Switch-hitters are pretty rare, but a switch-pitcher? That’s a whole new world.
The Oakland A’s purchased the contract of ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte from Triple-A Nashville Friday, according to MLB.com.
The 29-year-old has a 1.36 ERA for Nashville this season.
He is the first ambidextrous pitcher in the majors since Greg Harris recorded outs with both arms in 1995. He wears a six-fingered glove that allows him to switch back and forth.
In ESPN’s E:60 feature on Venditte, his Latin teammates dubbed him “Pulpo,” which is Spanish for octopus. In 2009, he became an Internet sensation when a video of Venditte taking on a switch hitter went viral.