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According to Greg Bear, it would be better if humans were MORE one-handed than they are. I think he's the guy who wrote about an alien race that could hold up a car with one huge arm and tinker on the engine with the other delicate arm. 'course sci-fi writers are fond of saying there are no absolutes.... :- )
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Q. How good IS Venditte from the LOOGY standpoint?
A. He's been better, LH-on-LH, than anybody the M's currently have, until Furbush returns. For his career, ML lefties have batted a piddling .175 with a 5:18 EYE and power well below average. Dr. D does not expect this to continue, but here's hoping.
He's a lefty Cishek minus 8 MPH, throwing a sidearm tight-spin low 70's slider and a painted batting practice fastball. Here is a 71 MPH lefty change curve. Followed by the "let's hope this sinks enough" approach vs righties.
Here's one more video to get across the idea of "high school velocity." But the glove flip after the out is awesome :- )
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Q. What happens when the batter is a switch hitter?
A. A picture's worth a thousand words.
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Q. Does the manager "insult" his RH shtick by signalling with the left hand to call him in?
A. A picture's worth a thousand words - in this case two thousand. Personally I'd go with the overhand axe motion.
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Q. Is there upside here?
A. Dr. D enjoys watching unusual sports events more than the average bear. And in theory, an ambidextrous pitcher would truly offer a ballclub a 26-man roster exemption. In a 7-run game against you, have him go four innings from the right side* and then a game or two later, have him do it from the other side. He should allow you a full extra position player, and that would be his value to me.
It hasn't worked that way for Venditte, who has topped out at 75, 78, maybe 90 innings even in the minors. You gotta love watching him, but ... if he contributes much, SSI will be very surprised.
? ... I thought Roach and Parker looked very intriguing. :: shrug ::
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Q. Arquimedes Caminero?
A. A classic Jack Zduriencik type of add in the bullpen -- huge talent, dubious results, especially on the BB end of things (read: sabermetrically unsound). Nice to know that DiPoto is flexible about his philosophies ... consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, R.W. Emerson.
Caminero has a surprising second pitch: his cutter has 9,000 kinds of swerve in on a lefty. Combine that with Diaz-level thermics, and you've got a unique arsenal. Nobody else in the majors has it.
Would like to think that the Mariners had a fix in mind, the way the White Sox did on Matt Thornton, the way the Royals did on Gil Meche. After Wade Miley, though, I hae me doo'ts.
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Bottom line - this guy needs a good look before a decent POTD.
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Q. Leaving us where?
A. Both guys will be super FUN to sample-watch. They don't make a lot of sense to the Mainframe. But the older Dr. D gets, the more he likes to be surprised.
Enjoy,
jemanji
