Pat Venditte made MLB history a few years ago when he threw with both arms, something that has never been done in the modern era We look back at his career in the video
At a showcase camp in high school, I saw him walk a person right-handed. He threw the first pitch to the next batter right-handed, then switched to his left, picked the guy off of first (never actually threw a pitch with his left hand during the ab), and then switched back to his right and struck the guy out. It was cool as hell.
I was almost the second. 95 mph right handed 85 left handed. I had a six fingered glove that my dad made for me. I remember when the “rule” happened. I was in 8th grade. Love Pat V big inspiration
That's so cool! Do you still play? Just because the rule exists doesn't mean your restricted in this way, I bet you can achieve so much with that skill :)
Actually, he had very good numbers that were good enough to give him a chance in the majors years earlier. It took so long for him to the majors and then was never given much of an opportunity to play. Although switch-pitching is a tremendous advantage, there is a stigma against it.
Greg Harris was another MLB pitcher that could have switch-pitched but the teams that he played for forbid him from doing him so. They claimed it would make a mockery of the game. At the end of his career, he rebelled and pitched ONLY ONE INNING lefty. This is why he is incorrectly listed as an ambidextrous pitcher. The correct description should be the pitcher who was forbidden from pitching ambidextrously.
This is only going to catch on more and there were likely more than a few pitchers in history that could have done this but were discouraged to do so. The advantages of this are endless. Always pitching L v L and R v R Switching to left to keep a runner on first Switching to right to keep a runner honest on 3rd in a close game Never being injured and less wear and tear on both arms. Being able to rack up a higher pitch count helping out the bullpen more. That kid who can throw 90+ with both arms is going to change the game.
I really think they got the rule based on Venditte wrong. The burden should be on the batter not the switch pitcher. What a switch pitcher does is so difficult and unusual it seems unfair to negate this by both giving the batter the second pick of sides AND locking the pitcher into that side for the entire at-bat. If you give the batter the second pick on the first pitch wouldn't it be more fair if it was flip-flopped later in the at-bat? It seems almost spiteful towards anyone who possesses this incredibly unique skill.
No you're right, but he'd be the right kind of pitcher to get away with it. Very versatile. Think Andy Pettitte with mid 80's fast ball. Pettitte had a decent repertoire of different pitches to choose from with good pick offs. But it looks like Pet Venditti only had the extra arm. Just like Switch Hitters have to practice from both sides, he probably put too much effort on getting both sides to be decent instead of focusing on one and getting to this those 90's that managers look for. It's a shame because I think with the little bit of better coaching this could have been a groundbreaking coaching technique for future Generations. The kid is a savant but this is so new there really isn't an established guide book on how to coach this kind of thing. One thing's for sure this is probably going to spark up a brand new wave of pitching coaches attempting to recreate switch pitchers better than before or this is just a candle burnt on both ends never to be seen again. I wish him nothing but the best, honestly.
