Kuzul

It is often forgotten that the 1998 New York Yankees, the team that won more regular season games (114) than the 1927 Yankees (110), were in a dire situation during the playoffs.

After winning the first game of the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees lost Game 2 in 12 innings, 4-1.

Jim Thome led off the Indians’ 12th with an opposite field single to left field. Enrique Wilson ran for him.

Travis Fryman bunted toward first base, where Tino Martinez fielded the ball and threw to second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, who was covering first. Martinez’ throw hit Fryman in the back.

Knoblauch argued that Fryman should have been called out for interference. He continually pointed to where he believed Fryman had run out of the baseline instead of going after the ball as Wilson raced home with the go-ahead run.

The series moved to Cleveland where the recently retired Andy Pettitte faced Bartolo Colon in a game Pettitte had to win.

The Yankees, after setting an American League record for regular season wins, had to win the World Series in order for the season to be successful. Anything less would be a disgrace and an embarrassment, as the 1906 Chicago Cubs, the team that won 116 regular season games, discovered when their crosstown rivals, the “Hitless Wonder” Chicago White Sox, beat them in the World Series.

The Yankees, who were not hitting much (two runs in the last seven innings of the first game and a single run in 12 innings in the second game) needed a strong game from Pettitte. They didn’t get it.

Pettitte fell behind seven of the first 10 batters he faced. He was lucky in the first inning when, with Indians on first and third with two outs, Fryman hit a vicious line drive to left that was right at Shane Spencer.

Leading off the second inning, Jim Thome hit a tremendous 421-foot home run to match the run the Yankees had scored in the first. Mark Whiten doubled, and Hideki Irabu started to warm up.

Roberto Alomar grounded out, moving Whiten to third. With the infield drawn in, Enrique Wilson bounced a hit up the middle for a 2-1 Indians lead.

One writer compared Pettitte to a dazed fighter, completely vulnerable and waiting to be knocked out. It didn’t take long.

The left-hander managed to get through the third and fourth innings unscathed. He retired the first two batters in the fifth.

Manager Joe Torre later said, “It looked like he had straightened himself out and then in the fifth inning, it looked like he started muscling the ball a little bit.”

Pettitte got a quick strike on Manny Ramirez. He turned his back to home plate, rubbed up the baseball and prepared to get the signal from catcher Joe Girardi. He fired a fastball low and away.

Ramirez swung and the Indians had increased their lead to 3-1. Pettitte’s body lurched in anger as he saw the ball land in the Yankees bullpen in right field.

Before the inning was over, Pettitte had given up four runs in an inning for the 11th time in 1998.

Fryman walked after falling behind on the count, 0-2. He scored on a Jim Thome home run. Mark Whiten then blasted a 416-foot home run to left. It was the first time that Pettitte had given up four home runs in a game.

The next day, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez shut out the Indians as the Yankees evened the series. David Wells, seeking payback against Indians fans that had insulted him mother, won Game 5. Back at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees’ bats and David Cone finished off the Indians.

Andy Pettitte has done well in the playoffs and World Series. He pitched a classic game against the Braves in the 1996 World Series and won the clincher in the 1998 Series, but he has had some subpar games as well.

In the World Series, Pettitte is only 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 13 starts, allowing 83 hits in 77.2 innings. His WHIP is 1.403.

Andy Pettitte was very good, but he was not great.

References

OLNEY, Buster. (1998, After a long struggle, Pettitte comes apart: A three-homer inning pushes Indians ahead. New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. A1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/109861166?accountid=46260

Retrosheet

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Call it a patchwork rotation, a makeshift rotation or even a hit-or-miss rotation, but I think we all can believe one thing: Now that Pettitte has officially retired, the Yankees rotation is in shambles.

There are essentially three locks in the Yankees rotation at this point. CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett will occupy the first three slots in the Yankees rotation in 2011. 

Out of the three, the only sure thing is CC Sabathia. The Yankees can count on the big left-hander for upwards of 200 innings, 30 starts and at least 15-17 wins. After Sabathia, the rotation gets iffy.

