Athletics sign switch-pitcher Pat Venditte

Venditte is a 29-year-old who is listed as a left-handed pitcher, but who can switch to his right hand whenever he wants.

Venditte, career: 2.46 ERA, 384 innings, 431 Ks, 103 BB, 21 HR, 310 hits Venditte, AAA career: 3.25 ERA, 69 innings, 65 Ks, 23 BB, 5 HR, 65 hits Venditte, 2014 (AAA)*: 3.36 ERA, 56 innings, 83 Ks, 17 BB, 4 HR, 54 hits A pitcher must indicate visually to the umpire-in-chief, the batter and any runners the hand with which he intends to pitch, which may be done by wearing his glove on the other hand while touching the pitcher’s plate.

The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for by a pinch-hitter or the pitcher incurs an injury.

In the event a pitcher switches pitching hands during an at-bat because he has suffered an injury, the pitcher may not, for the remainder of the game, pitch with the hand from which he has switched.

The pitcher shall not be given the opportunity to throw any preparatory pitches after switching pitching hands.

A natural right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough left-handed that he felt he could pitch with either hand in a game, but the opportunity did not immediately arise.

In the ninth inning, Harris retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, who both batted lefty.