Little League World Series Offering Look into the Future?
Aside from Pat Venditte, it has been a long time since a switch pitcher made an appearance. Now, in the Little League World Series, we may have a glimpse at the future.
In a way, the switch pitcher seems to be the next logical step in the evolution of baseball. Having a pitcher, either starting or relieving, who can come in and get that platoon advantage against the opposition would be a major boost to any franchise, especially if they can be equally effective with both arms. Also, having the ability to pitch from either side could make the pitch count irrelevant, as they have the ability to throw with either arm.
Yet, aside from pitchers like Pat Venditte, and the likes of Greg Harris and several pitchers in the 19th century, switch pitchers are a rarity. Given the amount of work that must be done to master pitches from one side, let alone two, that makes sense. However, in the Little League World Series, we may be seeing the beginning of that next evolutionary step in pitching.
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Pitching for Curacao, Jurrangelo Cijntje did just that in their match against South Korea. After facing the first two batters of the first inning with his left hand, Cijntje switched to his right hand to face a righty. In doing so, he became the first switch pitcher to appear in the Little League World Series in almost 60 years, when Angel Macias turned the trick in 1957. Macias, incidentally, also pitched the only perfect game in Little League World Series history.
Obviously, this is not an indication that Cijntje will make it to the Majors, let alone have a professional baseball career. We all remember the hype over Danny Almonte, and the attention he received during the 2001 Little League World Series before it was revealed that he was actually 14 years old. His professional career consisted of six games in the Frontier League with the Southern Illinois Miners.
Yet, it is possible that Cijntje is the beginning of a new breed of pitcher. With Major League teams looking for every advantage possible, young switch pitchers may be that next step towards roster optimization. Venditte may be the first true switch pitcher, but others may well be coming.
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Jurrangelo Cijntje is an anomaly right now after his appearance as a switch pitcher during the Little League World Series. But that does not mean he will be such a rarity for long.