"He'd sign with the Astros if the numbers were right,"

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2132101

"He'd sign with the Astros if the numbers were right," a source close to Pettitte said.



NEW YORK -- Yes, it has occurred to Andy Pettitte this might be his last start for the New York Yankees.

"I guess definitely it will be in my head," he said. "I would be lying saying that I wouldn't let it creep in there."

The Deer Park native was 22 years old when the Yankees first handed him the ball in the spring of 1995. At the time, the team hadn't made the playoffs in 15 years and the arrival of Pettitte and two other youngsters -- Mariano Rivera and Sterling Hitchcock -- offered hope that better days were ahead.

He got his first victory June 7 by going seven innings against the Oakland Athletics, turning a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen.

Afterward, plate umpire Dale Scott praised the lefthander for his poise and command.

A's manager Tony La Russa also must have been impressed. As Pettitte was sailing through the Oakland lineup, retiring 11 in a row at one point, La Russa interrupted the game and eventually was ejected for arguing ball and strike calls with Scott.

Pettitte saw the tactic for what it was.

"I was in a pretty good rhythm," he said, "and I'm sure he (La Russa) was trying to rattle me."

That was the first of 149 games Pettitte has won for the Yankees. He is ninth on the club's all-time wins list and is the first big-league pitcher since 1961 to win at least 12 games in each of his first eight seasons (1996-2003).

Along with Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Rivera and others, he helped usher the Yankees into a new era of dominance with five trips to the World Series and four championships in a six-year period.

Far from the days when Yankees fans wondered if their team would ever get back to the playoffs, Pettitte never has been on a team that didn't make the postseason.

Now as he takes the mound tonight in Game 2 of a first-round series against the Minnesota Twins, he has allowed himself a what-if or two.

His contract is up, and the Yankees have made no effort to re-sign him. After Pettitte's 21-8 season, it's unlikely Yankees owner George Steinbrenner would allow him to depart, but the mercurial owner has offered no hint as to his thinking.

Some industry sources believe Steinbrenner will allow Pettitte to test the free-agent market, which would allow the Astros or Rangers the opportunity to lure him closer to home.

"He'd sign with the Astros if the numbers were right," a source close to Pettitte said.

Pettitte, 31, said this is not the time to discuss next season.

"I've been able to set all that aside," he said. "I've been able to do it this whole season, and I want to continue to do it throughout this playoffs."

Whether his run with the Yankees ends now, it has played out better than he could have imagined.

"I could have never dreamed that I would have been able to have the success that I've had," he said. "I would never have dreamed that after nine years I would be sitting with close to 150 wins with the New York Yankees. I could not be happier with what I've been able to accomplish here."

He credits teammate Roger Clemens for introducing him to a grueling conditioning program that has made him stronger and given his fastball more velocity.

Yet, his teammates say Pettitte deserves a large chunk of the credit, that he has methodically learned the game, the umpires and how to persevere on the days when his stuff is less than dominant.

"I feel like over the last few years, my stuff has gotten better," he said. "I've been able to pitch a little bit differently."

For all his success, he has been one of the least known -- and perhaps one of the least appreciated -- Yankees.

For one thing, he never has taken on the role of No. 1 starter, either in terms of celebrity or expectations. There always has been a David Wells or a Clemens or a new free agent (Mike Mussina) getting more of the attention.

There's also the matter of his personality. As aggressive and as dominant as he is on the mound, Pettitte is quiet, polite and almost shy off it.

No tabloid headlines for this Yankee, and after every season he returns to a relatively quiet life in Houston.

What he has done is roll along, averaging 17 victories per year and establishing himself as one of the most consistent performers in the game.

"I think he is overlooked," Yankees manager Joe Torre said, "but he likes it that way. He's sort of shy and timid, and the fact that he's not the center of attention doesn't bother him. He's always been able to fly under the radar, so to speak. We've had David Cone here, of course David Wells, Clemens, a (new) free agent. Somebody always seemed to take on more importance than Andy. But he just enjoys the fact that he gets the ball every five days. It certainly is not a blow to his ego."

Pettitte went 8-1 the final six weeks of the season, but there were stretches early in the season when he struggled badly.

Between May 6 and June 14, he won one of seven starts and had a 6.63 ERA. Since a seven-inning, two-run victory over the Cardinals on June 14, he has been as good as ever and will be one of the most sought-after pitchers on this winter's free-agent market.

"Earlier this year he didn't have a plan," Torre said. "He was all over the place. And talking to (pitching coach) Mel (Stottlemyre), we had some conversations and it's easier for us to see what he's doing than for him to feel it. All of a sudden, he got back into that familiar feeling and got it back together. He knows how to do this stuff."


If the Astros were to sign Petitte i would have to believe it would take alot of the heat of Drayton for not doing what it takes to be a champion. We would finally have our own Big 3 with Petitte, the lefty, pitching between Oswalt and Miller.

 

I think with all the sluggers we've had over the years it's shown me one thing. Hitting doesn't get you to the WS, (Exept for last year), pitching does. Our best years were the ones where we had the likes of Hampton, Kyle, Lima, Johnson, etc.

The Rangers have plenty of bats but always finish last.

Good pitching beats good hitting. I'd rather add a good starting pitcher anyday of the week than another hitter. And Pettite is a proven 20 game winner. Add to that nobody in the NL has really seen his stuff. Guys like RJ and Colon dominated when they came over from the AL to the NL.

I just don't see any other stud pitchers lining up to play for us. It seems like one All Star calibar player every year mentions he wants to play in Houston and we don't usually capitalize on bringing him in.

 

Jeff Kent wouldn't have signed with the Giants if the numbers were right.

In most cases your right. But there are a good number of cases where the player just has a desire to play where he grew up, near his family, in California, etc.