MLB: New York Yankee's

Yankee's Switch-Pitching Prospect

Pat Venditte, The Switch-Pitcher 0f Staten Island

Pat Venditte Is A Member Of Baseball’s Rarest Pitcher's. 

If He Advances From The Lower Levels Of Professional Baseball, The Yankees Minor-Leaguer Would Be The 1st Switch-Pitcher To Appear In A MLB Game Since Greg A. Harris, 

Harris Switch-Pitched Only Once For The Expos In 95'.

“I Watched It That Night On SportsCenter” -Venditte

Pat Was 10 Years Old At The Time, And Already Well Aware Of His Rare Talent.

Watching Pat Venditte Pitch Is 1 Part Sports Center, & 1 Part Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
When Staten Island's New Reliever Comes To Pitch, 

Even The Long-Time Bleacher Faithful's Will See Something They Have Never Seen Before:
Venditte Is The Only Switch-Pitcher In Baseball Today. 

He Throws With His Right A 92 Mph Fastball & His Left A Mid 80's Sweeping Curve. 

That Makes Him A Head-Ache To Managers & Switch-Hitter's in the New York-Penn League.

Venditte, 24,

Is Also A Member Of The Most Common Player's Of Baseball’s,

A Minor-Leaguer Desperate To Make The Most Out Of Any Opportunity. Through All The Joking & Razzing

& Gawking That The Switch-Pitcher Inspired, Venditte Kept His Focus.

“I understand where it’s coming from,

& It’s my job to go out there & Prove that I can pitch.

People are going to have their doubts when they hear something like this, & I’ve got to prove that I can do it.” -Venditte
Playing A Split-Squad Game,

Yankees Plucked Minor-Leaguers Out Of Camp To Fill Their Roster. Fascinated By The Oddity,

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi

Requested A Chance To Personally Give The Kid A Look,

& He Got His Wish Against The Braves.

He's A Reliever & Usually Only Pitches About An Inning Per Game.

"Yeah, it's the Yankees, so there is already interest,

but a lot of people will come out to see "Venditte", too."

-Carl Gutelius, General Manager Of The Doubledays.
Venditte, Can Make A Smooth,

Almost Undetectable Transition From

1 Hand To The Other By Using A Custom-Made 6-Finger Glove.

(4 Finger Holes Between 2 Thumb Holes On Either End)

Girardi Said Venditte Jumped On His Radar Last Season, 

He Nailed Down 22 Saves With A 1.87 ERA In 49 Games. 

Learning That He Was A Switch-Pitcher Only Added To His Appeal. Yankees Players Were No Better Than Girardi In Containing Their Fascination. 

Brett Gardner Struggled To Put On Venditte’s 6-Fingered Double-Pocketed Glove. 

Jorge Posada Watched, In A State Of Confusion, 

As The Umpire & A Switch-Hitting Batter Negotiated The Terms Of An At-Bat. 

Nick Swisher Wondered, From The Outfield, How It Could All Be Possible.

“It’s not just the ability, But the huevos to do it in a major-league game.” -Swisher

The Venditte Mystery Inspired Players To Trade Stories About Crossing Paths With Switch-Pitchers, 

As If They Were Rehashing Encounters With A Sasquatch.

His Ability Gives Him A Major Advantage Over Batters Who Traditionally Fair Better Against Pitchers Of The Opposite Hand. 

Right-Handed Batters Prefer Left-Handed Pitchers, & Vice Versa, 

Because Hitters Have More Time To See The Ball Coming From An Opposite-Armed Pitcher & It's At A Better Angle For Them To Judge. Usually A Batter Knows Before He Steps To The Plate Which Hand Will Be Throwing The Ball. 

But Venditte Can Deliver Right- Or Left-Handed -- & Deliver's Well. 

So Far, He's Pitched 5.1 Innings In 5 Games, 

Picked Up His 1st 2 Saves & A Win, & Has A 0.00 ERA.

"It's amazing. I've never heard of anything like this, It'd be fun. 

I'd love to go against him. 

He's a special guy, 

& this might be the only time in my life to get this opportunity." 

-Del Campo, 1 Of Doubledays Team's Switch-Hitters.

Which Side Of The Plate Would He Take?
"I'll try to go righty & him go lefty. 

If he switches, I'm gonna switch, but if  "the ump makes me pick", I'll go righty. That's where I'm most natural."

Venditte Pitched @ Creighton University In The Missouri Valley League & Was Selected By The Yankees In The 45th Round Of The Draft In 07', But Decided To Finish School Instead.

-J.GEIDEMAN 2010'