THE inside pitch WEEK 4 CLASSICS/TIMELESS NOV. 15 th Training your son to be ambidextrous Photo By: Meg Giffen Jan and Pat Venditte Sr. of Toledo McGuire Insurance trained their son to throw with both arms. Pat Jr. has pitched for 3 MLB teams. BY GLENN MILLER Roy Hobbs Baseball Out of the thousands of men over 29 years who have played in the Roy Hobbs World Series, Pat Venditte of Toledo McGuire Insurance can claim a singular distinction. He is guaranteed the only Roy Hobbs player whose son is a big-league switchpitcher. Pat Venditte, Jr. is the first regular switch-pitcher in the majors since the 19 th century. Greg A. Harris did it once in 1995 but that was a novelty act. The younger Venditte switch-pitches regularly and uses six-fingered gloves that he can switch from hand to hand. His ability compelled baseball to pass The Venditte Rule. Here is that rule from mlb.com: The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter & runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on the particular hand will be the deciding factor. The batter then can choose which side of Photo By: Meg Giffen One of Pat Venditte Jr. s 6-finger ambidextrous gloves the plate he will bat from. The pitcher then has to pitch with that hand for the entire at-bat. Any switch must be clearly indicated to the umpire. No warm-up pitches during the change of arms. The necessity of a new rule can be traced to the Omaha backyard where the elder Venditte started training his son to throw with both arms when the boy was 3. Father and son spent countless hours in the yard. Practices every day, the elder Venditte said Tuesday before a game at CenturyLink. There were learning techniques to enhance his son s ability. You put the fork in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, Venditte said. Jan Venditte talked about how her husband of 49 years trained their son. Pat figured if a batter can switch why not a pitcher, Jan said. So, he said he d train him from the beginning. The proud father can still visualize his son standing at Creighton University s ballpark at home plate. Venditte, Jr. pitched at Creighton. He d throw the ball out of the ballpark, 318 feet, with both arms, Venditte said. And not on the bounce. In the air. That ability got the younger Venditte to the majors in 2015 and 2016, pitching for the A s, Blue Jays and Mariners. He spent the 2017 season in AAA with the Phillies and is now a 32-year-old free agent. Vendittte is using one of his son s six-fingered Mizuno gloves this week. But he s not ambidextrous.
2 NOTEBOOK Expanding RHWS or PDC Growth? Roy Hobbs is holding off on expanding the World Series to 5 weeks as we have not seen enough evidence to do that. Couple that with plans to expand the Player Development Complex to 8 adult fields by 2019, and Roy Hobbs is shelving those discussions for the time being. It is simpler, Roy Hobbs believes, to utilize the Charlotte County Complex on a very limited basis as needed. Roy Hobbs anticipates doing that during the week of the Legends, Vintage and Forever Young divisions, especially on playoff Friday. This year there were 85 teams in Week 3. With 83 in 2016, there were only 2 open field times, so we survived with no rain! With 85, there is no fudge factor on scheduling at all, and we may need to grab a HS field to get 2-3 games played to make it work with 85 teams until we get to Friday. Picking up T-Shirts The tournament T-shirt is available through Friday only for all registered players outside the Roy Hobbs Store in the screened in patio at the Player Development Complex. No Shirts will be given out on Thursdays or Saturdays. Hours to pick up the Tournament T-shirt are from Noon to 6 p.m. With the shirt, each player will get a tournament patch. Players will need their RHWS ID card to get their shirts, no exceptions No drivers licenses needed. Lending a helping hand at home plate Roy Hobbs will place collection boxes at the security stations at each of our playing sites. Please fill those with non-perishable food items or See NOTEBOOK, page 6
