Minor Leaguer with a Rare Gift – VIDEO
Patrick Venditte, minor league pitcher for the New York Yankees, has an unbelievable gift. No, he is not a switch-hitter… no, he does not hit balls over buildings… and no, he doesn’t throw a 100+ MPH fastball. Patrick Venditte has such a rare gift, that only 3 players in the 19th century had this particular gift and used it in a professional game, and 1 other player since then in the modern era. This rare gift that Patrick Venditte has is that he is a switch-pitcher. As defined on Wikipedia, a switch-pitcher is an ambidextrous pitcher who is able to pitch with both the right and left hand from the pitchers mound.
Switch-Pitchers in Major League History…
- Tony Mullane in 1882 and 1893
- Elton Chamberlain in 1888
- Larry Corcoran in 1884
- Greg A. Harris in 1995
Venditte, a product of Creighton University, is currently playing single-A ball with the Tampa Yankees, but his skill of effectively pitching with both hands has caught the attention of Yankee skipper Joe Girardi. Even though Girardi has a very small say in who gets to accompany the team on road trips, he had one request that the Yankees granted. Pat Venditte will board a bus with the team today, and make the trip to Lake Buena Vista where the Atlanta Braves will host the New York Yankees at 1:05pm on MLB.tv. As described on MLB.com:
Venditte, 24, first gained national fame during a Class A game in 2008, in a comical sequence with Mets Minor Leaguer Ralph Henriquez. Henriquez, a switch-hitter, began moving from batter’s box to batter’s box, while Venditte shifted his specially designed six-finger glove from his right hand to his left. After several cycles, umpires ruled that Henriquez had to commit to one side of the plate before Venditte committed to his right arm or left. One month later, the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation released a series of rules pertaining to Venditte’s situation, allowing both batters and pitchers to switch sides once per at-bat.
Venditte spent last season with Single-A Charleston and Tampa compiling a 4-2 record with 22 saves and a 1.87 ERA in 49 games. According to an article I read in the NY Post today, Venditte is likely to start the 2010 season with the Double-A Trenton Thunder. For those of you living in the Tri-State area, this may be a great opportunity to visit Mercer County Waterfront Park, and catch a game that Venditte pitches. I am really excited to see if he has what it takes to make it to the show as a switch-pitcher.
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UPDATE: In today’s outing, Venditte allowed one earned run and two hits while working 1 1/3 innings for New York in his first appearance against Major Leaguers. He pitched right-handed to four of the seven batters he faced and was only damaged by Matt Young’s sacrifice fly. Venditte ended his outing by throwing right-handed to switch-hitter Brooks Conrad, who grounded out.
To read more on Patrick Venditte, check out the following links:
- MLB.com Article: Girardi intrigued by ‘switch-pitcher‘
- Wikipedia page: Pat Venditte
What are your thoughts on Patrick Venditte? Is a switch-pitcher something you would like to see in the Major Leagues someday? Leave your thoughts in the Comments section below.
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