WHY WE'LL LOVE SWITCH PITCHER VENDITTE

Glove on, glove off. Glove on, glove off. Left hand, right hand. Left hand, right hand.

No, I’m not misquoting The Karate Kid, I’m talking about Pat Venditte, the Yankees’ minor league switch pitcher. No, not switch hitter. Switch pitcher. That is, he throw with both his right hand and left hand. This isn’t Wonderland, this is Earth, and this kid is a professional baseball player who can throw with both hands. In case you can’t grasp how weird this is, I’ll put it in perspective: the only player in Major League history to do this is Greg A. Harris of the Texas Rangers (and other teams, including the Yankees for 1 second.)

Being a switch hitter is much more common, but like any oddity, it involves a very specific incident in which one decides that they want to do something outside the realm of normalcy. So, how did Venditte decide to be a switch pitcher? He didn’t. It was all his dad’s idea. When Pat was only 3 years old, his father noticed he was good at throwing with both hands, so from that day on he had little Pat use both hands. It may have just been a gut feeling, but his dad had a feeling that this kid was going to do something special. Being the only switch pitcher in professional baseball? I’d say that’s something very special.If you know anything about baseball, you know why this is a big deal. No matter which side the opposing batter hits from, you have the edge. Like a switch hitter, Venditte switches handedness on the fly to gain the advantage. Switching is a bit trickier than just taking a couple steps like a

hitter though, Venditte has to use a custom made 6-fingered glove. The ease with which he switches caused quite a dilemma the first time he matched up against a switch hitter. He and Ralph Henriquez comically switched hands for a few minutes before a long discussion over the
unwritten rule was had. Watch the hilarious situation of Venditte and Henriquez HERE. They ultimately allowed Venditte to have the advantage and he then struck Henriquez out. This prompted a new rule, nicknamed “The Pat Venditte Rule,” to be written.

The big question is: How good is this guy? I could probably throw with both hands too if I tried, but would I be effective? Not so much. Venditte though is pretty damn good. Through 5 Minor League seasons, he has a 1.98 ERA. Granted he definitely needs more time to develop; his ERA

so far in AA is a 9.00. His stuff is pretty good, with his right hand he throws a fastball that hangs between 87 and 93, a curve ball with good movement, and a good change-up, with his left he sidearms a nasty slider, a low-80s fastball, and a pretty good change. However before we consider him a possibility to break into the majors he’ll need to become a bit overpowering. If he makes it, he could be as popular as Derek Jeter. Fans will scream for him to come out of the pen if only for entertainment value. He’s got a ways to go, but everyone should be pulling for this little freak of nature to make it in the big leagues. It will be alot of fun to watch.

--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer

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