Pat Venditte is an American professional baseball player. Currently, he plays as a pitcher for Major League Baseball team, the Miami Marlins.
Overall, in his MLB career, the pitcher has played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, LA Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants.
Notably, Venditte is reportedly the only active professional switch-pitcher. This means only he can pitch proficiently with both of his arms in professional baseball.
Moreover, it was due to his skill that the Major and Minor League Baseball had to formulate a new rule. The “Pat Venditte Rule” requires switch pitchers to declare the hand he/she will use to pitch.
Having such a rare talent that the game has to develop a new rule to accommodate it is an excellent acquirement for a player.
Now, let’s unravel the career journey of the skilled player starting from his high school. Besides, we have presented some of his personal facts too. If you are a fan of Pat or baseball, the article will be informative to you.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Patrick Michael Venditte, Jr. |
| Birth Date | June 30, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| Nickname | Pat |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Omaha Central High School Creighton University |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Father’s Name | Patrick Venditte, Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Janet Venditte |
| Siblings | Three |
| Age | 38 years old |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm) |
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lbs) |
| Build | Athletic |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Profession | Baseball Player |
| Playing Position | Relief Pitcher |
| Active years (Senior Career) | 2005-present |
| Team | Miami Marlins San Francisco Giants Oakland Athletics Los Angeles Dodgers Seattle Miners Toronto Blue Jays |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Erin Venditte |
| Children | Ella Pearl Venditte Dom Venditte |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
| Salary | $575,000 |
| Social Media | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram |
| Merch | Autographed Cards, Baseball Cards Team, Rookie Cards |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Pat Venditte: Early Life, Family, and Education
Pat was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 30, 1985. He is the son of Pat Venditte Sr. and Janet Venditte.
His father, Pat Sr., was a catcher in his college days and played intercollegiate games. Besides, Pat grew up in Omaha with his three siblings.
Notably, Pat received his early training from his father. He was naturally a right-handed person. However, his father trained him to achieve competence with both hands.
Indeed, their backyard consisted of AstroTurf, a batting cage, a radar gun, and a pitching machine. Besides, Pat used to strengthen both of his legs playing football.
Likewise, Pat went to Omaha Central High School in his hometown. In fact, he played for the school’s baseball team.
During his senior year, the talented kid had a 15-4 win-loss record. Accordingly, for his brilliant play, he was honored by All-Nebraska’s second-team title.
Pat Venditte Career: Collegiate & Professional
College Career
Pat attended Creighton University for a college education. Definitely, there he played for the Creighton Bluejays, the college’s Division I baseball team.
Simultaneously, Pat was not allowed to use both arms for pitching in his first year. After all, the head coach though that would be a funny act for professionals.
However, Pat started using both hands a year later. Besides, he played in the Central Illinois Collegiate League’s collegiate summer baseball with the Quincy Gems.
Overall, his junior year featured 36 appearances of him for the Creighton, out of 58 games. Then he joined the senior team for NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.
Championships
During the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Pat received the Most Valuable Player and the first team All-Conference honor.
At the same time, the Creighton Bluejays had won the championship. Besides, in the same season, Pat was enlisted in the All-American third team.
Northwoods League
In 2008, pat played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks. In particular, there he played the collegiate summer baseball in the Northwoods League.
Also, playing as a closing pitcher, he recorded 4-1 with nine saves, 1.76 ERA, and a .154 opponents’ batting average.
Draft refusal
However, Pat did not want to join Major League Football until he completed his college and became ready for a professional career. Consequently, he had notified all the major league scouts about his intentions.
However, the New York Yankees featuring Derek Jeter had enlisted him in their 2007 MLB draft. Despite the Yankees’ colossal offer, Pat did not join them in that season.
Professional Career
New York Yankees
Eventually, Pat signed for the New York Yankees after being poached by them in the 2008 MLB draft. In 2008, he played minor league baseball in New York-Penn League with the Staten Island Yankees.
Notably, the Yankees secured their win against the Brooklyn Cyclones on his debut. Pat had 23 saves with a 0.83 ERA in 30 appearances in the season.
The next season, Pat joined the Charleston RiverDogs in the Class A South Atlantic League.
Further, in the middle of the season, he saw himself advance to the Class A-Advanced Florida States League with the Tampa Yankees. To point out, the 2009 season brought him a 2.21 ERA and two saves in 21 appearances.
Until the 2014 season, Pat played in different minor leagues with clubs like Aguilas del Zulia, Trenton Thunder, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
Also, the Italian National Baseball team added him in the roster of pitchers in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Departure from the Yankees
Even though he had earned pretty impressive numbers during his minor league games, the Yankees tried to get rid of him. In particular, his age and relatively slow fastball were the major concerns for them.
