Oakland A's Spring camp includes rare ambidextrous pitcher

MESA, Ariz. — When Pat Venditte arrived in pro ball after pitching at Creighton, he wound up in one of the strangest showdowns in history.

Venditte, who is in A’s camp as a nonroster player, is ambidextrous — a rare switch-pitcher. And in his debut with the Staten Island Yankees in 2008, Brooklyn switch-hitter Ralph Henriquez came to the plate. Henriquez stood in to hit right-handed, and Venditte set up to pitch right-handed.

Henriquez went to the other side to bat lefty, and Venditte switched his two-thumbed glove around and set up to pitch lefty. This went on for several minutes, back and forth.

SNIP

He's no circus act. In seven seasons and 242 minor-league games, mostly as a reliever, Venditte has a 2.46 ERA and 431 strikeouts in 3842/3 innings. Last season, he struck out 83 in 781/3 innings; he walked 22 and allowed 65 hits. Venditte is not the only ambidextrous pitcher in baseball history. Greg A. Harris of the Expos, has thrown with both arms in the same big-league game in the modern era.

FULL STORY: http://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Pat-Venditte-s-two-way-pitch-to-make-Oakland-6092445.php#photo-7553349

Venditte's glove has two thumb holes, making it easy to switch hands.