[新聞] Venditte the best from every angle

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左右都能投球的Venditte被選為最佳短期聯盟後援投手

Venditte the best from every angle
Ambidextrous closer earns MiLBY for Best Short-Season Reliever
By Danny Wild / MLB.com

Pat Venditte has heard it all before.

The Yankees prospect made his unassuming professional debut back in June,
and within moments, he became the buzz of the baseball universe.

"It was a little crazy," said Venditte of his SportsCenter introduction
to pro ball. "Especially for a 20th rounder, to get that attention. I
don't know that it was warranted, but it was crazy to see."

By now, most fans have heard about the Omaha, N.E. native -- he has
a knack for pitching with both arms. And although that's quite an
impressive feat, it had nothing to do with him winning a MiLBY for
Best Short-Season Reliever.

The Creighton University alum finished his rookie campaign 1-0 with
an 0.83 ERA and a New York-Penn League-leading 23 saves, allowing
just three earned runs in 30 games with Class A Short-Season Staten Island.
Venditte, however, couldn't believe the news.

"This is something my teammates would pull," Venditte laughed after
hearing he'd won the award. "But I definitely didn't expect it. It's
definitely an honor. I'm very fortunate, and it was a good experience
for the summer."

Yankees fans could hardly believe it either when they saw Venditte's
highlights making the rounds of evening news shows. The 23-year-old
made his debut on June 19 against Brooklyn and memorably faced off
against Cyclones switch-hitter Ralph Henriquez. Venditte switched
hands, and Henriquez crossed to the other batter's box. Venditte
switched back and... the rest is history.

"It was a little out of the ordinary," said Venditte, who saw a new rule
created to establish order in future similar situations. "But they
figured it out, and we don't have to deal with those situations anymore."

Venditte's overnight fame (there are over 20 videos about him on YouTube)
doesn't overshadow the pure domination he showed this summer. He struck
out 42 in 32 2/3 innings, allowed just two home runs and held batters to
a .117 average.

"The big thing was keeping the ball down in the zone," said Venditte,
who did not allow a run in his last 17 appearances. "That's where I got
hurt in the past, giving up the long ball. I really wanted to stay away
from that, just keep the ball down and not do too much."

Venditte speaks humbly of his numbers, but his talent is pretty amazing
to witness. Used almost exclusively as the Yankees' closer, Venditte
would toss about 10-15 pitches in the bullpen with one arm, swap his glove,
and throw another 15 pitches with the other arm. The seamless transition
is an obvious advantage, especially in late-game pressure situations.

"We had so many close games," he said. "Its definitely a grind, and you
learn how to get into a routine. I learned that getting into a routine
is big, just staying disciplined is a big factor."

Venditte earned a spot on the New York-Penn League All-Star team after
pitching to a 1.05 ERA before the break.

"It was a great experience ... seeing those guys, being around so many
great players," he said. "I was fortunate and I really enjoyed it."

The switch-pitcher, who was drafted by the Yankees in 2007 and again
in 2008, acclimated well to life in New York City.

"It was a little different [in New York], but once you get out there,
it's a different pace of life," he said. "It takes a little adjusting,
but it couldn't have been better. The fans were amazing, so to play in
front of those crowds, it was a lot of fun."

"It also meant a lot for me, to be drafted two years in a row by the
Yankees," he added. "They had some interest, and for them to do it
twice, it means that much more."

The Yankees certainly can't complain -- Venditte held opponents hitless
in 21 of his 30 appearances.

"I do want to move up and do whatever they have in mind," said Venditte.
"They told me to put on about 10 pounds and come [to Spring Training]
at 190. I always want to add velocity, so that's something to work on,
as well as throwing my changeup from right side and left side to get
another look in there."

Where Venditte's arms land in April is yet to be determined. Class A
Charleston and Class A Advanced Tampa are the most likely destinations,
and Yankees fans will undoubtedly be following closely.

Danny Wild is a contributor to MLB.com.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball
or its clubs.

http://tinyurl.com/5peml6

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◆ From: 140.109.23.105
推 yujay2099:酷喔　　希望能在幾年後在大聯盟看到他
推 skuld007:來接李維拉的位子吧 ~~
推 appshjkli:Short-Season？殺這種低階聯盟離MLB遠得很勒
推 tulas:這隻養到可以用就偷笑了啦...
推 leddy:這支兩手的stuff都普普...
→ devilsky:雙手怪傑
推 RollingWave:it's fun though
推 xyzzz:改規則之後，對 Switch hitter 也沒有優勢啊 :P
推 LyonLeu:三樓...帶點期望不行喔
推 appshjkli:這種stuff不怎樣的大學生殺一堆高中生有什麼好期望的？
→ appshjkli:要期望最少也等能宰制2A或3A再來說會比較有參考價值
推 appshjkli:而且就算殺3A像David Robertson上來一樣被炸
推 kinghwang443:說真的並不對他抱什麼期待，不過還是希望它能上來
推 siliver:接MO的位置??這已經不是"帶點期望"了 XD
推 fetoyeh:不管怎麼樣還是希望這種怪咖養的起來 因為有趣 XD
推 NPLNT:推樓上 "因為有趣"
推 PinChunH:他會是個話題阿~說不定還會參加票房
→ PinChunH:增加票房
推 Aerialy:這樣MVP要怎麼換手XD