Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone, Moonlight Graham Show is getting in on the two-for-one deals. No, we aren’t talking about merch, although we have that too, we are talking about major league arm talent. Pat Venditte is the only true ambidextrous pitcher in MLB history.&nbsp; &nbsp; Pat Venditte wasn’t born ambidextrous. His dad, a former college ball player, trained Pat to throw left-handed even though he was naturally a righty. The goal was to give him an advantage, but who could have known that one day Major League Baseball created the “Pat Venditte Rule” to address the unique challenge of a switch pitcher? &nbsp; Having a big-league arm is rare. Just a fraction of a percentage of high school baseball players will ever get drafted. Only 1 in 5 players that get drafted make it to the big leagues. But Pat Venditte is the only player out of over 20,000 players to have appeared in the MLB that was ambidextrous.&nbsp; &nbsp; Venditte had to work hard to train his left arm as a pitcher. He wasn’t an overpowering pitcher with either arm, but it was when he developed a sidearm slider with his left arm that was a real turning point. He was always a serious competitor and was focused on doing whatever it took to help his team win. It wasn’t until his college career that he started focusing on taking his game to the next level. After getting drafted in the 45th round in 2007, Pat decided to stay in school for his senior year. He was drafted again by the Yankees in the 20th round of the 2008 draft. Venditte spent over 10 years in professional baseball, playing for the A’s, Blue Jays, Mariners, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, and Marlins.

Pat Venditte - The Amphibious Pitcher Who Changed the Rules of MLB Baseball

In an age of sport specialization, the multi-sport athlete is more fascinating than ever. In this week's episode, Tim and Neil discuss the best dual-sport athletes of their lifetimes.

The Greatest Multi-Sport Athletes

Billy Cundiff wasn’t always a kicker. As a Harlan Little Cyclone, playing for Coach Curt Bladt, Cundiff was a state title winning quarterback, a successful basketball player, and high jumper. Tim and Cundiff talk about playing for an all-time great football coach and growing up in an elite sports community. As humble as they come, Cundiff credits his older brother, coaches, and teammates for his successes in high school. Kicking is what Cundiff is known for now but growing up he was a multisport athlete and kicking wasn’t his priority. Even at Drake University, Cundiff was both on both the basketball and football teams. Luckily for us, his football career had the trajectory of one of his kickoffs. Though he was All-Pioneer League as a freshman (though he was only 8-18 on kicks) he describes himself as raw. As he continued to improve, a few 50 yard kicks, and even a 62-yarder against the University of San Diego, the NFL became a real possibility. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I just had to fake it until I made it Cundiff’s career started out in Dallas, with Emmitt Smith, Hard Knocks, and a whole new world of pressure. The largest crowd Cundiff played for in college was 13,000 at Southern Illinois. Football fans will really appreciate the inside look at his early successes, his time out of football, getting cut, and finding his new role in the NFL. Billy Cundiff’s sports career from small town star to fighting his way back into professional football is a great story and fits everything the Moonlight Graham Show is about. Hard work, perseverance, humility, and taking advantage of every opportunity.

Ep 94: Billy Cundiff on his rise from raw Drake Bulldog to All-Pro NFL kicker

Inspired by Moonlight Graham from The Field of Dreams, our podcast aspires to capture some of the best stories from sports heard directly from the athletes and figures who experienced them.

The Moonlight Graham Show