Venditte steals the show
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 30, 2010 
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CC Sabathia struggled with his fastball command and left a few changeups up in the zone. Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada hit their first spring home runs. Robinson Cano stayed hot with a 2-for-4 afternoon. Zack Segovia took the loss by allowing three runs in the eighth.
But it was switch pitcher Pat Venditte who stole the show.
Swisher said he and the other outfielders were talking to one another when Venditte was on the mound in the sixth.
“We were like, he’s about to switch, he’s about to switch right now!” Swisher said.
Sabathia had no idea Venditte could pitch with both hands. When he came out of he game, Sabathia saw a left-handed pitcher coming in from the bullpen. Then he saw a right-handed pitcher on the mound.
“I was like, maybe that guy got hurt,” Sabathia said.
Venditte allowed one run on two hits and a walk through an inning and a third. Jorge Posada said Venditte promised him he usually has better command. Afterward, Venditte seemed humbled by the experience and said it’s up to him to make himself more than a sideshow. Here’s the audio. I’m out the door on my way back to Tampa for tonight’s game against Toronto.
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We were like, he’s about to switch, he’s about to switch right now!” Swisher said.
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LOL
how hard does he throw?
The real tragedy is that Jim left for RAB right before this Venditte update… it’s like an O. Henry story but even darker.
Nick in SF
March 30th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
The real tragedy is that Jim left for RAB right before this Venditte update… it’s like an O. Henry story but even darker
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Nick, IRONY, lol
Random thought-
I hate taxes
It’s more like a Twilight Zone episode, which is great because I love the Twilight Zone, lol.
Well, I hope the Venditte can make something of himself in the bigs rather than just be a side show…
I’m crossing my fingers that Cano can take this play into the regular season. There will be no stopping him if he can improve with RISP.
He works from mostly high 80s from both left and right hands with good command and average to slightly above average off speed stuff. I can’t remember where I read that, maybe a RAB post from last seasons stuff
Betsy -Romine wasn’t built in a day
March 30th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I’m crossing my fingers that Cano can take this play into the regular season.
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He can do it!!
Betsy,
Control is being able to throw strikes. Command is throwing the ball where you want to throw it in the strike zone. For example, putting it on the inside or outside of the plate instead of down the middle.
Nick,
LOL, classic.
I love folks who whine about this place then announce they are going elsewhere. As if they are so important, this life changing decision merits an announcement.
Who cares? If you don’t like posting here, no worries.
Somehow, someway, we will survive.
I think I recall that story.
The Gift of the RAB-bi right?
“There will be no stopping him if he can improve with RISP.”
Last year with the bases empty Cano hit .376, had a .400+ OBP and SLG over .600, for an OPS of 1.017. There were two players in baseball with a higher overall OPS than that last year–some guys named Pujols & Mauer–so I think saying there would “be no stopping him” is pretty accurate.
Country Club, thanks! Can you have good control and bad command? That seems like an oxymoron.
Steve Phillips is going to be a weekly guest on Francessa’s show this year, FYI.
Today was his first appearance. I guess Mike wanted to throw him a bone and help him get back in the business…
“I love folks who whine about this place then announce they are going elsewhere. ”
My favorite is when a poster is told that nobody else shares their opinion and they promptly use another screen name to try to make it look like someone actually does agree.
“The Gift of the RAB-bi right?”
Very well done! A new Passover tradition?
I heard Venditte used to be a dominant right hander but Eiland converted him to a switch pitcher then refused to develop him.
I don’t know Nick – that would be like adding another plague; it’s just not done.
Steve Phillips and Francesca – a winning combination, lol.
Amazing how people forget or don’t acknowledge how good Robertson is.
Robertson is a strikeout artist. I’m assuming everyone is hoping he continues that trend.
“I heard Venditte used to be a dominant right hander but Eiland converted him to a switch pitcher then refused to develop him”
We already did that joke Blake…:-)
I also heard that Eppler said that it was unlikely that they would ever make him choose one hand to throw from.
Cashman says he respects Eppler’s opinion and wants him to talk to the media and express himself, but he disagrees with a variance of what he said.
Phillips picked us to win 100 games
Didn’t seem too high on Boston… said he didn’t like what they did with their offense in the offseason and they could have some trouble scoring runs.
My bad, shoulda figured..too easy.
Can you have good control and bad command? That seems like an oxymoron.
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Absolutely. There are plenty of pitchers that can throw a ball in a 16 inch box, but if they can’t consistenly throw it to one of the quadrants, they’ll get hit. Think about all the times you see a guy give up a homer and then they show the replay and the announcer will say “he just missed his spot”. And you see the catcher reaching from side of the plate to the other. The pitch was a strike, but it was just thrown into the hitter’s wheelhouse.