Hughes had a fantastic season last year. Although everyone knew of his potential, the Yankees never expected the season that they received from the young righty. He pitched to an 18-8 record in 29 starts (31 games) with a 4.19 ERA. Hughes struck out 146 in 176.1 innings.

To expect the same from Hughes this season would be just stupid.

Hughes clearly has the potential to be a consistent major league starter, but until we see it for a few years straight, we can’t bank on it every single season. He’s still young and developing, so he could realistically hit a snag within the next season or two.

A good prediction for Hughes this season would be 15 wins with a similar ERA in about as many innings. Look for his strikeout totals to increase this season, though, as he is beginning to learn the ins and outs of the AL East’s biggest bats.

A.J. Burnett is far from a sure thing. He has great seasons, then terrible seasons. Last season was neither great nor terrible.

It was atrocious.

He compiled a 10-15 record (never before has he had a winning percentage that low in a full season) and pitched to a 5.26 ERA. His strikeout numbers were noticeably low (145 in 186.2 innings) and he struggled with control, walking 78 and hitting 19.

Maybe there was an undisclosed injury that he was hiding from the team. Who knows?  We just know that this type of production (or lack thereof) from Burnett is unacceptable for this 2011 season. The Yankees need him to be the pitcher they signed after the 2008 season. 

He is an intense pitcher and lacked that emotion on the mound last season. Maybe if he harnesses that intensity, he can revert back to his old self. If not, the Yankees may look to sell low and trade him midseason.

As I covered in a separate piece just a few days ago, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre will be battling for the final two spots in the rotation. Recently, I have also heard Andrew Brackman’s name come up in discussions for the final spot. Regardless, none of the five are sure things.

Some of the names even scare me. 

As a Yankees fan, I do not want to see either Colon or Mitre even touch a baseball. If the Yankees can find a way to keep them off the roster, then that right there is a success.

I can live with Garcia and Nova in the fourth and fifth slots, respectively. Nova showed some promise in limited time last season and Garcia is coming off a bounce-back campaign with the White Sox. 

Because Pettitte chose to retire, the Yankees rotation is left in complete disarray. After Sabathia, the Yankees really need to get lucky.

Brian Cashman is Brian Cashman though, and I’m sure we’ll see a trade or two before the deadline to sure up the rotation. Joe Blanton is rumored to be available and I’ve even heard Chris Carpenter’s name being floated around.

I’m not sure how reliable that rumor is but, hey, you never know.

For now, we’ll celebrate the successes of Pettitte’s career and worry about baseball when it’s time to worry about baseball. 

Congratulations to Andy Pettitte for a great career, and have a happy retirement. For all the hard-fought years you have put into the Yankees, you deserve this more than anyone.

*If you missed the first part of the series, click the link!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

by Charlie Peters

Andy Pettitte is a lot of things. A World Series champion, the master of a dastardly pickoff move, Roger Clemens’ former best buddy and the owner of 240 career regular season wins. And now, you can add honorable retiree to that list.

The former Yankee officially called it quits Friday, announcing to the press that he didn’t have the “hunger” necessary to chase a 17^th season and 14^th with New York.

Pettitte was still under contract for one more season at $11.75 million, a healthy chunk of change for a pitcher that had trouble staying on the mound in the second half of the 2010.

The real story lies here: in an age where Curt Schilling signs a one-year, $8 million guaranteed deal despite knowing he wouldn’t earn the money (and Schilling ended up not pitching an inning under the contract), it’s refreshing to see an athlete realize that his time has passed. And in the big Texan’s case, it’s Pettitte’s chance to literally ride away into the sunset.

“It just didn’t feel right for me anymore,” Pettitte told reporters at a press conference at Yankee Stadium. “I didn’t have the hunger, the drive that I felt like I needed.”

For an athlete to admit that the fire had been extinguished, Pettitte’s candor and integrity should be admired.

