"return engagement: andy pettitte is back in the bronx" by dimitri cavalli in gotham baseball...

8/2/2019 "Return Engagement: Andy Pettitte Is Back in the Bronx" by Dimitri Cavalli in Gotham Baseball (Summer 2007)

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I IRETURNENGAGEMENTAndy Pettitteis back in the Bronx

I IBy Dimitri CavalliIhecommon thread between the 1977-78Yankees World

Series championship teams and the dynastic teams from19962000 was the presence of a homegrown left-handed

top of the rotation starter. What Ron Guidry was to the Bronx Zoo,Andy Pettittealbeit to a lesser extentwas to the Torre Era.

However, inexplicably, af t er the 2003 season, Pettitte was allowedto depart via free agency (to the Houston Astros) and his arm,experience and consistency were sorely missed during that span.However, on December 8, 2006, the club announced that Pettittewould pitch for the Yankees in 2007, and so far, that decision hasproved an excellent one.

Long a fan favorite, Pettitte won 149games and four World Seriesduring his nine seasons with the Yankees (19952003). Duringhi s press conference at Yankee Stadium on January 11 of this year,Pettitte recalled his experience as a Yankee and what the comingseason might bring.

"I feel like I've said it a thousand timesit's extremely special,"Pettitte said. "I'm hoping that we can have a whole lot of specialmemories in the f u t u r e here."

Some critics wondered if Pettitte, who turned 35 on June 15 andhad been plagued by elbow injuries in the past, would remain healthyduring the season.

In his first two months in Pinstripes, Pettitte led the Yankee rotationby posting a 2.51 ERA in 11 starts and two relief appearances. Aweak offense and a mediocre bullpen, however, cost Pettitte at leastsix wins and limited him to a 3-4 record.

A f t e r the Yankees signed Pettitte, many f ans wondered if his goodfr iend Roger Clemens, who followed him to Houston af t er the 2003season, would also rejoin the Yankees. During a game at YankeeStadium on May 6, the 44-year-old Clemens, who has won seven CyY o u n g Awards, stunned the baseball world by announcing that hewould pitch for the Yankees in 2007. A f t e r a few minor league starts,Clemens joined the Yankee rotation in early June.

The soft-spoken Pett itte might seem out of place in a franchise thatha s been long filled with larger-than-life personalit ies such as BabeRuth, Reggie Jackson, and Alex Rodriguez. Pettitte was born onJune 15, 1972, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew up in Deer Park,a suburb of Houston, Texas. Pettitte established himself as a starpitcher at Deer Park High School. In 1990, the Houston Chroniclenamed him the Greater Houston Area Player of the Year.

In 1990, the 18-year-old Pettitte caught the attention of theYankees, who selected him in the 22nd round of the amateur entrydraf t . Pettitte, however, enrolled at San Jacinto Junior College inHouston and pitched for the school's team, the Gators. He alsohoned his skills with the school's legendary pitching coach, WayneGraham, who coached Clemens in 1981. A f t e r posting a solid 8-3record during his freshman year, Pettitte signed with the Yankeesorganization on May 25, 1991.

The Yankees assigned Pettitte to the Gulf Coast Yankees in TampIn six starts, Pettitte compiled a 4-1 record with an impressive 0.9ERA. He finished the year with the Oneonta Yankees in the NeYork-Penn League. Over the next three years, Pettitte posted winninrecords with the Yankees minor-league affil iates and became knowas one of the organization's top pitching prospects. In his last fuyear in the minors, Pettitte went a combined 14-4 with a 2.87 ERwith the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA) and then the ColumbuClippers (AAA).

In spring training befo re the start of the 1995 season, Pettitcompeted for the fifth spot in the Yankees' starting rotation. Yankemanager Buck Showalter opted for Sterling Hitchcock, who hamajor league experience. Pett itte was on the Opening Day roster asreliever, but he was q u i c k l y sent down to Columbus.

