Big Z & Baseball Tonight

[Bergy92]

Okay, I am taking this with a grain of salt, obviously because of the second half of the title - but last night Baker was talking about Zambrano and how much of a "pure athlete" that he is. He was saying that the day after he pitches sometimes he would come out and throw batting practice left-handed. Is this true? Have I just totally missed something? Baker was talking about how he can run it up there somewhere just above 80mph. I was like, what?

 

Anyways, I hope this is not an old topic, but this is maybe the most shocking thing I have heard if it is true.

[Soul]

Just curious, but what do you find shocking about it? That Dusty would let him throw with his left hand after a start, or the idea that he can actually throw with his left hand?

 

I've never heard this before either, BTW.

[stuy119]

I'm surprised that Dusty didn't try to throw him out there as a loogy some day.

 

Oh, wait, Carlos' left hand isn't a vet! :D

[Soul]

What would really be awesome would be to see Z turn southpaw during a start! Haha, you think you can trot your switch hitters up here forget that Mr. Manager! 8-)

[Bergy92]

Just curious, but what do you find shocking about it? That Dusty would let him throw with his left hand after a start, or the idea that he can actually throw with his left hand?

 

I've never heard this before either, BTW.

 

I guess I am shocked that he can bring it at 80+mph left-handed. I mean, how fast can you throw normal-handed? I suppose that I could throw close to 70 or so right handed, but would be lucky to make it across the plate lefty.

 

And yes, I am shocked that Dusty did not try to make him throw lefty on those blow-out days...

[rynefan]

Swith-pitching Zambrano! LOVE IT!

[Soul]

I think we need to start a switch-pitch chant on days Z pitches.

 

Just do it! One pitch, that's all I want.

 

Hey -- it'll make baseball history (and BBTN, too).

[CubColtPacer]

There's one pitcher listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia that has switch-pitched-his name was Tony Mullane. I know that there were high school pitchers who did it about 20 years ago, but I'm not sure if they made it to college and did it there or not.

[Abe Frohman]

I have a buddy who is ambidextrous also. He played in the Mariners organization as a catcher, and he can bring it at 75 mph left handed. There are some freaks out there who can do this.

 

Last season in one of our MSBL games, he pitched two shutout innings left handed.

[C.C.]

There's one pitcher listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia that has switch-pitched-his name was Tony Mullane. I know that there were high school pitchers who did it about 20 years ago, but I'm not sure if they made it to college and did it there or not.

 

Didn't Billy Wagner go from a righty to a lefty?

[jersey cubs fan]

I never had much velocity when I pitched. I throw righty. But I'm naturally left handed. If I just grabbed a ball and threw lefty, it would be slow and ugly. If I repeat the delivery and concentrate though, I can throw pretty decently. And I can throw football perfect spiral 30-35 yards left handed. Maybe Zambrano is a natural lefty who just learned to throw righty because that was more common.

[biittner77]

There's one pitcher listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia that has switch-pitched-his name was Tony Mullane. I know that there were high school pitchers who did it about 20 years ago, but I'm not sure if they made it to college and did it there or not.

 

Didn't Billy Wagner go from a righty to a lefty?

 

Taught himself to throw lefty when he broke his arm as a kid seems like the story I heard.

[rawaction]

I never had much velocity when I pitched. I throw righty. But I'm naturally left handed. If I just grabbed a ball and threw lefty, it would be slow and ugly. If I repeat the delivery and concentrate though, I can throw pretty decently. And I can throw football perfect spiral 30-35 yards left handed. Maybe Zambrano is a natural lefty who just learned to throw righty because that was more common.

 

I'm right-handed, but I can do things better than most RHs can with my left hand. I can throw a spiral about 30 yards. I can throw a baseball a pretty good distance LH, but with not much velocity. I forgot my glove once and played a slow-pitch softball game with a lefty's glove. I played LF and actually made 2 catches and all the throws LH.

[JLN]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/sports/baseball/06pitcher.html?ei=5090&en=76546947bec6c57d&ex=1333512000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

[sweetpeteman]

Yeah, its too bad Creighton didn't come to Bradley this year.

[Flames24Rulz]

Yeah, its too bad Creighton didn't come to Bradley this year.

 

Yeah, I wanted to see that switch-pitch pitcher as well.

[Bergy92]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/sports/baseball/06pitcher.html?ei=5090&en=76546947bec6c57d&ex=1333512000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

 

I am in total awe.... :shock:

[Abe Frohman]

I just want to see the guys glove. It said Louisville Slugger made it, but in the picture there is a Mizuno label on it.

[Slugger_16]

I have seen Z throw with his left hand before. A few years ago when I went to ATL to see the Cubs, we were there during BP. Z was in the outfield shagging fly balls and both my brother and I noted that he was throwing left handed. We mentioned how natural and hard he threw with his left hand. I've never seen him actually pitching left handed before, but I've seen him tossing a ball around lefty.

[Jehrico]

If Guzman struggles, I say pitch Z left handed for the #5 pitcher instead of bringing Miller back up.

[B]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/sports/baseball/06pitcher.html?ei=5090&en=76546947bec6c57d&ex=1333512000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

 

I am in total awe.... :shock:

 

Looks like his right handed motion is more natural for him. He looks kind of odd throwing lefty.

[UK1679666180]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/sports/baseball/06pitcher.html?ei=5090&en=76546947bec6c57d&ex=1333512000&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

 

I am in total awe.... :shock:

 

I seen Pat pitch in a College all-star game last Summer, he threw 9 pitches, 9 strikes, and struck out all 3. He threw LH'ed to 2 batters and right handed to the last one.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Z can throw with all 3 arms

[Pushfrog98]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned (at least that I saw) the fact that Z is a switch hitter... I know it's different than throwing, but he's shown that he's pretty ambidextrous.

[Anna]

In this month's Vineline...

 

Most fans don't know Zambrano is ambidextrous. He's a switch hitter and can throw pretty well from the left side. While shagging fly balls during batting practice, he'll throw with his left arm, not his right.

 

"If you put a glove on his right hand and then watch him throw, you'd think he was left-handed," Fleita [the players' development director] said.

 

"I can throw hard left-handed, and obviously, I can throw good right-handed," Zambrano said. "I can play rightfield or leftfield left-handed. I haven't pitched that way. I don't think I have a good enough fastball. I can throw around 80."