The "Pat Venditte Rule" refers to a regulation introduced by Major League Baseball (MLB) specifically addressing ambidextrous pitchers, like Pat Venditte himself. Venditte gained attention for his ability to pitch with either arm, depending on the batter he was facing. The rule was implemented to prevent potential advantages for such pitchers and to ensure fair play. The rule states that a pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter, and runner(s) which hand he intends to use to pitch before each at-bat. This prevents situations where a switch-pitcher could continually switch arms to gain an advantage based on the batter's handedness without notifying anyone. This rule was brought into effect because of the unique challenges faced by batters when facing a pitcher who can throw with both arms. Without such a regulation, there could be confusion and potential exploitation of matchups by ambidextrous pitchers.
