It was sad to hear that Pat Venditte, the only known switch pitcher in baseball history, was diagonosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder at the end of May and may possibly have to give up switch pitching. As primarily a right handed pitcher who learned how to throw lefty, his decision is tough as he could actually avoid surgery. He could pitch left-handed, giving his right shoulder the chance to heal.
But anybody who knows the story of Venditte, which I will assume most Yankees fans do being he was invited to MLB Spring Training in 2010, knows that switch pitching is something he has always been destined to do. he is currently rehabbing at the Yankees complex in Tampa, hoping to avoid surgery that would sideline him for ten months.
Venditte was selected in the 20th round of the 2008 draft by the Yankees after pitching for Creighton. He uses a six-fingered glove, with two thumbs, to comfortably switch hands when pitching. It is a lot easier having that then doing what I used to do. While I was simulating MLB games by myself throwing a ball against a pitch-back, I would simply put my right-handed glove on my right hand to simulate a left-handed pitcher.
Umpires actually created a new rule (a more detailed despription of an old rule) in 2008 after Venditte was drafted. A switch pitcher must signal to the umpire, batter and baserunners which hand he intends to pitch with before the batter steps into the batter's box.
He got off to a very good start to his career. In 2008, while pitching for low A Staten Island, he was 1-0. 0.83 ERA in 30 games, notching 28 saves. In 2009, he pitched for Charleston before moving up to high class A Tampa, finishing a combined 4-2, 1.87, 22 saves in 49 games. In 2010, he stopped closing; appearing almost exclusively as a set-up man, finishing 5-2, 1.93, 43, 6 saves. He pitched mostly for Tampa, finishing the last couple of weeks in AA Trenton. 2011 saw him pitch in a career high 51 games, all for Trenton, going 3-7 with a 3.40 ERA. He had started this season in AAA Scranton/ Wilkes Barre, pitching in 7 games and having a 1-1 record with a 2.70 ERA.
Usually most pitchers in this situation have the operation. Perhaps he can still throw with his left hand and give his right shoulder the chance to heal. Ultimately, he may need the operation but it is worth the chance to see if he can continue to pitch. The fact that he throws with both hands makes him the only pitcher that has a chance to avoid surgery in this situation. It would be a huge accomplishment if he can someday make the big leagues.
But anybody who knows the story of Venditte, which I will assume most Yankees fans do being he was invited to MLB Spring Training in 2010, knows that switch pitching is something he has always been destined to do. he is currently rehabbing at the Yankees complex in Tampa, hoping to avoid surgery that would sideline him for ten months.
Venditte was selected in the 20th round of the 2008 draft by the Yankees after pitching for Creighton. He uses a six-fingered glove, with two thumbs, to comfortably switch hands when pitching. It is a lot easier having that then doing what I used to do. While I was simulating MLB games by myself throwing a ball against a pitch-back, I would simply put my right-handed glove on my right hand to simulate a left-handed pitcher.
Umpires actually created a new rule (a more detailed despription of an old rule) in 2008 after Venditte was drafted. A switch pitcher must signal to the umpire, batter and baserunners which hand he intends to pitch with before the batter steps into the batter's box.
He got off to a very good start to his career. In 2008, while pitching for low A Staten Island, he was 1-0. 0.83 ERA in 30 games, notching 28 saves. In 2009, he pitched for Charleston before moving up to high class A Tampa, finishing a combined 4-2, 1.87, 22 saves in 49 games. In 2010, he stopped closing; appearing almost exclusively as a set-up man, finishing 5-2, 1.93, 43, 6 saves. He pitched mostly for Tampa, finishing the last couple of weeks in AA Trenton. 2011 saw him pitch in a career high 51 games, all for Trenton, going 3-7 with a 3.40 ERA. He had started this season in AAA Scranton/ Wilkes Barre, pitching in 7 games and having a 1-1 record with a 2.70 ERA.
Usually most pitchers in this situation have the operation. Perhaps he can still throw with his left hand and give his right shoulder the chance to heal. Ultimately, he may need the operation but it is worth the chance to see if he can continue to pitch. The fact that he throws with both hands makes him the only pitcher that has a chance to avoid surgery in this situation. It would be a huge accomplishment if he can someday make the big leagues.
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