Baseball managers play the percentages, relying on the course of action that presents them the best mathematical odds for success. Along those lines, right-handed pitchers tend to enjoy a slight advantage over right-handed batters, while lefty hurlers often dominate left-handed hitters. If a batter can hit from either side of the plate depending on the pitcher he's facing, he provides his manager with a greater chance for success. Switch hitting can be a valuable tool, and Major League Baseball stipulates special rules to govern its use.
Identification
The term "switch hitter" refers to any batter who can hit both left-handed and right-handed. For instance, the batter may start the game hitting left-handed yet may switch to hitting right-handed if he faces a left-handed pitcher, or even if he merely wishes to change his luck at the plate.
Warning
A batter may not switch sides of the plate once the pitcher comes to the set position or begins his windup. If the batter starts in the right batter's box and jumps across the plate to the left batter's box while the pitcher is preparing to deliver the pitch, the umpire will halt play and call the batter out.
Misconceptions
Contrary to popular belief, batters may switch sides of the plate during the same at-bat. The hitter may actually switch sides for each pitch if he so desires, regardless of the count or his number of strikes.
Considerations
Many baseball scholars question the effectiveness of switch hitting. Even the best switch hitters tend to have a dominant side, generating the vast majority of their power as either a righty or lefty. At some point, switching sides may actually have a detrimental effect to a batter's overall performance.
Records
A star infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of the 1930s, Frankie Frisch holds the Major League record for highest lifetime batting average for a switch hitter, hitting .316 over 19 seasons. New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle holds the record for most home runs as a switch hitter, belting 536 homers during his 18-year career. And Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits king, swatted his 4,256 career hits as a switch hitter.
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