or right handed)...others have ended up hitting better as a lefty (even though they were natural right handers) because they face many more right handed pitchers, and the amount of practice they put in makes hitting left handed seem more "natural" to them.
Switch hitting developed as a means for a player to make himself available to play every day. Teams "platoon" a lot (this goes back to at least the 1920s), and a manager will often make his lineup based on whether the opposing pitcher is right or left handed. By developing the ability to switch hit, players were able to keep themselves in the lineup, because they could hit against both left and right handed pitchers.
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13 Responses to “What does "switch" means for "batting" in baseball?”
Apr 29th at 12:19 am By: I speak perfect Englesh
left-right hand switch
basically people who batty on the other side
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Apr 29th at 12:34 am By: John C
A "switch hitter" is someone who can bat on either the left or right side of the plate. Most batters can only bat on one or the other.
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Apr 29th at 1:22 am By: ian h
typically a switch hitter is someone who either bats for both teams or just the other team. Kind of like a left-handed bowler, or a guy who puts from the rough (to go along with other sports scenarios).
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Apr 29th at 2:02 am By: iceman219
It means they can hit both right handed and left handed.
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Apr 29th at 2:22 am By: Jon
A switch-hitter is someone who can hit from both sides of the plate. When a switch-hitter faces a right handed pitcher, he would bat on the left side of the plate because left handed batters have a natural advantage against right handed pitchers (they can’t pitch away as easily) and they would do the opposite against left handed pitchers.
hope that helps! =)
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Apr 29th at 2:30 am By: dagoddfatha1
they are like me and hit from either side left or right
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Apr 29th at 3:16 am By: Billl
In baseball, a switch-hitter bats right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers
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Ask.com
Apr 29th at 3:53 am By: tweety
Jon is correct.
A switch-hitter is a batter who can hit both left handed and right handed (although not necessarily equally well from both sides of the plate, but at least adequate for the major leagues from both sides).
A switch hitter will normally bat the "opposite" of the pitcher’s throwing arm. If a pitcher is right handed, a switch hitter will usually bat left-handed against him. And vice versa. If a pitcher is left handed, a switch hitter will normally hit right handed against him.
The reason for batting the "opposite" of the pitcher’s throwing style is because of the way certain pitches act when thrown. A right handed pitcher, when he throws a curve ball, will normally have the ball break down and away from a right handed batter… that same pitch is easier to hit for a left handed batter, because the pitch is not breaking away from him, it’s breaking toward him. Therefore, a switch hitter will usually choose to hit left handed against a right handed pitcher.
Most switch hitters hit better from one side than the other. Some hit better from their "natural" side (i.e. they were born either left or right handed)…others have ended up hitting better as a lefty (even though they were natural right handers) because they face many more right handed pitchers, and the amount of practice they put in makes hitting left handed seem more "natural" to them.
Switch hitting developed as a means for a player to make himself available to play every day. Teams "platoon" a lot (this goes back to at least the 1920s), and a manager will often make his lineup based on whether the opposing pitcher is right or left handed. By developing the ability to switch hit, players were able to keep themselves in the lineup, because they could hit against both left and right handed pitchers.
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Apr 29th at 4:21 am By: DR. Baseball
great ques nuno… Switch means "Switchhitter" someone who bats from both sides of the plate. righty and lefty… a very valuable weapon in the game.
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Apr 29th at 4:42 am By: A's fan 4 life!
Means that you can bat left- or right-handed. Most switch hitter bat left-handed for right-handed pitchers and right-handed for left-handed pitchers. That gives the batter an advantage
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Apr 29th at 5:17 am By: Brian
a Switch hitter is a hitter who can bat on both sides of the plate left handed and right handed. a switch hitter is almost always a righty who can hit from both side of the plate. Switch hitters are important when pitchers are changed so they can switch to the side they see the balln better
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Apr 29th at 6:01 am By: Bert Weidemeier
A "switchhitter." It means the batter can hit from either the left or right side of the plate.
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Apr 29th at 6:10 am By: A. E. Moreira
That a batter can bat from either side of the plate, normally left-handed against righties and right-handed against lefties.
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