The ability to pitch was still there, without question. Pettitte would have been New York’s No. 3 pitcher behind CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes and started 2010 by going 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA before an injury forced him out of the rotation on July 18. He felt like he would be able to stay healthy for all of 2011, but that wasn’t enough to sway his decision.

“I know that my body would get to where it needs to be, but my heart’s not where it needs to be,” Pettitte said.

Hear that, Brett Favre?

Though it’s nearly impossible to do in the Bronx Zoo, Pettitte somehow managed to fly under the radar when it came to talking about the game’s best pitchers. The New York media was often times consumed with more magnifying personalities on the diamond, like self-absorbed Alex Rodriguez or the controversial Clemens, and also with the guys who radiated star power, like the understated Derek Jeter and the fiery Paul O’Neill.

But Pettitte never quite got the attention he deserved.

Later in his career, maybe some of his star power diminished when he returned home to pitch for his beloved Houston Astros. Maybe it was just despite the high win totals, fans dismissed him as a consistent non-dominant arm (3.88 career ERA) that happened to throw for a quality team.

Or even more likely, his admission that he had taken human growth hormone hurt his image, though the lefty claimed he used it as an injury recovery tool. Hell, maybe baseball fans forgot about him whenever he’d hide under the bill of his cap while he was taking signs.

Whatever the case, Pettitte blended into the scenery as much as any lefty that averaged 17 wins per season can do.

Gil Meche, the journeyman starter, also retired this offseason rather than make $12 million guaranteed dollars pitching for the cash-strapped Kansas City Royals. “Once I started to realize I wasn’t earning my money, I felt bad,” Meche told the New York Times. “I was making a crazy amount of money for not even pitching. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I didn’t want to have those feelings again.”

While Meche’s feelings were genuine and his retirement was also honorable, the right-hander didn’t possess the talent or have the resume of Pettitte, Meche’s decision hinged largely on his ridiculous contract.

In some ways, the conflict of Meche’s guilt-ridden psyche and his obscene contract may have forced his hand into a decision to retire. But in Pettitte’s case, the desire to retire came from his own doubts that he lacked the necessary fire to compete. And for that admission of what some may incorrectly perceive as a weakness, Pettitte should be congratulated.

The three-time All-Star won 21 games twice and won five World Series titles while with the Yankees. It’s amazing that the man with the most postseason wins, starts and innings pitched in baseball history doesn’t get the credit he deserved.

So now, for retiring with class and grace instead of halfheartedly playing and cashing in another huge paycheck, Pettitte will hopefully finally get the respect he’s earned over 16 years.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s a sad day in Yankees Universe.

Sad because the organization is now one step closer to being completely rid of all faces from the Yankee dynasty that lasted from 1996 to 2001 after Andy Pettitte announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium Friday morning. The Core Four of Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera—the only remaining members—is officially down to three.

Sad because it was clear after last year that Pettitte had another good season or two left in him.

Sad because New York desperately needed him to return in 2011 and maybe again in 2012. The starting rotation is a mess and that’s as official as No. 46′s retirement.

With that said, now is a good time to reflect.

When I think of Pettitte, one word immediately comes to mind: winner.

He never had the best stuff. His fastball never reached the high-90s. He wasn’t a strikeout machine, and I can’t count the number of times I heard former manager Joe Torre or current manager Joe Girardi say the following after one of his starts: “Andy struggled a bit tonight. He really had to battle out there to get it done.”

But you know what? He usually delivered. Two-hundred and forty times to be exact, and 19 times in the postseason, a Major League Baseball record.

In total, Pettitte made 479 starts over 16 seasons, 13 with the Yankees and three with the Houston Astros. He recorded 25 complete games, 2,251 strikeouts, an earned run average of 3.88 and pitched over 200 innings 10 times, with two others falling short by 10 innings or less.

Anything about those numbers jump out at you? Probably not, but how about the fact that he lost 138 games, or 102 fewer than he won?

