Andy Pettitte, who announced his retirement from baseball on Friday, pitched 15 seasons in the major leagues for the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. With New York, in stints spread from 1995 to 2003 and 2007 to 2010, he won five World Series championships.
He has 19 postseason wins, most all-time. He finished with 240 regular season wins, averaging 32 stars per season. But despite his rings, clutch postseason play and overall durability, he didn’t win a Cy Young award, was an All-Star only three times and, most importantly, admitted to steroid use.
In 2007, Pettitte admitted to using Human Growth Hormone to recover from an elbow injury in 2002, during the heart of his prime. His admission, albeit five years after the fact, is to be applauded, considering Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds continue to deny usage when there is solid evidence against.
But how long did Pettitte really take steroids? We may never know, but going from what is known, it is difficult to put him in the Hall of Fame.
His postseason play, rings and steroid usage aside, Pettitte’s numbers warrant a good look from the voters but he is by no means a shoo-in statistically. His 240 wins are nice, but he posted an ERA over four eight times and has a career-mark of 3.88.
Still, he was always a pitcher who could be counted on. When he was on the hill in a big game, no matter if it took place deep into October or in the heart of summer, he tended to deliver. The 6’5″ lefthander, who covered his face with his glove as he looked in for the sign and who started his windup with a deceptive leg-kick, was good.
But great? No.
The era in which he pitched is tainted. The only clean players worthy of being named to the Hall of Fame over the past 20 years are Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., Vladimir Guerrero and, I would argue, Curt Schilling.
That’s a solid list, but it could be a lot longer. Everyone else who would be enshrined based on statistical achievements have either admitted to steroid use or are under suspicion and deny resolving to the syringe.
There is so much surrounding Roger Clemens currently regarding his alleged steroid use that Pettitte’s can’t be overlooked. Just because he admitted using HGH doesn’t mean he should be forgiven.
He looked for an unfair advantage. He didn’t play the game the right way. He says he only took it for two days.
If this is the truth, that’s sad. But, even still, it attaches an asterisk next to accolades not good enough to get him in on their own merit.
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