Diamond season is quickly approaching and just when you think that the Yankees can't have any more tricks (or overpaid all-star players) up their sleeve, during a spring training game against the Braves, Girardi brings in the only ambidextrous pitcher in professional baseball, Pat Venditte. Venditte, age 24, known as the "Switch Pitcher" pitched for 1 1/3 innings allowing one run, two hits, and a walk. Now, I've seen ambidextrous people before but never any that could throw 90mph pitches with both hands. In the past 100 years Greg Harris is the only other pitcher to pitch from both sides. The difference is that Harris was a righty for the majority of his career and only pitched from the left side for 2 batters in his second to last game. His unique gift make him fascinating to watch and make even more interesting to see how the MLB is having to adjust.
QUICK FACTS:
- He was a walk-on at Creighton University.
- He as a specially designed 6 finger glove, with two webs and two thumb slots.
- After his Minor League debut* the Umpire Association had to establish the "Venditte Rules" which state that the pitcher must indicate to the umpire-in-chief, the batter and any runners which hand he intends to pitch with. Once the first pitch is thrown, the pitcher and the batter may change sides only one time per at bat.
- He's not perfect but he is far from just a side show act, he compiled a 1.87 ERA and a 1.069 WHIP last summer, striking out 87 while walking only 11 in 67.1 innings.
*Video of the 1st showdown between a switch pitcher and a switch hitter.
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