In jur ies to starting pi tchers Scott Kamieniecki and Jimmy Keearly in the season created an opportunity for Pettitte, who warecalled in May. Afte r Key was sidelined for the season with rotatocuff surgery, Pettitte remained in the starting rotation. Althoughe got off to a 1-4 start, Petti tte finished 12-9 with a 4.17 ERADuring the season, Pettitte made frequent use of his signature pickomove. A f t e r being in last place in mid-June, the Yankees came bacto win the American League wild card and earned their first trito the postseason since 1981. In the American League DivisionaSeries (ALDS), Pettitte started the second game against the SeattMariners, but did not get a decision. The Yankees lost the series ifive games.

In 1996, Pet titte emerged as the ace of the Yankees startinrotation. He led the Yankees with 21 wins and finished second ivoting for the American League Cy Young Award. In the WorSeries, the Yankees faced the Atlanta Braves. In the first gamthe favored Braves battered Petti tte, who was removed by Yankemanager Joe Torre in the third inning. With the series tied at twgames, Pettitte redeemed himself in Game 5. With only a one-rulead, Pettitte shut down the Braves for 8 1/3 innings. In the nintinning, closer John Wetteland saved the game, giving Pettitte thwin. In Game 6, the Yankees defeated the Braves to win their firWorld Series in 18years.

The next year, Pettitte went 18-7 with a 2.88 ERA. Unfortunatelyhe was unable to duplicate his success in the postseason. In thALDS against the Cleveland Indians, Pettitte lost two games, anthe Yankees were eliminated f rom the playoffs. Pettitte's numbedeclined in 1998. Posting a 16-11 record and with a 4.24 ERAPettitte finished behind David Cone (20-7, 3.55) and David Wel(18-4, 3.49). But Pettitte clinched the World Series for the Yankeeby winning Game 4 against the San Diego Padres.

Pettitte struggled in 1999. At the end of July, he was 7-8 wita 5.65 ERA. Rumors swirled in the press that the Yankees woultrade him. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman decided t

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Long a an favorite, Pettitte wo n 14and four World S eries during his ninewith the Yankees (1995-2003).


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keep Pettitte, who managed to finish the season 14-11 but with acareer-high 4.70 ERA. Pettitte's difficulties were soon forgotten afterthe Yankees won their second consecutive World Series by sweepingthe Braves.

Right before the star t of the 1999 season, the Yankees acquiredClemens in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. Pett i t te quicklybecame close friends with Clemens, a fel low Texan and alu mnu s ofthe San Jacinto Gators. After th e season, Clemens invited Pett i t te,w ho lived within driving distance, to work out with him. Clemensintroduced Pett i t te to his grue ling workou t regimen, which includesweight-training, running, leg and abdominal strengthening, andcardiovascular exercise. Clemens and Pett i t te found that competingagainst one another during workoutsencouraged them to train harder.

In 2000, Pettitte led the Yankees with19 wins, and his ERA dropped to 4.35.He also pitched well in the postseason,and the Yankees defeated the Mets to wintheir third straight World Series. Trainingwith Clemens great ly improved Pett i t te 'sconditioning and gave him the confidenceto go after batters after falling behind themwhen pitching.

"I was throwing a lot harder than I everhave at the end of (1999)," Pettitte toldAnthony McCarron, a spor tswri ter for the INew York Daily News (February 25, 2001). a"I got to 95 (miles per hou r) a couple of t imes in the World Series, andI 'm more of an 88 or 89 guy who relies on location an d movement ."

In 2001, Pettitte we nt 15-10 for the Yanke es. He also low ered hisE RA to 3.99. In the American League Championship Series (ALCS),the Yankees defeated the Mariners in six games. Pett i t te won twogames and earned the series Most Valu able Player ( M V P ) Award. I na memorable World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated theYankees in seven games. Pettitte was completely ineffective againstth e Diamondbacks, losing tw o games and posting a 10.00 ERA.

A number of sportswriters at tr ibute Pett i t te 's disastrousperformance , especially in Game 6, by saying that he tipped hispitches and let the Diamondbacks know what he was going tothrow.

