Whew, Scott . . . Switch hitter/Switch pitcher . . . I thought this was another "Gay Marriage" post now coming from Admin.
one month later it was ruled that a pitcher and batter can switch once per batting.
On this video the umpiring crew determined that the hitter must first pick a side to bat and then the pitcher can then declare which arm he will use to pitch.
This led to
"The Pat Venditte Rule" by the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation.
1. The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to with which arm he will throw.
2. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.
3. The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for by a pinch-hitter or the pitcher incurs an injury.
4. Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire. There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.
5. If an injury occurs the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.
