Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte vies for roster spot with A's

MESA, Ariz. — Pat Venditte was just 7 when he got his first two-handed baseball glove.

The glove, a Greg Harris model, simply opened up the possibility to him. Greg A. Harris, a journeyman pitcher in the 1980s and '90s, was a right-hander, who threw just once as a lefty, in the final game of his career in 1995, although he owned a two-way glove and had felt for years that he could be effective from both sides.

'I don't know that I threw very well from both sides at the time,' Venditte, a Harris fan as a kid, said. 'But I liked the glove.'

He's had plenty more of those gloves since, and he's hoping to wear one with the A's this summer.

Venditte signed with the Yankees out of Creighton in 2008 and, unlike Harris, was not held back from working from both sides. He has been allowed to pitch both left-handed and right-handed after his freshman year at Creighton. And as he was coming up through the minor league ranks, Minor League Baseball and its umpires developed the 'Pat Venditte Rule.'

It allows switch-pitchers to pitch either right-handed or left-handed to any given batter, but once he throws from one side, he can only throw from that side until the batter is retired. He typically goes for whatever the platoon advantage is, left-handed against lefty hitters, right-handed against righties, but can change on a whim.

'I talked to him and he was getting me up to speed on the rule,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'We're all about versatility, so I told him he'd fit right in here.'

Not everybody in baseball has a rule carved out for them, but Venditte said 'I hope it's not the only thing I'm known for in baseball.'

He played seven years in the Yankees organization, making it to Triple-A last year for the final four months of the season, going 2-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 26 games, two of them starts. And he pitched in 2013 for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. He signed with the A's in November.

Melvin said he saw him throw a few days ago, left-handed, and added that the club has to adapt so that Venditte gets all the work he needs.

As the A's pitchers go ready to throw on the first day, Venditte was down to pitch in Group 1 Friday, and then in Group 3. He needs to get steady work from both sides.

Beyond that, he's just another Triple-A pitcher with a big league dream.

'I've only been with the organization a short time, but I think I'll have an opportunity here,' he said. 'I can use my matchup advantage, but I just need to use every opportunity I get this spring and be results-oriented.'

STAFF HOPEFUL HURTING

Melvin said left-hander Sean Nolin, who had sports hernia surgery in the offseason, was still experiencing discomfort in the groin area when throwing from flat ground. The A's have decided to shut him down for a while, according to MLB.com, and there's no timetable for him to begin throwing again.

It's far too early to rule out Nolin from the mix entirely, but it's also clear he'll be playing catch-up to his competition all spring, which doesn't bode well for his chances.

'Just depends when he's able to get on a mound and go,' Melvin said.

' Every spring you have some guys that get injured, and that's what depth is all about.'