AboutTom O`Leary Expertise I am am best suited to answer questions regarding minor league baseball prospects.
Experience Originally, i started doing this because i became engrossed researching prospects for a fantasy league. Back then all i really wanted to do was answer questions about baseball prospects.
Funny how time flies but twelve years later i have been asked questions regarding the negro leagues, what minor leaguers get paid, why players don't rub their injury when they get hurt, and how players can tryout for the minor leagues to name only a few. i was recently in correspondence with a father of a marine who lost several fingers while in Iraq; he was later drafted by the padres and is playing in their minor league system. additionally, i get a lot of questions from guys asking me if i think they can be successful at these tryouts or if they should tryout at all.
I do my best to answer every one's question without overstepping my bounds of knowledge. *sometimes i have to tell people that i just can't answer their question.* And sometimes i have to tell people that they just aren't good enough to be a professional ball player.*
most recently i have received two negative feedbacks from people who didn't like my response. one 30 year old guy who hadn't played since he was a teenager asked me if he really had a shot at making the tryouts. realistically, i said no. i guess he didn't appreciate my bluntness but what would you have wanted me to say?
i am not really an 'expert' in anything. i just answer people's inquires, give some conservative advise or tell them 'i don't know.' after twelve years i have realized that i do fulfill most most questioners satisfactorily which keeps me doing this.
Les wrote at 2007-04-12 04:15:18
I can't remember his name, but I played fall ball with him at the U.S. Air Force Academy before I left. He pitches very well with both arms and would often relieve a game left handed and start a game the very next day right handed. I don't know much more than that. I can't even recall what team picked him up.
Les
Steeve Reeves wrote at 2007-10-25 02:54:32
There was a major league pitcher who, I think, played for the Padres at one point, who threw with both hands and had a specially designed glove that he could put on either his right or left hand. His name was Greg Harris. Note: If you look it up, you might find that there was more than one Greg Harris
Josh wrote at 2008-05-01 13:45:29
There have been some switch-pitchers in the bigs. You'll find more information about them as you read up on the ambidextrous one-man bullpen used by a small school in the Missouri Valley Conference - I believe the school is Creighton. His name is Pat Venditte, and he's a stud of a pitcher. To be honest, as one who is working in minor league baseball now (I do media relations and fact checking), I'm hoping beyond all hope Venditte is assigned to play in the NY-Penn League out of the draft this June.
As for the MLB ... a fifteen-year veteran by the name of Greg Harris logged more than 1,400 innings and notched a 3.69 ERA. His record of 74-90 was wanting, but he compiled 54 saves.
Arguably his best year would have been 1986 while with the Rangers. In 73 games he put together a 10-8 record, 2.83 ERA and 20 saves. His K/BB ratio was nearly 2-1 - not too shabby at all.
His final year came in 1995 with the Expos, a 2-3 campaign for him in 45 games, logging a 2.61 ERA in 48.1 innings. He didn't record a single save, but he fanned 47 while allowing just 17 free passes - one intentionally.
