Pat Venditte, better known as That Guy Who Pitches Righty and Lefty, made his debut against Big League hitters yesterday and had a solid first outing. The ambidextrous hurler gave up a run on two hits with a walk over 1 1/3 innings of work, not bad for a player who had never made it past single-A ball.
I'm pulling for this kid to make it to the Bigs, not just because he could be a huge asset to the Yanks' pitching staff but because he seems humble and wants to get better. Plus it appears he's down-to-earth and a genuinely good person. Check out a few quotes I got from his post-game interview:
I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity…Anytime you get an opportunity like this you have to take advantage of it…I don’t have overpowering stuff. I think I need this to continue pitching…It was a great experience today.
He might just be saying the right things to the media and be a total A-hole behind closed doors, but I'm an optimist and like to look for the good in people (most times).
I remember watching a video about him on YouTube. That was the first time I had ever heard so him. It is so incredible to think of making it to the majors as a pitcher. Now throw in that he can switch-PITCH! Now, that is just unimaginable. If I had never heard of it, I would have thought that it is impossible. And unlike you, I don't care what kind of person he is, I think it would be totally entertaining to go to a Major League ballpark and see Venditte strike out a righty pitching righty, then a lefty pitching lefty.
ReplyDeleteThis guy is such an oddity. Imagine a quarterback being able to throw from either hand. Imagine a basketball player who can shoot a three accurately from the right or the left. It just doesn't exist anywhere else. I hope he ends up being the real deal.
ReplyDeleteBrennan,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't saying that the only reason I like him is because he's a good person, that just makes him more fun to root for. Regardless if he was an SOB or a saint it would still be entertaining to watch him fan batters with both arms. The fact that he seems like a good guy makes me want him to make it to the majors even more.
I didn't mean for it to sound that way. But, I definitely agree with you when you say it makes it that more exciting to know that he's a good person, on top of his incredible baseball abilities.
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