‘Switch-handed’ pitcher Venditte unique addition
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Bruce Bochy has a whiteboard behind his desk here in Arizona, with a list of all of the players on the Giants’ spring training roster on it.
For the pitchers, there’s a string of names under the letters “RHP.” Then there’s another group under “LHP.” There’s just one name listed under the letters “SHP.”
That would be Pat Venditte, the only ambidextrous pitcher in the game. I guess that makes him “switchhanded.” Oakland fans will remember Venditte from his brief time with the A’s, for whom he pitched in 2015. Since then, he has been with the Blue Jays, Mariners and Dodgers. But this year, he’ll come out of the bullpen for the orange and black.
Some of you might know Venditte’s story, but it bears repeating, if only because it’s so unique. A native of Omaha, Neb., his father dreamed up the idea of creating an ambidextrous pitcher when Venditte was 3.
“It’s something that was forced,” said Venditte. “I can’t do anything else left-handed. I can’t eat. I can’t write. Can’t even throw a football left-handed.
“It’s something I had to work on. My dad’s idea. I started that when I was super young, and it’s a work in progress.”
Venditte, 33, played at Creighton and was drafted by the Yankees in 2008. He bounced around the minor leagues and endured some injuries. The A’s signed him as a free agent the year he debuted with the team. Since then, it has been a journeyman’s career.
Venditte is used to the attention he gets from players. Most of it centers on his unique glove, which features two thumbs. It works on either hand.
“Yeah. It never goes away,” Venditte said. “How the glove works, I guess, is the first question. But like anything, after a couple of days go by, after the first game, guys will watch and that’ll be it.”
That first game came Saturday, when Venditte pitched in the Giants’ Cactus League opener against the Angels. He pitched a scoreless inning, registering a strikeout. The Angels batted only right-handers against him, so Venditte threw right-handed.
“You know, he’s got really good deception,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He was from the right side (Saturday). But it’s a tough breaking ball. He has a little bit of a (Sergio) Romo look to him, with the angle and that tough breaking ball. Nice job on his part.”
Venditte said he’s working on a few new pitches this spring, hoping to introduce an overthe-top changeup from the left side, for instance.
“It’ll be a couple of different looks compared to what I had last year. See how those hitters react . ... We’ll know here soon enough if they’ll play or not. They’ll tell me. They’ll let me know,” Venditte said with a laugh.
“From the left side, I’ve been working on an over-the-top changeup. As you know, I’m predominantly sidearm there. It’s just something for those longer at-bats where guys are battling. Maybe just another look in there. Maybe a few more fastballs this year over the top, too. And then from the right side, the changeup has been a benefit for me the last year to 16 months.”
That’s a lot for a pitcher to think about. Most guys have trouble figuring things out, and they worry about only one arm.
The man’s so unique they named a rule after him. “The Venditte Rule” requires an ambidextrous pitcher to declare which arm he will use before an at-bat starts.
I think it would be great if he could alternate arms during an at-bat, totally throwing off a batter’s timing and his ability to pick up the ball early. I’d also love to watch this man play Wiffle ball, but neither of those things is going to happen.
So, Venditte becomes the latest player to cross the bay, becoming the 140th to play for both the Giants and A’s — and the 64th pitcher. (That’s including the New York, Philadelphia and Kansas City days.) He’s a good clubhouse man and the ultimate bullpen Swiss army knife. Bochy should have fun plugging him into various situations. Here’s an idea: Use him as the opener.
Venditte just wants to be one of the boys, even if he’s a rarity.
“It’s early, but just like over there, the guys are great,” said Venditte. “They welcomed me in there. They have a core group of guys here that have done some damage over the years.”
But they haven’t had a switch-handed pitcher.