Pat Venditte Recalled

[Rene88]

http://www.athleticsnation.com/2015/6/5/8735407/the-pat-venditte-rule-what-happens-when-a-switch-pitcher-faces-a

I want this guy

[DrungoHazewood]

Just the other day I was thinking "whatever happened to that switch pitcher?" Now I know. And I couldn't be happier that it's for the A's instead of the Yanks, who originally drafted him.

Also, I'd argue that he's not the first regular switch-pitcher since 1894, but the first ever. I'm sure the 1894 reference is to Tony Mullane who did pitch with both arms, but there's some debate as to whether he did this all the time or just occasionally. I think it's probably more like occasionally:

In an 1899 interview with the Washington Post, Mullane said, "I was a ambidextrous pitcher, but as a rule I never called on my left hand unless we were playing an exhibition game or in practice for the amusement of a few friends."

But he is still remembered most for switching hands in a game he lost. He was not the last to pitch with both hands, nor was that game in Baltimore the last time he tried. He did it twice more: On July 5, 1892, and again on July 14, 1893, throwing left-handed in the final inning of a 10?2 loss to the Chicago Colts.

And the other switch-pitchers (Icebox Chamberlin, Larry Corcoran, and Greg Harris) only did it rarely, or in Harris' case once.

My contention is that Venditte is unique in baseball history, in that every game he's switch pitching.

[Rene88]

Isn't that awesome? I would love to see him pitch. Can't wait!

[Number5]

I wonder if he has similar motion and mix of pitches from both sides, or if he has different styles from each side. Interesting.

[Morgan423]

We saw him at the Nashville Sounds game on May 30 just before he was promoted, and he is really, really good from both sides. He's a pitcher that has to get you out through good location and smart pitching, not velocity (his fastball sits 85 - 87 from both sides).

[Morgan423]

I wonder if he has similar motion and mix of pitches from both sides, or if he has different styles from each side. Interesting.

He has the same technique from each side. Mirrored really... 3/4ish delivery.

[LayzieDES]

Cause of the Venditte Rule...

[video=youtube;-2oD8KzxS14]

[SteveA]

I want to say I remember Sammy Stewart toying with left handed pitching one spring training.

[Crazysilver03]

We saw him at the Nashville Sounds game on May 30 just before he was promoted, and he is really, really good from both sides. He's a pitcher that has to get you out through good location and smart pitching, not velocity (his fastball sits 85 - 87 from both sides).

Not surprising. If someone had good velocity they wouldn't have to switch pitch. I am interested in seeing how he does in the majors.

[DrungoHazewood]

Not surprising. If someone had good velocity they wouldn't have to switch pitch. I am interested in seeing how he does in the majors.

Isn't that like saying if you hit pretty well from one side of the plate you shouldn't have to switch hit? I know there's a kind of philosophical debate about whether or not switch-hitting really makes sense for most players, but if by some freak of nature(?) you're good at it, it's always a good thing to be pitching with the platoon advantage.

[Can_of_corn]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Athletics place Pat Venditte on the DL with a strained right shoulder <a href="http://t.co/eHjLBPrG1I">http://t.co/eHjLBPrG1I</a></p>— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) <a href="

">June 12, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[DrungoHazewood]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Athletics place Pat Venditte on the DL with a strained right shoulder <a href="http://t.co/eHjLBPrG1I">http://t.co/eHjLBPrG1I</a></p>? HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) <a href="

">June 12, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Why? He has a spare.