Summer 2007

Tmni Terrific Dandy ndy Pettitte mo Durochen Gotham's Lip

RETURN ENGAGEMENT
Andy Pettitte is back in the Bronx I I
By Dimitri Cavalli
thread between the 1977-78 Yankees World Series championship teams and the dynastic teams from 19962000 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, after the 2003 season, Pettitte was allowed to 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 Pettitte would pitch for the Yankees in 2007, and so far, that decision has proved an excellent one. Long a fan favorite, Pettitte won 149 games and four World Series during his nine seasons with the Yankees (19952003). During his press conference at Yankee Stadium on January 11 of this year, Pettitte recalled his experience as a Yankee and what the coming season 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 special memories in the future here." Some critics wondered if Pettitte, who turned 35 on June 15 and had been plagued by elbow injuries in the past, would remain healthy during the season. In his first two months in Pinstripes, Pettitte led the Yankee rotation by posting a 2.51 ERA in 11 starts and two relief appearances. A weak offense and a mediocre bullpen, however, cost Pettitte at least six wins and limited him to a 3-4 record. After the Yankees signed Pettitte, many fans wondered if his good friend Roger Clemens, who followed him to Houston after the 2003 season, would also rejoin the Yankees. During a game at Yankee Stadium on May 6, the 44-year-old Clemens, who has won seven Cy Young Awards, stunned the baseball world by announcing that he would pitch for the Yankees in 2007. After a few minor league starts, Clemens joined the Yankee rotation in early June. The soft-spoken Pettitte might seem out of place in a franchise that has been long filled with larger-than-life personalities such as Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Alex Rodriguez. Pettitte was born on June 15, 1972, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He grew up in Deer Park, a suburb of Houston, Texas. Pettitte established himself as a star pitcher at Deer Park High School. In 1990, the Houston Chronicle named him the Greater Houston Area Player of the Year. In 1990, the 18-year-old Pettitte caught the attention of the Yankees, who selected him in the 22nd round of the amateur entry draft. Pettitte, however, enrolled at San Jacinto Junior College in Houston and pitched for the school's team, the Gators. He also honed his skills with the school's legendary pitching coach, Wayne Graham, who coached Clemens in 1981. After posting a solid 8-3 record during his freshman year, Pettitte signed with the Yankees organization on May 25, 1991.

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The Yankees assigned Pettitte to the Gulf Coast Yankees in Tampa. In six starts, Pettitte compiled a 4-1 record with an impressive 0.98 ERA. He finished the year with the Oneonta Yankees in the New York-Penn League. Over the next three years, Pettitte posted winning records with the Yankees minor-league affiliates and became known as one of the organization's top pitching prospects. In his last full year in the minors, Pettitte went a combined 14-4 with a 2.87 ERA with the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA) and then the Columbus Clippers (AAA). In spring training before the start of the 1995 season, Pettitte competed for the fifth spot in the Yankees' starting rotation. Yankee manager Buck Showalter opted for Sterling Hitchcock, who had major league experience. Pettitte was on the Opening Day roster as a reliever, but he was quickly sent down to Columbus. Injuries to starting pitchers Scott Kamieniecki and Jimmy Key early in the season created an opportunity for Pettitte, who was recalled in May. After Key was sidelined for the season with rotator cuff surgery, Pettitte remained in the starting rotation. Although he got off to a 1-4 start, Pettitte finished 12-9 with a 4.17 ERA. During the season, Pettitte made frequent use of his signature pickoff move. After being in last place in mid-June, the Yankees came back to win the American League wild card and earned their first trip to the postseason since 1981. In the American League Divisional Series (ALDS), Pettitte started the second game against the Seattle Mariners, but did not get a decision. The Yankees lost the series in five games. In 1996, Pettitte emerged as the ace of the Yankees starting rotation. He led the Yankees with 21 wins and finished second in voting for the American League Cy Young Award. In the World Series, the Yankees faced the Atlanta Braves. In the first game, the favored Braves battered Pettitte, who was removed by Yankee manager Joe Torre in the third inning. With the series tied at two games, Pettitte redeemed himself in Game 5. With only a one-run lead, Pettitte shut down the Braves for 8 1/3 innings. In the ninth inning, closer John Wetteland saved the game, giving Pettitte the win. In Game 6, the Yankees defeated the Braves to win their first World Series in 18 years. The next year, Pettitte went 18-7 with a 2.88 ERA. Unfortunately, he was unable to duplicate his success in the postseason. In the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians, Pettitte lost two games, and the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. Pettitte's numbers declined in 1998. Posting a 16-11 record and with a 4.24 ERA, Pettitte finished behind David Cone (20-7, 3.55) and David Wells (18-4, 3.49). But Pettitte clinched the World Series for the Yankees by winning Game 4 against the San Diego Padres. Pettitte struggled in 1999. At the end of July, he was 7-8 with a 5.65 ERA. Rumors swirled in the press that the Yankees would trade him. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman decided to

30 GOTHAM B A S E B A L L

Long afan favorite, Pettitte won 149 games and four World Series during his nine seasons with the Yankees (1995-2003).

