The Oakland Athletics have called up switch pitcher Pat Venditte to make his major-league debut, according to multiple reports. Gary Sharp of Omaha's 1620 The Zone was first to report the news, followed by MLB.com's Jane Lee.
Venditte uses a special six-fingered glove and typically throws left-handed to left-handed batters and right-handed to right-handed batters. Against switch hitters, Venditte must declare which hand he will pitch with. He throws with more velocity from the right side.
Venditte, who turns 30 later this month, was a 20th-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2008 out of Creighton University in Omaha. He advanced to Triple A in 2012 but had his season cut short by a torn shoulder labrum. He didn't return to Triple A until last season and had a 3.36 ERA and 1.260 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings at that level.
Vandal- delete the s in the https (just go with http) and then the video will embed properly.
Although it's not working for this one- not sure why- it's worked for all the other YouTube videos I have embedded here.
A switch-pitcher once faced a switch hitter in a minor league game. He kept switching hands, and the batter kept switching how he would bat.
This caused a rules change where a switch pitcher must declare what hand he is going to throw with first, then the batter will choose the way he will bat. The switch pitcher is then allowed one change of hand during the at bat.
He pitched his standard righty against right handers Reggie Sanders and Bret Boone, and turned around to throw lefthanded to lefties Hal Morris and Eddie Taubensee...
Venditte pitched two innings of scoreless relief in his major league debut. It was very strange to see the pitcher switch glove hands between hitters. He "declared" to be a righty to make switch-hitting Blake Swihart bat left.
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While in high school, I played a lot of tennis over at a friend's house. His younger brother never hit a backhand. He was equally talented with either hand and just switched to the other hand and hit a forehand. If we played doubles, it was always me and my buddy against his dad and brother. We hardly ever beat them.
Neill Woelk
@NeillWoelk Favorite headline of week. He pitches righty, lefty — and evidently, also underwater. Faces Aquaman in next outing.
Don't judge - you don't know his life.
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