How do you beat a guy who throws righty and lefty? You don't.

CrimsonWhite · May 6, 2009

You'll probably never witness an unassisted triple play in your lifetime, right? (There have been only 14.) Or see an intentional walk with the bases loaded. (Six.) Or watch one player hit two grand slams in an inning. (Once.)

But you can see something right now that hasn't been around in baseball since the late 1800s: a switch-pitcher.

His name is Pat Venditte, he's 23, and he's pro baseball's only ambidextrous pitcher. This living piece of history is more than a YouTube star; he's throwing almost daily for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees' Single-A club. And he's not just throwing: He's blowing through hitters like a Cub Scout through Skittles. At one point in April, the closer's ERA was 0.00 in 6 1/3 innings, and he hadn't blown a save in five games.

Rick Reilly: Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte is living history - ESPN The Magazine
Click to expand...

What does he do for switch hitters?

Article 15 · May 6, 2009

CrimsonWhite · May 6, 2009

Article 15 said: ↑

Click to expand...

Expcept Harris never used it. This guy uses it regularly.

Bfgrn · May 6, 2009

CrimsonWhite said: ↑

You'll probably never witness an unassisted triple play in your lifetime, right? (There have been only 14.) Or see an intentional walk with the bases loaded. (Six.) Or watch one player hit two grand slams in an inning. (Once.)

But you can see something right now that hasn't been around in baseball since the late 1800s: a switch-pitcher.

His name is Pat Venditte, he's 23, and he's pro baseball's only ambidextrous pitcher. This living piece of history is more than a YouTube star; he's throwing almost daily for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees' Single-A club. And he's not just throwing: He's blowing through hitters like a Cub Scout through Skittles. At one point in April, the closer's ERA was 0.00 in 6 1/3 innings, and he hadn't blown a save in five games.

Rick Reilly: Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte is living history - ESPN The Magazine
Click to expand...

What does he do for switch hitters?
Click to expand...

Bring him in to pitch to Pete Gray...

Article 15 · May 6, 2009

True ...

Check this out, bro:

Up next was designated hitter Ralph Henriquez, and he and Venditte engaged in a routine more vaudeville than Mudville.

As Henriquez walked to the plate, Venditte, assuming Henriquez would bat left-handed, stood behind the pitching rubber with his glove on his right hand and the ball in his left. Henriquez, looking out at Venditte, then stepped across the batters box, determined to hit right-handed and gain a righty-lefty advantage. Seeing this, Venditte quickly switched his custom-made glove to his left hand and put the ball in his right, hoping to gain a righty-on-righty advantage.

Henriquez stepped out and began asking the home-plate umpire, Shaylor Smith, to lay out his options, then summoned his third-base coach. With the matter unresolved, Henriquez again stepped across the batters box in an attempt to bat left-handed. Again, Venditte switched glove and ball. The cat-and-mouse game reached full comedic gear when Henriquez again strolled across the batters box to hit right-handed, and Venditte responded with the old switcheroo, setting up as a righty.
Click to expand...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/sports/baseball/21switch.html

CrimsonWhite · May 6, 2009

Article 15 said: ↑

True ...

Check this out, bro:

Up next was designated hitter Ralph Henriquez, and he and Venditte engaged in a routine more vaudeville than Mudville.

As Henriquez walked to the plate, Venditte, assuming Henriquez would bat left-handed, stood behind the pitching rubber with his glove on his right hand and the ball in his left. Henriquez, looking out at Venditte, then stepped across the batters box, determined to hit right-handed and gain a righty-lefty advantage. Seeing this, Venditte quickly switched his custom-made glove to his left hand and put the ball in his right, hoping to gain a righty-on-righty advantage.

Henriquez stepped out and began asking the home-plate umpire, Shaylor Smith, to lay out his options, then summoned his third-base coach. With the matter unresolved, Henriquez again stepped across the batters box in an attempt to bat left-handed. Again, Venditte switched glove and ball. The cat-and-mouse game reached full comedic gear when Henriquez again strolled across the batters box to hit right-handed, and Venditte responded with the old switcheroo, setting up as a righty.
Click to expand...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/sports/baseball/21switch.html
Click to expand...

Yeah I read later that they created a rule for him. The pitcher has to declare, then the batter sets up. Each get one chance to switch.

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How do you beat a guy who throws righty and lefty? You don't.

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How do you beat a guy who throws righty and lefty? You don't.

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