Pettitte ponders his future BY ROGER RUBIN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Andy Pettitte He has won 180 games, has two 20-win seasons and twice has been named to the All-Star team. His teams have always reached the postseason and he's played in seven World Series and been a champion four times. Andy Pettitte isn't through his 12th big league season and already he's had a career that almost anyone would envy. Three years ago, when he left the Yankees to sign with his hometown Astros, Bombers fans couldn't imagine what their club would look like without him. Now that his contract is about to expire, Pettitte finds himself imagining life without baseball. "I can't say that I feel I'm 100% sure I want to play next year and I can't say I'm definitely not going to play," Pettitte said yesterday. "I have no idea. I really don't even know if I want to play. "I don't know where I'm at on anything. I wish I had more answers," said Pettitte, who will not face the Mets this weekend. Playing his first nine seasons with the Yankees, Pettitte enjoyed plenty of success, albeit with a price. He has started more postseason games than any other pitcher. In 34 playoff starts he's thrown 212 innings - basically an entire extra season crammed into the 11 he'd already played - and is 14-9 with a 4.08 ERA. "All my close friends that I talk to about it, it's exactly what they say: I don't think there's any way possible I'd feel like this if I didn't have all the success I had," said Pettitte, who will have made more than $75 million playing baseball by the end of the year. "I don't know that, but I wouldn't think I'd feel this way. I've been to seven World Series now. I definitely think that contributes. I had an opportunity to play a lot, every year in the postseason. I don't know if that has something to do with it, the wear and tear. I guess I just look at it different from a lot of other guys. "I signed a three-year deal. I wanted to play three years. I didn't want to play longer than that when I signed." All those playoff innings may have contributed to the injury he suffered early in 2004, a torn flexor tendon that ultimately halted his season in August and had to be repaired surgically. Pettitte, 34, came back last year to team with Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt in a devastating rotation that carried Houston to its first postseason series victory and first World Series. He was - as he always was in pinstripes - the unsung hero. He was 17-9 with a 2.39 ERA that was the best of his career. "When I left New York my whole goal in life was to try to help the Houston Astros first win a playoff series and then second, win a World Series or at least get to one," said Pettitte, who is 8-10 with a 5.08 ERA this season. "We were able to do that last year. I wish we were able to win it. So now my goal is to try to help this team win a World Series. That's what's keeping me going."
With the year he's had this year, in addition to his first year with the team being injury filled, I could see him hanging it up...him and Roger together.
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im dum lol, here is the link http://www.realgmbaseball.com/src_wiretap_archives/3088/20060722/pettitte_mulling_retirement/ i cant find the like to the article, but this its the link to the cut out on real gm. all you have to do i click read to see the hole article!
I would like to see Hirsch get some PT....and maybe Sampson.... The best thing Pettite has done was get Roger to play here. DD
He had one amazing year here also, but definately not worth the money. The Astros need to cut ties with Andy next season.
This isn't the first time that Andy has said this. He said it in spring training. He is a family first guy. That is the largest reason he came home to play. No one would or should begrudge the guy if he decides to hang it up. He's had a storybook career. I wonder if he even knows that the best time to play golf in Texas is in October. He might not have completely lived up to his contract with his play (other than his fantastic 2005 season), but I'd be willing to bet that the guys in the clubhouse think that he is worth more.
I really like Andy, & I really like Roger, BUT ... if these guys try handcuffing us in the offseason until Christmas or January again, I say eff them. Adios. Use the salary space to buy dudes that want to play. I don't know abouts yoos, but I'm sick of being handcuffed every winter, ala Beltran, Clemens, & maybe now Pettitte. Yes, this is frustration talking.
What ever he thinks is best. I would love to see him stay around but I don't blame him if wants to leave. I think it's pretty certain Roger's done. No one is going to want to play if they are playing with us right now. Today we have to pull it out for Roy O. We can't afford to lose him.
I would like the astros to resign Andy for the right price. It seems like he is retiring but players change their mind on this subject so quickly.
your signature is ridiculous on so many levels. you gotta starting line up scoring 92 points again, damn near career highs for everyone, all this under jvg,and its too big.
Unless Pettitte wants to sign for basically nothing, I wouldn't be upset if he left. With his injuy problems and struggles this year I don't think he's worth another big contract unless he proves that he can still be the pitcher he was last year. Plus we cannot let our top pitching prospects spend half their careers in the minors like we did with Jason Lane because they're too good to trade but there is no room for them on the team. We have to see if they can pitch in the bigs.
I guess i'm in the minority. I think we need to re-sign Pettitte. He's more important than alot of us realize.
Well, the Astros do have Wandy Rodriguez who has put up similar numbers to Pettite this year. He's a much cheaper alternative.
Do you really think Pettitte is going to pitch the rest of this year without improving on his current numbers? I think his end of season numbers will be respectable. And in the playoffs, I have complete trust in Pettitte. Even if he's not 'on' he will give you a chance to win. Experience does count for something. Pettitte should have been an Astro from day one. Now that he's here, i'm happy to have him here as long as possible. I say try to re-sign him to a contract heavy with incentives and bonuses. That way he gets paid well if he bounces back but if he doesn't perform well, it's not too much of a burden.
