According to The Associated Press, Pat Venditte is Major League Baseball’s only ambidextrous pitcher , and he will play in his first major league spring training game on Tuesday, March 30th, in a split-squad game against the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year-old Venditte is equipped with a custom six-finger glove for throwing with either arm. In 2008, Venditte was a 20th-round draft pick. Last season, in the minor leagues, he went a combined 4-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 22 saves. Venditte became famous after his first minor league game when he faced off with switch-hitter Ralph Henriquez of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Venditte and Henriquez played a game of cat and mouse, with Henriquez switching sides of the plate every time Venditte switched his specially designed glove from his left hand to the right, as he was preparing to pitch from the same side the hitter chose. The umpires stepped in, restoring order by requiring the pitcher to decide the h...
Learn about ambidextrous pitchers – from Little League to the MLB.