Andy Won't Be Dandy in 2011

In the last hour, reports have surfaced that Andy Pettitte will officially announce his retirement tomorrow at Yankee Stadium.  The loss of Pettitte now officially adds more serious question marks to the Yankees' starting rotation entering the 2010 season.  As The LoHud Yankee Blog reports, here is the rotation entering the season:

CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and pick two from Sergio Mitre/Bartolo Colon/Freddy Garcia/Ivan Nova/Anyone Else You Can Think Of.

Despite the fact that Cashman had stated he was already under the impression that Pettitte was set to retire, I think it is fair to say that when Cashman stated that he had to be patient, part of that had to do with waiting for an official decision from Pettitte.  Now that it is going to be official, Cashman's options have certainly been made clearer.  It doesn't mean that he's going to start scrambling to make a deal, but it will certainly make it easier to evaluate his options.

As for Pettitte retiring, it will mark the end of a great Yankee career.  A product of Gene Michael's strong scouting and farm system put in place during the early 1990's, Pettitte was as consistent of a pitcher that there could be.  From 1995-2010, Pettitte compiled a 240-138 record, making for a .638 winning percentage.  That's better than Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Curt Schilling.  It is often thought that wins and losses are a relatively meaningless statistic, especially on a good offensive team.  Yet somehow, he stands out for his reliable and ability to pitch a big game.

What stands out more in our eyes are his big postseason performances.  Yes, he had his share of really bad games (ex. 1996 WS Game 1, 1998 ALCS Game 3, 2001 WS Game 6).  But I think it's fair to say that his clutch performances certainly outweigh those rather foul performances.  We forget that in 1995, as a rookie, he started Game 2 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, featuring Griffey, Buhner, Tino, and Edgar Martinez, and held them to four runs in seven innings.  In 1998, 2000, and 2009, he won the clinching game of the World Series.  But I don't think any of us will forget his performance in Game 5 of the 1996 World Series, when he outdueled John Smoltz in a 1-0 victory.

And to think that George Steinbrenner wanted Pettitte dealt to the Phillies in 1999 for then-prospect Adam Eaton, only to be convinced by Joe Torre and Cashman that the ceiling on the then 27 year old Pettitte was too high for them to give up on.  As always, Cashman pleaded patience and it I think it's fair to say that it paid off.

Here's to you Andrew Eugene Pettitte, a great pitcher, a winner, a competitor, and, more importantly, a great Yankee.

(Photo courtesy of www.baseballrumormill.com)