Pat Venditte rule

[ pat ven-dit-ee rool ]

noun

, Baseball.

1. a rule that prohibits a pitcher from switching between right- and left-handed throwing during an opponent’s at-bat, contrasted with a switch hitter's freedom to switch between right- and left-handed batting during an at-bat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pat Venditte rule¹

Named after Pat Venditte (born 1985), an ambidexterous pitcher whose disruptive practice of switching his throwing arms during an at-bat prompted adoption of the rule in 2008

Example Sentences

Due to Venditte’s ability to throw with each hand, Major League Baseball created a rule, referred to as the “Pat Venditte Rule,” which states an ambidextrous pitcher must declare which hand he use to pitch to a batter prior to the start of the at-bat.

From Reuters

This led to the so-called “Pat Venditte Rule” — the pitcher has to decide first which arm he’s going to use and stay with it in an at-bat against a switch hitter — which, of course, calls to mind the oft-overlooked “Tommy John Rule,” limiting how many times a pitcher can have Tommy John surgery in one season.

From Washington Post