Timing Is Everything: My Pat Venditte Interview

Pat Venditte's story has intrigued me ever since the Yankees drafted him last year. In case you didn't know, Pat is the only ambidextrous (switch) pitcher in professional baseball today.

When he began his career with the Class A-Short Season Staten Island Yankees almost a year ago, I entertained thoughts about interviewing him on the internet radio show I was co-hosting at the time. I sent email after email to the SI Yanks PR guy and even called him several times, requesting an interview with Pat. I never got a response. When I went out to Staten Island late in the season to see a game, I sat close to the Yankee dugout and waved to Pat after he'd closed out the game against the Vermont Lake Monsters (Nationals). He nodded and smiled politely, acknowledging my presence. I left the ballpark thinking that was as close as I'd come to having any contact with him.

But then, this year Pat was promoted to the South Atlantic League's Charleston Riverdogs, and, voila! I had better luck with Charleston's PR guy. I got to interview Pat last night before the team's game against Lexington. You'll be able to listen to it during the next episode of LATB Radio on Sunday, May 31st.

Timing is everything. But, as I've been learning lately, it's not necessarily my timing that matters. Things happen when they are supposed to happen.