Baseball is like a chess match, especially in the later innings when deciding how your lineup will face a lefty specialist or vice-versa.
The Phillies will not have to worry about that with switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, who was acquired on Sunday.
Here’s the hard part: What happens when he faces a switch-hitter?
Well, back on June 19, 2008, Venditte was faced with the rather confusing scenario. Venditte, a 20th-round pick in 2008 by the Yankees, was making his debut for the Staten Island Yankees in their game vs. the Brooklyn Cyclones. Venditte was called upon to get the final out. After walking the first batter, he faced switch-hitter Ralph Henriquez.
Henriquez entered the right-handed batter's box, so Venditte converted to a right-handed pitcher. Henriquez saw this and made the move to left-handed batter's box, prompting Venditte to switch to lefty.
This three-stooge experience would go on for a couple minutes before Henriquez was forced to bat right-handed by the umpire. He struck out on four pitches to end the game.
To prevent this, the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation decided to implement a set of rules for switch-pitchers facing switch-hitters.
Per MLB.com: "The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from. The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any "switch" by either player is allowed.
"After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter's boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again "switch" one time).
"Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire. There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms. If an injury occurs the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game."
Hopefully, this can clear up the potential confusion umpires and fans may face if Venditte is called upon in relief.
Let’s just hope newspapers don't make this mistake again.
