How do you do a double switch in NL baseball?

Question

I am a lifelong American league fan (Toronto Blue Jays) and have always been around the DH but I know once in a while when I'm bored ill watch NL games and I see them do a double switch and I was just wondering how it work and how the manager does it because I know one game I watched the announcer said "managers have to be very careful when doing a double switch because mistakes can waste players. So I was just wondering how it works because it seems very confusing.

Answer 1

I come from an AL city also, but this is my understanding of how & when it would be done:



You would perform a double switch when your team is on defense, you want to make a pitching change but your pitcher is due to bat soon.



So lets say you still have your starting lineup on the field in the bottom of the 7th, you want to pull the starting pitcher for a relief pitcher to face the opponent's star hitter. Your left fielder who was the #8 hitter made the last out of the last inning so your pitcher is due to lead-off the next inning.



What you do is make 2 substitutions at once, and switch the player's positions.



1. You put in a substitute outfielder for your pitcher - in the #9 spot of the batting order.



2. You make another substitution where you bring in a relief pitcher in place of the left fielder - he takes the #8 spot in the batting order.



But you have the switch positions so the relief pitcher (who is now in the #8 spot in the batting order) takes the mound and the substitute outfielder takes his place in left field.



Now you have the correct pitcher on the mound but when your team comes to the plate the following inning its the subsitute outfielder leading off in the #9 position and you don't bring a pitcher to the plate again until you get all the way around to the #8 spot in the order again.

Answer 2

Basically, a "double switch" just means you're subbing out two players. This is done most often when taking out the pitcher.



The most common factor in making a double switch is the batting order of the upcoming innings. Let's say that the previous inning ended with the #7 hitter making an out. That means your #8 hitter will lead off the next inning and the Pitcher would bat second.



If the manager would like the pitcher to toss multiple innings, he may take out the #7 hitter and put the relief pitcher in his place...Let's say the #7 was the second baseman... He would then put the replacement 2B into the #9 hitting slot. Thus the pitcher would not have to bat the next inning.



The strategy and "wasting players" comes into play when the pitcher doesn't perform or if the manager decides to have the reliever throw only in that one inning. If the reliever struggles and needs to be replaced, you've basically "burned" a bench player for nothing.

Answer 3

Double switch is basically batting the pitcher the farthest spot away from the top batter. If a batter bats before the pitcher the last inning and the pitcher is due up first next inning a double switch is usually made to prevent wasting an at bat.

Answer 4

A double switch is when you remove your pitcher and then don't immediately have to pinch hit for the reliever.



That's the way the NL game is played, its not watered down version like the AL has with the DH.

Answer 5

no need for these in-depth answers. Its very simple.



The team in the field calls in someone from the bullpen and also replaces one of the fielders and the pitcher and fielder switch places in the batting order.



usually done late in a game when the pitcher's spot is due up next inning they don't have to use another bench player and the pitcher can pitch more innings if need be.

Answer 6

The double switch in a defensive strategy after a non pitcher bats. He will play his designed position and the other plays his secondary position.