Pat Venditte is as honest fellow. 

“I don’t have overpowering stuff from either side,” he says, “so I think I really need this.”

What is “this?”  Take a look:

The rule referenced in the video didn’t come about as a result of a forward thinking baseball official.  Quite the contrary.  Like many modifications to the games we love, its creation was a product of one of those “I never thought of that” moments:

Venditte put his stuff on display for the Yankees in a spring training game yesterday, and did all right – 1.1 IP - 1ER – 2H – 1BB.  By all accounts, he has a ways to go, but you can’t help but pull for the guy…not because of the circus act that is his ambidextrous style, but because it’d be nice for a guy out of the pen to last more than one batter before getting yanked!

In case you’re wondering exactly what the Venditte rule is:

• The pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter. Engaging the rubber with the glove on a particular hand is considered a definitive commitment to which arm he will throw with. The batter will then choose which side of the plate he will bat from.

• The pitcher must throw one pitch to the batter before any "switch" by either player is allowed.

• After one pitch is thrown, the pitcher and batter may each change positions one time per at-bat. For example, if the pitcher changes from right-handed to left-handed and the batter then changes batter's boxes, each player must remain that way for the duration of that at-bat (unless the offensive team substitutes a pinch hitter, and then each player may again "switch" one time).

• Any switch (by either the pitcher or the batter) must be clearly indicated to the umpire.

• There will be no warm-up pitches during the change of arms.

• If an injury occurs the pitcher may change arms but not use that arm again during the remainder of the game.