According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, New York Yankees great Andy Pettitte “has the go-ahead from his family” to pitch another season in New York, if he so chooses.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Pettitte won’t ultimately decide to retire.
It does mean, however, that the chances of his pitching in 2011 are better than they would have otherwise been. In fact, had the Yankee great’s family been against his pitching in 2011, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a scenario in which the family-focused Pettitte would have even considered a return.
While talking about the Pettitte situation on the MLB Network, Heyman went on to say that Andy also “has the Hall of Fame on his mind.” If that’s true, that’s another factor working in the Yankees’ favor.
It has also been reported over the past couple of weeks that Pettitte is working out, which is one more good sign for those of us hoping to see the lefty in pinstripes again this season. The Yankees, meanwhile, maintain their holding pattern, waiting to hear an official decision from Pettitte.
While the team wisely refuses to force the issue with Pettitte, they would like an answer before too much longer. Speaking at a breakfast event in Middlesex, Connecticut, general manager Brian Cashman said he told Pettitte “don’t ‘Brett Favre’ us.”
“I need him,” Cashman continued. “But I don’t want him to play if his heart’s not in it.”
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