The early word on Pettitte’s Hall of Fame chances is he will fall just short, but history suggests otherwise. Every pitcher that won 100 or more games than he lost has been immortalized in Cooperstown.

Pettitte deserves the Hall. Yes his numbers aren’t that of the average pitcher to receive the highest honor. Yes, there were times that he undoubtedly benefited from the support of the always electric Yankees offense, but the franchise also won a ton because of Pettitte.

In all fives championship years, he won two or more decisions in the playoffs and three times he went through without a defeat, the last coming in 2009 when he won four of the 12 games needed to be crowned World Series champions. In the 2003 postseason that ended with a World Series loss to the Florida Marlins, he finished 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts.

Like it or not, the committee should take into consideration that he won most of his games under the pressure of the “championship or bust” mentality held by the late George Steinbrenner, and the pressure of New York City and its spoiled fan base.

Scoff if you will, but one future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson, tried and failed. A countless number of frontline starters couldn’t take the heat, with names such as Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Javier Vazquez coming to mind. I think it’s safe to add A.J. Burnett to that list.

There was also a report this winter that 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke would veto a trade to New York because he knew he couldn’t handle to constant anxiety of pitching in the city.

Easy Andy took it in stride and produced in a way so many others couldn’t.

He won 21 games twice and 14 or more in 12 of his 16 years. Again, not spectacular, but steady. Some will say steady shouldn’t get you to Cooperstown.

A league personnel director called Pettitte the greatest No. 3 starter of his generation. For those of you that believe that to be an insult, consider that once the calendar changes to October, it takes at least three great starters, but in most cases four, to win a championship.

If Pettitte is considered to be the best No. 3 of his era, how does he not get into the Hall?

There’s always that admission to using Human Growth Hormone early this decade to recover faster from injury. Because he was one of few to sit in front of the media and give a heartfelt apology and explanation for his actions, it’s almost like people forget to even associate Pettitte with the hundreds of other users.

You can bet those with a vote won’t forget, and that might be what ultimately keeps him from receiving a bronze bust.

I’ll remember Pettitte best for his performance in two games. The first came in Game 5 of the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves.

The series was tied 2-2. A 24-year-old Pettitte was facing John Smoltz, baseball’s premier pitcher at the time, on the road.

Smoltz was incredible, going eight innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just a single run on four hits.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, that single run was all Pettitte would need, as he pitched 8.1 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits while striking out four.

Pettitte one-upped Smoltz and the Yankees won 1-0 to take a 3-2 series lead back to New York, where they would wrap up the first of five championships in a 13-year span.

My second favorite memory of his came in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series against Philadelphia. Once again, pitching on the road in a tie series, Pettitte delivered both on the mound and at the plate in one of those vintage “he really had to battle to get it done” showings.

New York trailed 3-0 early, and 3-2 in the fifth when the easiest out on the lineup card stepped in the box with Nick Swisher in scoring position. Pettitte lined a single to center, driving in the game’s tying run and giving his Yankees all the momentum they would need to steal a much-needed road victory.

He pitched six solid innings, allowing four runs on five hits, while striking out seven over the course of 104 pitches. New York won 8-5 and clinched the series in six games for team title No. 27.

That night was a perfect example of a winner doing whatever it took to do what he does best: win.

Maybe his stuff wasn’t overpowering, and maybe his numbers pale in comparison to the likes of Pedro Martinez. Maybe Cooperstown will accept that and maybe it won’t.

One thing is for certain, and that is Monument Park at Yankee Stadium will have a place for Andy Pettitte. He’ll have a bronze plate describing a long list of credentials that better that of most Yankee greats.

Ultimately, that’s where Pettitte belongs because that’s where the finest players of professional sport’s winningest organization rest.

Thanks for the memories, Andy, wherever you end up.

For more, visit my website at www.pointbartemus.com, a sports forum.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

He’s finally made his decision.  Unfortunately, it’s probably not the decision most Yankee fans were hoping for.

Andy Pettitte, 38, announced his retirement this morning, Feb. 4, during a press conference at Yankee Stadium.  

