Confusing opponents left and right

By AARON SNYDER -- The Independent

MOREHEAD May 17, 2008 10:35 pm

— We’ve all heard of switch hitting, but what about switch pitching?
Rowan County starting pitcher Nick Duff knows a thing or two about it. He’s been doing it for several years now.
“He’s been ambidextrous all the way up,” said Rowan County coach Steve Walters.
According to the natural right-hander, he discovered his ability when he was 9 years old.
“In Little League I had problems with my right arm,” Duff said. “I told my dad jokingly one day that I was going to just turn around and try to throw left handed.”
The joke became a reality. Duff bought a glove that cost him a mere three dollars to fit over his right hand. After that, he became dedicated to throwing with his left arm as well as his right.
“I just started throwing every day,” he said.
According to Duff, once he started throwing left handed, the problems with his right arm disappeared.
That’s not to say it was the smoothest of transitions though.
“At first, I had control issues,” Duff recalled. “I didn’t have that much speed either, but it kind of progressed.
“The more I threw, the more I got used to it. I got used to the motion and threw the ball harder with better location.”
When he brought his ability to the high school level, Walters welcomed the unique talent with open arms. He lets Nick make the decision of which way he will throw.
“I never had anybody who did that before,” Walters said. “I’ve always kind of left it up to him.”
“He lets me go whichever way I feel more comfortable going,” Duff said.
Before each start, Duff warms up both ways to see which side is his strongest on that particular day.
He also takes the opposing team’s lineup into account. If the other team showcases a bunch of left handers, he will usually throw left-handed and vice versa.
“Since I naturally throw right handed, I have more velocity on my fastball from the right side,” he said. “But I usually prefer throwing my offspeed pitches left handed.”
Sometimes Duff even makes the switch in the middle of a game, as he did in a 15-4 win over Russell on April 12, in which he threw three innings right handed and two innings from the left side.
He said that in his seven starts this season, he has probably thrown with both arms in five of those.
“I hear other teams saying, ‘It looks like they’ve got a new pitcher. Oh, wait! It looks like the same kid!’” Duff remarked. “Then they all kind of come out and watch me warm up. I try to just block it out as much as I can so it doesn’t really add any pressure.”
Walters said that it is both confusing and intimidating to opposing squads.
“It seems to freak the coaches out more than it does the kids,” Walters said. “It would have to be kind of weird to see somebody right handed and see the same person left handed.”
To his teammates, though, the novelty has worn off a bit.
“Most of the guys on the team have played with me since Little League,” Duff said. “They really don’t even notice it anymore.”
However, some of the teammates have joked around about trying to switch-throw themselves.
As he nears the end of his junior season, Duff is also noticing some of the younger guys looking up to him along with his teammates who are the same age. The Vikings will lose seven seniors after this season.
“I’d like to think that I’ve kind of become a leader for a lot of the guys on this team,” he said. “I really try to set an example for the freshmen and sophomores especially.”
According to Walters, Duff has become one of the top pitchers on the Rowan County staff. He is 2-2 with a 3.90 ERA and has 21 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.
Although Duff possesses a unique ability, he is still modest about his mental approach.
“It gives me extra confidence, but not overconfidence,” he said. “I’m not really an overpowering pitcher either way. It just gives me two options.”
The good thing for Duff is that he is still improving from each side.
“I’ve come a long way since I first started,” Duff said. “I think I’m still getting better.”
“The biggest thing that has helped him is that he’s grown up a little bit,” Walters said. “He’s gotten more muscular, while staying mechanically correct both ways.”
Duff has shown some muscle with the bat too, both left and right handed. According to Walters, Duff has hit home runs from each side of the plate this season.
As a team, the Vikings (7-12) seemed to have turned a corner. After dropping seven straight games, they have won four in a row, including a 12-11 win over East Carter in eight innings.
Whether it’s the left-handed or right-handed Duff that takes the mound or goes to the plate, Walters said he is becoming one of the most reliable contributors on the team heading into postseason play.