My favorite, btw, is people who csn’t resist responding to or posting about people who are only hear to disrupt and elicit a reaction (I even refuse to use the word for this behavior).
These people know they’re being a-holes. THAT’s the whole point. ANY reaction is what they want.
Ignore them. It is always the best course.
There are a ton of guys who pound the strike zone but give up a lot of hits because they aren’t throwing good strikes.
Carlos Silva for example
“But it was switch pitcher Pat Venditte who stole the show.”
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Stole the show? How?
By showing us all how mediocre he really is?
CC and Jerkface, thanks – I think I’ve got it now.
I have not forgotten how good Robertson was last year; I’d like to see him do it again, but he’s still right under Mo on my pecking order.
My predictions (I hope I will be completely wrong):
Tampa Bay 107-55
Boston 107-55
New York 92-70
Toronto 90-72
Baltimore 85-77
“My predictions (I hope I will be completely wrong):
Tampa Bay 107-55
Boston 107-55
New York 92-70
Toronto 90-72
Baltimore 85-77″
stop abusing drugs man, its not good for you….
What were CC’s numbers today, just got back.
Every team in the same division with a winning record? Is that possible?
anybody else just see Pat Venditte get teased on the Sportscenter preview before Around the Horn a minute ago? I love what a curiosity he is, really interesting story to see if he can become more than just that and make it as a genuine major league pitcher…
Good times:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....id=7034363
Tampa Bay 107-55
Boston 107-55
New York 92-70
Toronto 90-72
Baltimore 85-77
The Yankees are only going to have 2 more wins then Toronto?
lmao
Does anyone else have the feeling we’re going to get spanked the first few weeks, and especially when we go to Boston to open the season? I’m scared to watch opening day, our starting pitchers aren’t looking sharp.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....tp_350.wmv
This game would be a good example of control and command; I remember Phil not throwing many, if any, pitches outside the black box that that the Rangers broadcast was showing.
“Does anyone else have the feeling we’re going to get spanked the first few weeks, and especially when we go to Boston to open the season?”
No.
Inge,
he is just posting gibberish to get a rise out of people. He does it nightly in the game threads.
Last nights “prediction” was that Tex was going to be out for the season.
Would have been true if the season ended April 1.
Absent that, it was just gibberish.
The entire AL East is going to be over .500, with two of them at 107 wins?
That means the West and Central teams are all going to win 60-70 games?
This game would be a good example of control and command; I remember Phil not throwing many, if any, pitches outside the black box that that the Rangers broadcast was showing.
–
Forgotten in the times, but after watching that, he got Blalock on 3 straight changes too. His change looked nice.
Hughes with a solid change = beast
Looks like the blog is changin’….New post from Jeff, the IT guy.
California –
Great video.
Check out the pitch location to Carlos. Posada was setup outside, and he hung a slider on the inside corner. Turned out it worked. Robertson was also off his mark to Brendan Harris for the 3rd out.
Will not forget watching that play unfold from my iPhone in a bar. I ordered a shot.
Thanks.
Kevin,
I would not be surprised if the Yankees get swept at Fenway Opening weekend and went on to have a mediocre or bad April. This is how the team has performed for years.
The good thing is that the Yankees always pick up speed after the ASB, and their schedule this year heavily favors them in the second half (so don’t be discouraged by a rough April…they have a brutal schedule then but it only gets easier).
I would also think that coming back from 0-8 last year will make this squad not even blink at a poor showing against the Sox early. They must be used to it by now.
Kevin –
2-4 after 6 against the Sox and Rays – I’ll take it, but figure we’ll go at least 3-3.
Not even gonna talk about how wrong those predictions are…..
I don’t feel bad for Pat at all. He goes out there and plays baseball for a living everyday…and does it a little different from everyone else. Sure it is unlikely that he will make the Yanks ever…but who knows. I expect he will end up stalled at AA or AAA for years.
I read that he hit low 90s today? Is that true? If he can do that with good control he has a shot somewhere…..
I am excited to see what they have whipped up for the site. Hope those stupid giant flash ads at the top go away.
edwar the stick has been replaced by a newer oddity – two hand pat
I saw Venditte pitch in a game with the Staten Island Yankees two years ago. He was impressive in one inning of work, and, yes indeed, he used both arms, which really impressed the crowd. He allowed no hits or walks and I remember he struck out at least one batter.
He supposedly throws in the high 80s consistently on the left side and can get up to 92 or so with his right.
It would be great to see him make the show. There hasn’t been a significant ambidextrous pitcher in the Major Leagues since Moxie Manuel, and he retired in 1908.