With his wife, Laura, at his side, Pettitte officially announced his retirement, saying, “It didn’t feel right for me anymore.  Didn’t have the hunger, the drive.”  He admitted that he felt a sort of obligation to return after the Cliff Lee signing, saying that he felt like he owed it to the organization.  However, he chose to retire.

As Pettitte rides off into the sunset, fans will have plenty to look back on.  He was a big-game competitor, a clutch performer and one of the great all-time Yankees.

Pettitte signed with the Yankees on May 25, 1991 as on amateur draft selection.  He was extremely successful in his minor league career, compiling a record of 51-22 with a 2.49 ERA.

In 1995, Pettitte burst on the scene with the other three members of the “Core Four” (Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada).  In his first season in the bigs, he went 12-9 in 26 starts.

He broke out in 1996, winning 21 games to go along with eight losses.  He became a mainstay in the rotation all the way through 2003.  In that span he won 149 games and pitched in over 200 innings in all but three seasons.

Much to the dismay of the Yankees and their fans, Pettitte departed for his hometown Houston Astros after the 2003 season.  He spent three years with the club.  He saw varying degrees of success in Houston, spending much of the 2004 season on the disabled list, and enjoying arguably the best season of his career in 2005.

He pitched to a 17-9 record with an impressive 2.39 ERA.  He, along with teammate and best friend Roger Clemens, helped the Astros to their first World Series appearance in team history.  They lost to the Chicago White Sox in a hard-fought series.

After the 2006 season, Pettitte came back home to the Bronx.

Pettitte reached a milestone in 2007, recording his 200th career victory on Sept. 19.  His return to the Bronx resulted in great success for Pettitte; he finished with a 15-9 record and a 4.05 ERA.

If there’s one thing that you can say about Andy Pettitte, it’s that he was one of the most consistent pitchers in recent memory.  He won 14 games in both 2008 and 2009 and was one of the keys to the Yankees 2009 World Series victory against the Phillies.

After a groin strain sidelined him for two months during the 2010 season, Pettitte has decided to retire.  He leaves behind quite a legacy.  Aside from his astounding regular season numbers (240 wins, 3.88 ERA, 2251 Ks), he was statistically the greatest postseason pitcher of all time.

He sports a career 19-10 record in the playoffs, with a 3.83 ERA in 42 starts.  Pettitte was a fierce postseason competitor, and one that opposing teams feared batting against.

A part of the 1996 and 2010 All-Star Games, Pettitte was also a recipient of the Warren Spahn award in 2003.  This award is presented annually to the top left-handed pitcher in baseball.  He was also named ALCS MVP in 2001.

So what can we make of Andy’s retirement?  There’s no doubt that he was a great pitcher, one of the better left-handers in Major League history.  He’s certainly not up there with the likes of Steve Carlton, Lefty Grove and Randy Johnson, but he is one of the better ones.

Of course, the argument is bound to arise.

Is Pettitte Hall of Fame worthy?

His regular season numbers may not be enough to get him voted in when he’s eligible in 2016, but his postseason numbers may very well carry him in.  That’s a debate for later on, though.

The Yankees have bigger issues going forward.

*Stay tuned for Part two—Pettitte’s Retirement: How It Affects the Yankees Going Forward

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada are no longer the New York Yankees’ “Core Four.”  After a 16-year career, Pettitte announced his retirement today. 

In an official press conference in New York, the left-handed starter acknowledged thoughts of retiring after last season, but said he felt obligated to return after the Yankees were unable to snare free agent starter Cliff Lee.

Pettitte realized his heart was just “not where it needs to be” after starting workouts.  Instead, the veteran will stay home and spend time with his family.

Pettitte is the first of the four to call it quits. However, while Jeter and Rivera have new contracts that go beyond 2011, Posada is entering the final year of his current deal.

Early indications show that this will also be the backstop’s last year in pinstripes, regardless of whether he retires or not following the season.