Hence, he played the 2014 season with Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Then, he officially left the Yankees as a free agent.
Oakland Athletics
Instantly, in 2015 Pat joined the Oakland Athletics to play in the minor league. First, he played in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Nashville Sounds. Then, the pitcher was promoted to the major league in June 2015.
Notably, on the debut major league game, Pat grabbed his first strikeout and pitched two scoreless innings.
Besides, with the Athletics, he won for the first time in August 2015. To sum up, he played 26 games for the Athletics with a 4.40 ERA.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Pat in October 2015. Also, from 2016, he played in the International League with the Buffalo Bisons.
Later, in April, he was called for the Blue Jays debut against the New York Yankees. Significantly, the Jays won that match 7-2. Ultimately, his Blue Jays career ended with an ERA of 5.19 in 8 appearances.
Seattle Miners
Toronto traded him to the Seattle Mariners in August 2016. Besides, during his days there, he partly played for the Tacoma Rainiers for a few weeks.
Philadelphia Phillies and LA Dodgers
The Philadelphia Phillies signed him on a trade-in 2017. In the meantime, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs had him play for them in the International League.
Then, he left as a free agent for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of 2017. There he was to join Casey Sadler. Pat represented the PCL at the Triple-A All-Star Game.
San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins
Pat joined the San Francisco Giants of Erik Kratz, in December 2018, as per the $585,000/one-year contract. And under his tenure, he played for the Sacramento River Cats in the Pacific Coast League.
During that period, his wife suffered from a brain hemorrhage. Thus, he missed a couple of months.
After being a free agent in 2019, Pat joined The Miami Marlins under a minor league contract in January 2020. Currently, he plays there with the deal resigned in August.
Injury
Back in August 2020, Pat Venditte faced an apparent injury during a first-pitch ball to Pete Alonso in the top of the sixth inning. As he suffered during his relief appearance, Pete was sidelined until sometime in mid-to-late September.
The Pat Venditte Rule
There were no ambidextrous players in major and minor leagues prior to Pat. However, as Pat began to use both of his hands for pitching, a new rule had to be made for regulating it.
Consequently, the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) issued a new rule for such players.
The rule is also called the “Pat Venditte Rule.” Notably, it limits the number of times a switch-pitcher and switch-hitter can change sides during one at-bat. Indeed, you can check out the full rule under the OBR Rule 5.08(f).
Now, almost all the baseball leagues of all levels, including NCAA and NFHS, have implemented the rule. After all, that would be a proud moment when your play brings the alteration in the game’s rule.
Pat Venditte: Wife and Children
Pat was married to Erin Venditte. Besides, the couple was in a deep relationship for a long time before they married. To point out, they first met during their college days at Creighton.
Pat has two children, a son, and a daughter, as of now. In fact, Ella Pearl is his daughter, and Dom is his son. Besides, he resides with his wife and children in Omaha. Also, the family spends time together during the offseason.
Pat Venditte: Net Worth and Salary
On the whole, Patt has played professional baseball for fifteen years now. Overall, during his career, he played for several clubs competing in different leagues.
Pat Venditte has a net worth of around $1 million as of 2024.
Moreover, according to reports, Pat has earned about $2 million in the last five seasons. Currently, he receives a base salary of $575,500 with his one-year contract with the Miami Marlins.
He also earned $299,508 from the Oakland Athletics, $105,374 from the Seattle Mariners, and $193,380 from the Dodgers.
Pat Venditte: Social Media Presence
Obviously, the switch-pitcher uses all of the popular social media handles like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, he is significantly less active on Facebook.
Facebook (Pat Venditte): 476 Followers
Twitter (@PatVenditte): 6.1k Followers
Instagram (@pvenditte): 6.7k Followers
Pat Venditte: Commonly Asked Questions
How fast does Pat Venditte throw?
Pat Venditte has thrown at around 137 km/h or 85 mph using his right hand. Also, his left-hand throw reaches between 80-85 mph. After all, he says warming-up left-handed – throwing sidearm takes less time for him. Additionally, his curveball has a velocity of 72 mph and four-seam fastballs of 84mph.
Why Pat Venditte was called “amphibious pitcher”?
At first, Pat Venditte debuted in the major league with the Oakland Athletics in June 2015. However, it was very uncommon for the baseball fans and media to see an ambidextrous pitcher.
Consequently, Oregon’s newspaper East Oregonian described his debut as “Amphibious Pitcher Makes Debut.” However, the newspaper later said they made a mistake. Besides, the news had gone viral in all the media of the nation.
What are Pat Venditte’s MLB career statistics to date?
Pat Venditte’s MLB career statistics to date are 4.73 ERA and 58 strikeouts. Furthermore, he has a win-loss record of 2-2.