3 TUESDAY RESULTS CLASSICS DIVISION Atlanta Heat 7, Bergen Yankees 6 Bahama Breeze Bandits 25, Long Island Braves 7 Baltimore Orioles 8, Bronx Cardinals 5 Border City Brewers 12, Kansas City Blues 0 Chesapeake Blue Claws 9, Orlando Wrinkles 4 Comox Valley Cubs 30, St Louis Dodgers 18 DuPage Lugnuts 9, Tidewater Drillers 7 Houston Colt.45s 12, DC Mets 5 Livingston Dodgers 12, Midwest Nine 8 Long Island Yankees 16, Cecil s Margin Service 6 Massachusetts Chiefs 14, Washington Titans 8 Michigan Stars 16, Philadelphia Brewers 4 Minnesota Bandits 12, Huntsville Stars 8 Minnesota Bees 14, New England Red Sox 3 Minnesota Goats 13, Tropical Thunder 2 Nova Scotia Monarchs 12, Asheville Sox 5 Philadelphia Cutters 6, Kent Mudhens 5 PSOF Rangers 18, Cleveland Spiders 8 San Antonio Texans 23, Rhode Island Rockies 16 Tampa Sharks 8, St Louis Knights 5 Toledo McGuire Insurance 9, Cincinnati Colt.45s 4 Youngstown A2Z 22, Tex-a-Can Blue Jays 11 TIMELESS DIVISION Boston Braves 18, Toledo McGuire Insurance 7 Chicago Spirit 8, New England Red Sox 7 DC National Spirit 9, Key West All Stars 1 Detroit 70s 11, USA Volkers Group 1 Minnesota Saints 15, South Dakota Rushmores 4 New Jersey Wonderboys 8, Kent Mudhens 4 San Diego Padres 17, Avengers 5 Greg Wagner Photo Kent Mud Hens 70 s batter squares to bunt vs. the New Jersey Wonderboys
4 WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE CLASSICS DIVISION 10:00AM Midwest Nine @ San Antonio Texans - CL-S New England Red Sox @ Border City Brewers - CL4 Massachusetts Chiefs @ Kansas City Blues - CL6 Comox Valley Cubs @ DC Mets - JB3 Chesapeake Blue Claws @ Kent Mudhens - JB4 Philadelphia Brewers @ Tidewater Drillers - JB5 Cleveland Spiders @ Michigan Stars - JB6 Minnesota Bandits @ Washington Titans - PDC2 1:45PM Philadelphia Cutters @ Orlando Wrinkles - CL-S Minnesota Goats @ Bahama Breeze Bandits - CL3 Toledo McGuire Insurance @ Long Island Braves - CL4 Livingston Dodgers @ Nova Scotia Monarchs - CL6 Asheville Sox @ St Louis Knights - JB-S Bronx Cardinals @ PSOF Rangers - JB2 Tampa Sharks @ Tropical Thunder - JB3 Tex-a-Can Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles - JB4 Youngstown A2Z @ Long Island Yankees - JB5 Bergen Yankees @ Huntsville Stars - PDC2 Atlanta Heat @ Minnesota Bees - PDC4 Cecil s Margin Service @ Cincinnati Colt.45s - PDC5 TIMELESS DIVISION 10:00AM Key West All Stars @ Kent Mudhens - CL2 Chicago Spirit @ New Jersey Wonderboys - CL3 Avengers @ Detroit 70s - JB-S South Dakota Rushmores @ San Diego Padres - PDC1 DC National Spirit @ Team America - PDC3 Minnesota Saints @ Boston Braves - PDC4 Toledo McGuire Insurance @ USA Volkers Group - PDC5 1:45PM Team America @ New England Red Sox - PDC3 Ouch! NJ Wonderboys batter gets plunked by a Kent Mud Hens 70 s pitch Photo By: Greg Wagner
5 STANDINGS CLASSICS DIVISION TEAMS W L PCT RA Long Island Yankees 3 0 1.000 9 Border City Brewers 3 0 1.000 11 Youngstown A2Z 3 0 1.000 15 Livingston Dodgers 3 0 1.000 15 Houston Colt.45s 4 0 1.000 17 DuPage Lugnuts 4 0 1.000 19 Atlanta Heat 3 0 1.000 21 Bahama Breeze Bandits 2 1 0.667 12 Nova Scotia Monarchs 2 1 0.667 14 Cincinnati Colt.45s 2 1 0.667 15 Washington Titans 2 1 0.667 16 Baltimore Orioles 2 1 0.667 16 Minnesota Bees 2 1 0.667 16 New England Red Sox 2 1 0.667 17 Orlando Wrinkles 2 1 0.667 17 Tidewater Drillers 2 1 0.667 19 Massachusetts Chiefs 2 1 0.667 19 Toledo McGuire Ins 2 1 0.667 22 DC Mets 2 1 0.667 23 Minnesota Goats 2 1 0.667 25 PSOF Rangers 2 1 0.667 30 San Antonio Texans 2 1 0.667 31 Chesapeake Blue Claws 2 1 0.667 33 Tampa Sharks 2 1 0.667 34 Rhode Island Rockies 2 2 0.500 42 Michigan Stars 1 2 0.333 20 Cecil s Margin Service 1 2 0.333 24 Asheville Sox 1 2 0.333 25 Philadelphia Cutters 1 2 0.333 29 Minnesota Bandits 1 2 0.333 33 Philadelphia Brewers 1 2 0.333 37 Kent Mudhens 1 2 0.333 37 Tex-a-Can Blue Jays 1 2 0.333 43 Comox Valley Cubs 1 2 0.333 48 Huntsville Stars 0 3 0.000 25 Bronx Cardinals 0 3 0.000 28 Bergen Yankees 0 3 0.000 30 Kansas City Blues 0 3 0.000 31 St Louis Knights 0 3 0.000 31 Greg Wagner Photo Ground rules meeting at home plate before the Tex-a-Can Blue Jays/Youngstown A2Z game Tropical Thunder 0 3 0.000 42 Midwest Nine 0 3 0.000 42 Cleveland Spiders 0 3 0.000 51 Long Island Braves 0 3 0.000 53 St Louis Dodgers 0 4 0.000 83 TIMELESS DIVISION TEAMS W L PCT RA Team America 2 0 1.000 10 Detroit 70s 3 0 1.000 13 Minnesota Saints 2 1 0.667 10 New Jersey Wonderboys 2 1 0.667 13 Kent Mudhens 2 1 0.667 16 Boston Braves 2 1 0.667 19 Avengers 2 1 0.667 22 New England Red Sox 2 1 0.667 25 San Diego Padres 1 2 0.333 22 DC National Spirit 1 2 0.333 23 South Dakota Rushmores 1 2 0.333 25 USA Volkers Group 1 2 0.333 28 Chicago Spirit 1 2 0.333 36 Key West All-Stars 0 3 0.000 40 Toledo McGuire Ins 0 3 0.000 58
