settle a baseball theory debate

[threeonefour]

my and me roommate were having an argument over whether or not it is advantageous to bat left handed in baseball because you are closer to first base.

ie. would a switch hitter who is just as good at batting left vs right get to 1st base faster when he is batting left handed or right handed or would he get there at the exact same time.



also if you know of a website or anything that confirms your answer please link it. I don't think the opinions of 2+2ers are enough alone to settle the argument.
(i tried to google it but i could find any good website's on these kind of things.)

[bugstud]

fastest to first (ichiro) is left handed

[tech]

Does it take you longer to run 89 feet or 91 feet?

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]
ie. would a switch hitter who is just as good at batting left vs right get to 1st base faster when he is batting left handed or right handed or would he get there at the exact same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

the switch hitter is better off batting on the side that gives him the greatest advantage over the pitcher he is facing. I believe it is true that a player can get to first slightly faster left handed than right handed, but the difference isn't that much.

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
ie. would a switch hitter who is just as good at batting left vs right get to 1st base faster when he is batting left handed or right handed or would he get there at the exact same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

distance = rate * time.

momentum helps here, too.

[jesusarenque]

You can get to first faster if you are left handed, but being left handed is not necessarily advantageous. It is probably more advantageous to have a righty up against a lefty pitcher, as the platoon split more than makes up for the split-second advantage a lefty has in running to first.

[nothumb]

I think if you look up the percentage of infield hits a batter gets it's pretty negligible in all but a few cases. So the batter would have to be equally good leftie/rightie, and also equally able to hit lefties as a leftie (very unlikely), and also be a speedy little slap hitter.

In short, very doubtful, the likelihood of the speed difference overtaking the advantage gained by batting from the other side against a left-handed pitcher is small.

NT

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]
You can get to first faster if you are left handed, but being left handed is not necessarily advantageous. It is probably more advantageous to have a righty up against a lefty pitcher, as the platoon split more than makes up for the split-second advantage a lefty has in running to first.

[/ QUOTE ]

But a lefty against a RHP, the most common pitcher... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Roy Munson]

The same batter will arrive at first base approximately .2 of a second faster from the left side than the right side.

My college baseball coach used to time everybody from home to first. Switch hitters were timed from each box. Each of them were faster from the left side.

[threeonefour]

[ QUOTE ]

the switch hitter is better off batting on the side that gives him the greatest advantage over the pitcher he is facing. I believe it is true that a player can get to first slightly faster left handed than right handed, but the difference isn't that much.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am of the same belief... i think the handedness of the pitcher is of more importance. but it certainly has to be faster to first batting left handed. and even if its a fraction of a second, thats still significant since so many plays at first are close calls.

my roommates argument is that with a right handed swing, you "naturally flow" into a running position, where as when you are left handed you need to take an extra step for some reason. I don't find this to be the case at all. I am left handed and a switch hitter and I feel like if anything the left handed swing leaves you in a better position to run to first.

[jesusarenque]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You can get to first faster if you are left handed, but being left handed is not necessarily advantageous. It is probably more advantageous to have a righty up against a lefty pitcher, as the platoon split more than makes up for the split-second advantage a lefty has in running to first.

[/ QUOTE ]

But a lefty against a RHP, the most common pitcher... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, with a right-handed pitcher it is advantageous to be a left-handed batter, but this is mainly because of the platoon split and not the distance to first.

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]
my roommates argument is that with a right handed swing, you "naturally flow" into a running position, where as when you are left handed you need to take an extra step for some reason.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is wrong


[ QUOTE ]
I don't find this to be the case at all. I am left handed and a switch hitter and I feel like if anything the left handed swing leaves you in a better position to run to first.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is right, I'm a former switch hitter as well.

[Voltron87]

The advantage a switch hitter from aligning on the advantageou side is >>>> any running help.

It probably doesn't help that much, since if you draw a straight line to 1st it is probably only a couple of degrees off.

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]

I'm a former switch hitter as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is too easy

[The Stranger]

I took a baseball coaching class in college. I heard one interesting point about left-handed batters while discussing lineup construction.

You wat a left-handed batter hittng behind your base stealer, because the catcher has a harder time seeing him get a jump.

Nothing to do with the question posed, but interesting nonetheless.

[MEbenhoe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I'm a former switch hitter as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is too easy

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd think in a thread about switch hitting baseball players I could get away with saying this /images/graemlins/mad.gif Still got a good laugh from that though.

[bugstud]

it's all in good fun here

hey, after I got hit like this in the IL thread, I had to do it

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

If you're fast and are a slap hitter, batting left is definitely an advantage, just ask Ichiro.

Of course the exception that proves the rule is Rocco Baldelli, who's faster down the line from the right side than Ichiro is from the left.

[Sooga]

[ QUOTE ]

This is right, I'm a former switch hitter as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you also pitch and catch?

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]
If you're fast and are a slap hitter, batting left is definitely an advantage, just ask Ichiro.

Of course the exception that proves the rule is Rocco Baldelli, who's faster down the line from the right side than Ichiro is from the left.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was under the impression he was slower than ichiro but about the fastest righty. Correct me if I'm wrong on that though

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
You can get to first faster if you are left handed, but being left handed is not necessarily advantageous. It is probably more advantageous to have a righty up against a lefty pitcher, as the platoon split more than makes up for the split-second advantage a lefty has in running to first.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. A lefty batting against a lefty might drop his hitting ability by over 30%, even against horrible lefties, like the husk of John Franco. This is why left-handers stick around in the league so long.

(Meanwhile, the split for righties is near universal but smaller - 9%)

[Arsene Lupin III]

Is it true that right handed batters end their swing with their momentum being transferred naturally as a sprinter would do and can continue their stride immediately by getting a second jump-step immediately off the front (left) foot? This momentum is easily transferable in the direction of first base. It seems that lefties have to continue the rotation of their body by mildly rotating around the pivot axis of their right foot, resulting in some loss of the initial momentum and energy produced during the swing. It would be akin to a 200m runner starting a race facing 90 degrees away from the rest of the runners. This alone will more than counter for the half-stride difference in distance, which would be made up for at full speed, not in the initial steps.

[jstnrgrs]

I'm sure those who have actually played baseball would know better, but doesn't a left handed batter have to turn to run to first (while a right would be already facing first). I would think that would cancle out the slightly shorter distance they must run.

[Brainwalter]

[ QUOTE ]
I think if you look up the percentage of infield hits a batter gets it's pretty negligible in all but a few cases. So the batter would have to be equally good leftie/rightie, and also equally able to hit lefties as a leftie (very unlikely), and also be a speedy little slap hitter.

[/ QUOTE ]

Time getting to fisrt base doesn't only affect infield singles. A player who gets to first quicker also gets to second and third quicker. The player would be better at beating the throw for a double or triple as well.