Thriller Crisis ?
New member
Andy Pettitte announces his retirement today. “It wasn’t there like I wanted it to...
...be" What are your thoughts? Andy Pettitte announced his retirement Friday, settling his own future while putting a large question mark besides that of the New York Yankees pitching staff.
Pettitte said he reached decision when spending some time on his Texas ranch.
“When I digged deep down in and I did some soul-searching—I don’t even know how to explain,” Pettitte said. “It wasn’t there. It wasn’t there like I wanted it to be there.”
On Tuesday, he called Brian Cashman to give the general manager the verdict: One of the most accomplished pitching careers in Yankees history was over. Pettitte was retiring after 16 major league seasons, 13 in pinstripes and five of those ending with World Series titles.
Pettitte said he felt a “tremendous obligation” to return after New York failed in its pursuit of ace pitcher Cliff Lee. Pettitte knows his retirement leaves New York with only three starting pitchers pencilled in for next season: C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett.
However the fire to compete from April through October had vanished, a realization that grew on him during the two months he spent on the disabled list with a leg injury last summer.
“I’m ready to go pitch in spring training right now if I had to. My arm feels great. My body feels great. Been working out extremely hard for about the last 3 1/2 weeks, and I know that my body would get to where it needs to be,” he said. “But my heart’s not where it needs to be.”
He almost retired after 2008 but wanted to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium. He almost retired after 2009 but wanted to defend the World Series title. There was no such lure after 2010.
“I just feel like that my heart is not fully, completely sold out to do this again, and to do what I feel like I need to do as a player on the New York Yankees,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right for me anymore, didn’t have the hunger, the drive that I felt like I needed.”
Pettitte didn’t completely rule out a 2012 return but said he couldn’t envision that happening. Pettitte recalled Tino Martinez telling him he had played a year too long.
He finished with a 240-138 record and 3.88 ERA. He set a major league record for postseason wins, going 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star.
“I’ve never considered myself a Hall of Famer. I feel honored that people are talking about it, never dreamed that I would be able to be talked about,” he said.
While he can’t place himself in the ranks of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, half of his Core Four teammates, there’s pride that he even would be considered for Cooperstown.
“I guess I’ve got to be close to having those credentials or you guys wouldn’t be talking about it as much as they do,” Pettitte added.
Pettitte said the upcoming trial of former teammate Roger Clemens played no part in his decision. Clemens has been indicted on charges he lied to a congressional committee when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. Pettitte admitted using human growth hormone and gave Congress a statement saying Clemens told him he had used HGH; Clemens testified Pettitte didn’t remember the conversation correctly.
“That has not had any effect, I mean zero, in my decision,” Pettitte said. “It’s had no impact on my life.”
...be" What are your thoughts? Andy Pettitte announced his retirement Friday, settling his own future while putting a large question mark besides that of the New York Yankees pitching staff.
Pettitte said he reached decision when spending some time on his Texas ranch.
“When I digged deep down in and I did some soul-searching—I don’t even know how to explain,” Pettitte said. “It wasn’t there. It wasn’t there like I wanted it to be there.”
On Tuesday, he called Brian Cashman to give the general manager the verdict: One of the most accomplished pitching careers in Yankees history was over. Pettitte was retiring after 16 major league seasons, 13 in pinstripes and five of those ending with World Series titles.
Pettitte said he felt a “tremendous obligation” to return after New York failed in its pursuit of ace pitcher Cliff Lee. Pettitte knows his retirement leaves New York with only three starting pitchers pencilled in for next season: C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett.
However the fire to compete from April through October had vanished, a realization that grew on him during the two months he spent on the disabled list with a leg injury last summer.
“I’m ready to go pitch in spring training right now if I had to. My arm feels great. My body feels great. Been working out extremely hard for about the last 3 1/2 weeks, and I know that my body would get to where it needs to be,” he said. “But my heart’s not where it needs to be.”
He almost retired after 2008 but wanted to pitch in the new Yankee Stadium. He almost retired after 2009 but wanted to defend the World Series title. There was no such lure after 2010.
“I just feel like that my heart is not fully, completely sold out to do this again, and to do what I feel like I need to do as a player on the New York Yankees,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right for me anymore, didn’t have the hunger, the drive that I felt like I needed.”
Pettitte didn’t completely rule out a 2012 return but said he couldn’t envision that happening. Pettitte recalled Tino Martinez telling him he had played a year too long.
He finished with a 240-138 record and 3.88 ERA. He set a major league record for postseason wins, going 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star.
“I’ve never considered myself a Hall of Famer. I feel honored that people are talking about it, never dreamed that I would be able to be talked about,” he said.
While he can’t place himself in the ranks of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, half of his Core Four teammates, there’s pride that he even would be considered for Cooperstown.
“I guess I’ve got to be close to having those credentials or you guys wouldn’t be talking about it as much as they do,” Pettitte added.
Pettitte said the upcoming trial of former teammate Roger Clemens played no part in his decision. Clemens has been indicted on charges he lied to a congressional committee when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. Pettitte admitted using human growth hormone and gave Congress a statement saying Clemens told him he had used HGH; Clemens testified Pettitte didn’t remember the conversation correctly.
“That has not had any effect, I mean zero, in my decision,” Pettitte said. “It’s had no impact on my life.”