Posted By:
three25hitsAnother SABR member responded ---
1. The Baseball Trivia Book to End All Baseball Trivia Books by Bert Sugar, 1986. On page 81, Sugar writes, "Other nineteenth-century switch-pitchers
included Larry Corcoran, John Roach, and Icebox Chamberlain."
Sugar doesn't specifically state that Roach switch-pitched in the majorleagues. In fact, Roach's name comes up in a discussion of switch-pitchers
under the question, "Who was the only player to pitch ambidextrously in aprofessional game in this century?"
2. The letters section of the September 20-22, 1991 issue of USA Weekendincluded a question asking about switch-pitchers. The answer was Mullane,Corcoran, Chamberlain & Roach. (This was prior to Harris doing it.)
The question regarding Roach switch-pitching earlier this year was raised on SABR-L, but there was no response. It seems odd that a pitcher making his
major league debut would switch-pitch, especially while tossing a 22-hitter. (It was an 18-hitter until a few years ago.) The game was played May 14, so it wasn't an end-of-season laugher.
Total Baseball VII has notations for players who pitched or batted the opposite hand for brief periods (Baumholtz.) There is no notation for Roach.
I'm inclined to believe Roach may have switch-pitched in the minor leagues, but have doubts that he did so in his debut that turned out to be his only game.