keep Pettitte, who managed to finish the season 14-11 but with a career-high 4.70 ERA. Pettitte's difficulties were soon forgotten after the Yankees won their second consecutive World Series by sweeping the Braves. Right before the start of the 1999 season, the Yankees acquired Clemens in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. Pettitte quickly became close friends with Clemens, a fellow Texan and alumnus of the San Jacinto Gators. After the season, Clemens invited Pettitte, who lived within driving distance, to work out with him. Clemens introduced Pettitte to his grueling workout regimen, which includes weight-training, running, leg and abdominal strengthening, and cardiovascular exercise. Clemens and Pettitte found that competing against one another during workouts encouraged them to train harder. In 2000, Pettitte led the Yankees with 19 wins, and his ERA dropped to 4.35. He also pitched well in the postseason, and the Yankees defeated the Mets to win their third straight World Series. Training with Clemens greatly improved Pettitte's conditioning and gave him the confidence to go after batters after falling behind them when pitching. "I was throwing a lot harder than I ever have at the end of (1999)," Pettitte told Anthony McCarron, a sportswriter for the I New York Daily News (February 25, 2001). a "I got to 95 (miles per hour) a couple of times in the World Series, and I'm more of an 88 or 89 guy who relies on location and movement." In 2001, Pettitte went 15-10 for the Yankees. He also lowered his ERA to 3.99. In the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the Yankees defeated the Mariners in six games. Pettitte won two games and earned the series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. In a memorable World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in seven games. Pettitte was completely ineffective against the Diamondbacks, losing two games and posting a 10.00 ERA. A number of sportswriters attribute Pettitte's disastrous performance, especially in Game 6, by saying that he tipped his pitches and let the Diamondbacks know what he was going to throw. Early in 2002, Pettitte was diagnosed with tendonitis in his pitching elbow and placed on the disabled list. Pitching in only 22 games, he managed a 13-5 record and an excellent 3.27 ERA. In the ALDS, the Anaheim Angels defeated the Yankees in four games. In 2003, a healthy Pettitte returned to his 1996 form, going 21-8 and recording a 4.03 ERA. He won a game in both the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins and the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox. In the World Series against the Florida Marlins, Pettitte won Game 2. With the Marlins leading the series 3-2, Pettitte pitched the sixth game. Although he gave up only two runs in seven innings, Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett shut out the Yankees. In 2003, Pettitte won the Oklahoma Sports Museum's Warren Spahn Award, which honors the best left-handed pitcher in the major leagues. Pettitte's contract with the Yankees expired after the 2003 season. Since the Yankees expected Pettitte to resign with the club, they focused on other priorities such as luring free agent slugger Gary Sheffield. Apparently, the Yankees were not concerned that
32 GOTHAM BASEBALL

Pettitte was openly testing the free agent market and considering offers from other teams. On December 11, 2003. Pettitte shocked the Yankees by signing a three-year deal worth $31.5 million with the Houston Astros. During his press conference in Houston, Pettitte said that playing with the Astros allowed him to spend more time with his wife and children. "My family is the most important thing to me," Pettitte said, as quoted by a press release posted on the Astros' Web site. "Then baseball and everything else." Many sportswriters and Yankee fans blamed owner George Steinbrenner for taking Pettitte for granted and not re-signing him right away. Pettitte also successfully persuaded Clemens, who planned to retire after the 2003 season, to join him with the Astros. A series of injuries derailed Pettitte's first season with the Astros in 2004. In the first I few months of the season, Pettitte had two stints on the disabled list, struggling with an elbow and forearm strain. In August, his season ended when he underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. "Obviously you want to be known as a gamer or competitor," Pettitte said, as quoted by Jose De Jesus Ortiz for the Houston Chronicle (August 19, 2004). "I'm just very disappointed that I wasn't able to give this team what I wanted to give (them) this year." Appearing in only 15 games, Pettitte managed only six wins, the lowest of his major league career. In the postseason, the Astros lost the pennant to the St. Louis Cardinals. Pettitte bounced back in 2005, recording a 17-9 record and a career-low 2.39 ERA. Pettitte helped lead the Astros to their first appearance in the World Series, but they were swept by the Chicago White Sox. Pettitte got a no-decision in his only start. In 2006, Pettitte experienced one of the toughest seasons of his career. After a dismal 1-4 start, Pettitte improved. In July and August, however, he lost several close games. Pettitte finished 14-13, and his ERA climbed to 4.20. On August 11, Pettitte hit his first major league home run. Near the end of the season, both Pettitte and Clemens were embroiled in controversy. In an article for the Los Angeles Times (October 1, 2006), Lance Pugmire reported that former relief pitcher Jason Grimsley told federal investigators looking into the use of steroids by baseball players that Pettitte, Clemens and four other players had used performance-enhancing drugs. Both Pettitte and Clemens strongly denied the accusations. Two days later, San Francisco U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan, who was supervising the investigation, said that the Los Angeles Times' story contained "significant inaccuracies." Pettitte became a free agent after the 2006 season. He considered retiring from baseball, but decided to play in 2007. Disappointed by the deal he was offered by the Astros, Pettitte decided to return to the Yankees. "They really wanted me," Pettitte said at his press conference at Yankee Stadium. "They're trying to do something here and wanted me to be a big part of it." C'B