Ea r l y in 2002, Pett i t te was diagnosed with tendonitis in hispitching elbow and placed on the disabled list . Pitching in only 22games, he managed a 13-5 record and an excellent 3.27 E RA . In theAL DS , the Anaheim Angels defeated the Yankees in four games.

I n 2003, a healthy Pett i t te returned to his 1996 form, going21-8 and recording a 4.03 ERA. He won a game in both the A L D Sagainst th e Minnesota Twins and the ALCS against th e Boston R edSox. In the World Series against the Florida Marlins, Pett i t te wonG ame 2. With the Ma rl ins leading the series 3-2, Pettitte pitchedth e sixth game. Althou gh he gave up only tw o runs in seven innings,Ma rlins pitcher Josh Beckett shut out the Yankees.

In 2003, Petti t te won the Oklahom a Sports Museum's W arrenSpahn Award, which honors the best left-handed pitcher in themajor leagues. Pettitte's contract with the Yankees expired after the2003 season. Since the Yankees expected Pettitte to resign with theclub, they focused on other p riori t ies such as luring free agent sluggerGary Sheffield. Apparently, the Yankees were not concerned that

Pettitte w as openly testing th e free agent market and consideringoffers f rom other t eams.

On December 11, 2003. Pettitte shocked the Yankees by signinga three-year deal worth $31.5 million with th e Houston Ast ros.Dur ing hi s press conference in Houston, Pettitte said that playingwith the Astros al lowed him to spend more t ime with his wife andchildren.

"M y family is the most important thing to me," Pett i t te said,as quoted by a press release posted on the Astros' W eb site. "Thenbasebal l and everything else." Many sportswriters and Yankeefans blamed owner George Steinbrenner fo r taking Pettitte fo rgranted and not re-signing him right away. Pettitte also successfully

persuaded Clemens, who planned to retireafter th e 2003 season, to join him w ith theAstros.

A series of injuries derai led Pett i tte 's firstseason with the Astros in 2004. In the first

I few months of the season, Pett i t te had twostints on the disabled list, struggling withan e lbow and fo rearm st ra in . In A ugust , h isseason ended when he underwent surgeryto repai r a flexor tendon in his pitchingelbow.

"Obviously you want to be known asa gamer or competitor," Pettitte said, asquoted by Jose De Jesus Ortiz for theHouston Chronicle (August 19, 2004). "I'm

jus t very disappointed that I wasn't able to give this team what Iwanted to give (them) this year." Ap pea ring in only 15 games, Pettittema naged only six wins, the lowest of his major league career. In thepostseason, the Astros lost the penna nt to the St . Lou is Cardinals.

Pett i t te bounced back in 2005, recording a 17-9 record and acareer-low 2.39 E RA . Pett i t te helped lead th e Astros to their firstappearance in the World Series, but they were swept by the ChicagoWhite Sox. Pettitte got a no-decision in his only start.

I n 2006, Pett i t te experienced one of the toughest seasons ofhis career. After a disma l 1-4 start , Pett it te improved. In July andAugust, however, he lost several close games. Pettitte finished 14-13,and his ERA climbed to 4.20. O n A ug us t 11, Pettitte hit his firstmajor l eague home run.

Near the end of the season, both Pettitte and Clemens wereembroi led in controversy. In an article for the Los Angeles Times(October 1, 2006), L ance Pugmire reported that fo rmer reliefpitcher Jason Grimsley told federal investigators look ing into theuse of steroids by baseball players that Pett i t te, Clemens and fourother players ha d used performance-enhancing drugs. Both Pett i t teand Clemens strongly denied the accusations. Two days later ,San Francisco U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan, who was supervisingthe investigation, said that the Lo s Angeles Times' story contained"significant inaccuracies."Pett i t te became a free agent after th e 2006 season. He consideredre t i r ing from baseball , but decided to play in 2007. Disappointedby the deal he was offered by the Astros, Pett i t te decided to returnto the Yankees. "They really wanted me," Pettitte said at his pressconference at Yankee Stadium . "They're try ing to do som ething hereand wanted me to be a big p a r t of it."

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"return engagement: andy pettitte is back in the bronx" by dimitri cavalli in gotham baseball...

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