6 NOTEBOOK medical items Roy Hobbs will match what you donate. Non-perishable food items will go to the Harry Chapin Food Bank of SW Florida, to the ACT battered women s shelter and to pantry programs that are helping to feed our community in need. Non-perishable food items include canned goods, or glassed items like peanut butter, bags of rice, pasta, beans, etc. Medical items will be boxed and shipped through one of a variety of networks to Puerto Rico. Iran Negron, manager of the Miami Marlins in Veterans week, is spearheading one of those operations. Medical items include band-aides, rolled gauze, gauze pads, elastic bandages, thermometers, antibiotic ointments, hydro-cortisone ointments whatever you would stock in your personal first aid kits. Please help us make a difference in our community as well as elsewhere. See NOTEBOOK, page 7 Longtime friends reunited at 2nd base Photo By: Greg Wagner
7 NOTEBOOK First Aid Two key First Aid items: Drink plenty of fluids while playing; don t just wait until the game is over. Water will be available at the fields. Second, be sure to stretch and loosen up before playing, or even re-entering a game. In case of an emergency, contact the field manager at your site. He has the First Aid supplies and will contact 911 services as needed. Ice is available for injuries check with the field manager on duty or go to the nearest concession stand to have the appropriate personnel paged. Roy Hobbs requests that managers plan for pitchers needing ice for their arms and to supply it. Admission, $1 a game Admission continues at the Roy Hobbs World Series. Admission is $1 per game. Players will pay their $1 at check-in for their player ID card that guarantees them access to all games in which they are not playing. Spectators will pay $1 for entrance into each complex Greg Wagner Photo Mass Chiefs side-winder vs. the Washington Titans and are good for one day. Roy Hobbs will have available a Tournament pass for each adult for $5; the family pass has been eliminated. The tournament pass is a plastic card that guarantees admission for that person for the duration of the RHWS. The Tournament passes are available at the Hobbs headquarters at PDC or from the Site Concierge at each of the playing sites. *
8 CLASSICS DIVISION PSOF Rangers 7, St Louis Knights 6: (PSOF) WP: Gary Dover - 9 IP, 2 ER, 5 Ks; Ken Seelie - 2 hit, 2b; Curt Yockey - 2 RBIs; Rich Brogan - 2 RBI, 2b Nova Scotia Monarchs 16, Long Island Braves 5: (NSM) Steve Selig - 3/4, 1B, 2B, 3B; Brian Miller - 4/5, 3 1Bs, 2B Philadelphia Cutters 6, Kent Mudhens 5: (KM) Ron Kimble - 6 IP, 3 ER, 2 K; Jon Catalano - 2/3, R; John Berger - 3/4, RBI; Scott Ruhe - 2/3, R; Louie Munoz - 2/3, 2 R Nova Scotia Monarchs 12, Asheville Sox 5: (NSM) WP: Steve Selig; SV: Albert Slaunwhite; Billy Degout - 3/5, 2 1Bs, 1 2B; Albert Slaunwhite - 3/4, 2 1Bs, 1 2B PSOF Rangers 18, Cleveland Spiders 8: (PSOF) WP: John Lazarich - complete game, 6 Ks; Jack Degiovanni - 2b, 3 RBIs; Marty Stanczyk - SF, 2 RBI; Kurt Youkey - 2 Hs, 2 RBI HIGHLIGHTS Greg Wagner Photo Youngstown A2Z catcher takes a warm up pitch TIMELESS DIVISION Team America 18, Key West All Stars 6: (TA) WP: Wayne Brennan; Paul Netzel - 4/5, 2 2Bs, 6 RBI New England Red Sox 4, Huntsville Stars 3: (HS) Kitko - 2/4; Shinn - 1/3, RBI; Means - 1/4, RBI; Starke - 6 IP, 3Hss, 3ER, 4Ks, 5BBs Boston Braves 10, San Diego Padres 7: (BB) WP: Howard Elson - Complete game - 7 runs, 3 earned, 12 hits, 1bb, 6 k; Dale Marker - 4/5, Stan Lederman - 3/5, 2 2b; Denny Brown - 3/5, 2 2b, Don Holmstrom - 2/4 Avengers 5, Boston Braves 2: (BB) Jerry Kirk - Complete game, 5 runs, 2 earned, 10 hits, 4 bb, 3 k; Stan Lederman - 2/5; Ted Pierce - 2/3