Comments on: Yankees to unveil 'switch-pitcher' on Tuesday

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:55:07 +0000

Where have you guys been? He has pitched for a couple of years in the Yankee minor league system. Pay attention baseball fans.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:23:56 +0000

Ditto on Greg A Harris: http://tinyurl.com/ydjffrd

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:35:16 +0000

That’s one of the big reasons I love baseball so much – its complexity, the incipient ambiguity of the rules when some of the more remote possibilities of the game intersect like ley lines at a Druid ceremony, and the way new weird situations crop up all the time due to that very complexity. Nothing ever changes in basketball, hockey or even football (much less in that game for upper-thoracic paraplegics, backandforthandbackandforthandbackandforthball), because they all to greater or lesser degrees lack the multidimensionality of the range of movements and the different convergent lines of focus and force at play in baseball.
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I only wish that Bart Giamatti were around to write about this particular situation. Would’ve made a great addition to the baseball chapter of Take Time for Paradise (which, if you haven’t read it yet, you’re really missing out on something splendid). I would have loved to have his take on it.

By: KrazyK4024

KrazyK4024 — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:11:53 +0000

I went to Creighton while Venditte was there, even served as the team’s PA announcer for one season. Pretty remarkable stuff. In actuality, it seemed as though the novelty would wear off, or at least you’d get used to it. But then a visiting radio crew would come in and get excited to see him and you’d realize how unique, not to mention effective, of a player her is.
In regard to the video, there was a similar incident (although there were likely others) in a game at Nebraska. It went on a for a few minutes before the umpires ruled that Venditte had to declare his arm before the batter.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:51:49 +0000

Dear Buddha, I love this. How did I miss hearing about this guy? He’s the next step in Borg evolution, may the dharmapalas protect us all. Now we know that all the Borg’s “salary limits” were caused by R&D money going into the development of this new unit.
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Absolutely the funniest non-blooper reel of baseball play I have ever seen. I have to admit: this is enough to make me call up U-Verse and demand a subscription to YES. Hell, it’s enough to send me scurrying to Southwest.com to find a cheap round trip to LaGuardia. I really want to be able to tell my great grandchildren I saw this guy pitch.

By: CKEshelman

CKEshelman — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:06:23 +0000

He’s the real deal. Went to Creighton and played against Wichita State – seen him throw many times, solid from both sides. It’s pretty impressive.

By: wpcorbett

wpcorbett — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:27:37 +0000

Rule 6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when–
(b) He steps from one batter’s box to the other while the pitcher is in position to pitch
The first time the batter stepped across the plate, Venditte had his foot on the rubber. Batter is out.
The umpire can also order the batter to get into the box and call a strike if he refuses. He can refuse to grant the batter a time out. In short, the umpires blew it.

By: Amanda Huggankis

Amanda Huggankis — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:59:31 +0000

If he spent as much time pitching as he does yanking at his privates, he’d be a superstar.

By: Jack Meoffer

Jack Meoffer — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:39:33 +0000

Greg Harris did this in the 90′s. I think he did it once or twice but he is the first I believe.

By: talex

talex — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:23:37 +0000

Hey, Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter with the Yankees with only one hand, so it’s not that far of a stretch of someone being able to pitch both right-handed and left-handed. It’s more mental training than anything. But it’s great to see a kid have this ability and actually be pretty good. It’s one thing to switch-pitch. It’s another thing to actually be good at it. Good for him. These are the kind of stories we need in baseball. Can’t wait to see him do this. It will be amazing to see.

By: Evan - Hartford

Evan - Hartford — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:13:29 +0000

Imagine the possibilities. A switch pitcher could throw 15 innings. He could be your # 1 and #2 pitcher. Kinda nuts.

By: Bg Harold

Bg Harold — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:51:31 +0000

Seems as if this guy has some potential but he isn’t likely to make it as some refugee from a carnival freak show, not with the Yankees anyway. Good lock to him, ..it’ll be interesting to see how this develops.
On the other hand, (no pun intended), maybe the Yankees should bring him north now. If Mariano could throw his cutter as effectively with his left hand he night well pitch until he’s about 70.

By: William

William — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:36:23 +0000

He is my brother in laws cousin, it is a trip to watch this kid pitch and the whole family has been rooting for him. He isn’t a freak show and could possibly be a decent reliever in the bigs.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:11:45 +0000

This is very interesting. Never thought it was possible. I have heard of people able to write with both hands. But they couldn’t through a 90 mph fastball either. I batter should have to pick which side to bat from. IMO. But that means nothing.

By: dumb American

dumb American — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:57:41 +0000

What’s Hockey?

By: GimmeSomeSteel

GimmeSomeSteel — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:46:13 +0000

Follow the hockey rule–the home team gets the last line change.