The Yankees had held out hope that Pettitte would return. Now, New York has a big hole in their starting rotation as Spring Training approaches.

CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and A.J. Burnett will have the three top rotation spots. After that, the window is foggy.

Continue to the full article on Double G Sports.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If you’re like me, watching Andy Pettitte sitting in front of the media to announce his retirement on Friday had the effect of your mind blowing out of the back of your skull.

Part of me will always see Pettitte and think of the 21-year-old kid who helped return the franchise to glory back in 1996. I’m 30 years old, which makes Pettitte the first great Yankee that I feel like I saw all the way through.

I grew up idolizing Don Mattingly, but he was already in his late 20s and an established star by the time I truly started following baseball. With Pettitte, it was different. He entered the farm system in 1991, right around the time my parents got me a subscription to the team-published Yankees Magazine for Christmas.

I remember sifting through a relentless number of ads from Nobody Beats the Wiz, Citibank and Hitachi to read about the prospects in the system, among them a left-hander who was dominating the minor leagues the way the franchise thought Brien Taylor would.

By the time Pettitte reached the Yankees in ’95, he had run up an impressive 51-22 mark in various levels of the system. Pettitte knew how to win even when he didn’t know what he was doing yet. He won 21 games in his first full season in 1996 and had he never played another year, he had already created a legacy with his unforgettable 8 1/3-inning performance in Game 5 of the World Series against the Braves.

Pettitte compiled some impressive numbers over 16 seasons, statistics worthy of Cooperstown consideration. He retires at 240-138, with a 3.88 ERA over 3,055.1 innings. He won 14 or more games 12 times and never posted a losing season. He has a Major League-record 19 victories in the postseason, including six wins in clinching scenarios, also a record.

He owns five World Series rings, the most for a Yankee starter since Whitey Ford.

It’s easy to forget parts of Pettitte’s career that don’t fit True Yankee™ criteria. He authored possibly the worst start in Yankees postseason history in Game 6 of the 2001 World Series. He left town for three years to pitch for the Houston Astros. And there was the HGH admission in 2007, a black mark that may ultimately keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

But we never held any of Pettitte’s faults against him, mainly because he took ownership of his mistakes. He made no excuses following his disaster in Arizona, even as we learned he had been inadvertently tipping his pitches. He left for Houston in 2004 to be closer to his family and his respectful exit from New York left the door open for his return three years later.

As for the PED admission? Pettitte provided the template for which all busted users should follow. Own up to it, explain why you did it…and move on.

His buddy Roger should have taken notes.

Pettitte said on Friday that Cliff Lee’s decision to sign with the Phillies made him feel like he had “an obligation” to come back. Ultimately, he decided his time had come, however, and you have to respect a guy who retires one year too soon rather than one year too late.

Pettitte heads off into the sunset, reducing the Core Four to the decidedly less-catchy Core Three. Jorge Posada will probably be next to go, and maybe now he’ll finally begin to receive the level of admiration he deserves. Pettitte’s importance to the team has always been understood, which is why his exit already has fans trying to figure out what it means for the 2011 Yankees.

Not here, though. Today is all about No. 46, a player who always made following the Yankees better. I’m proud to say I got to follow him all the way through.

Dan Hanzus writes three columns a week on his New York Yankees site, River & Sunset. He can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Andy Pettitte is that soft spoken lefty with the slow Texas drawl. A man dedicated to his faith and his family, tenacious, unflappable in the moment.

He may be among the best pitchers the New York Yankees have ever seen. But he’s also a confessed cheater.

People find it easy to forget that. After all he’s ‘Andy Pettitte’, a good old boy just as likely to read a bible as a scouting report but it is a fact nonetheless. The most shocking revelation to come out of the Mitchell Report, the most easily excused and dismissed of all the PED indiscretions in an era marred by them.

The apologists sang that it was merely HGH and not steroids. They said he was only trying to heal faster in an effort to help his team win games. Sportswriters weakly jabbed when they could have gone in for the kill and his teammates stood beside him without exception.

No player before or after has ever received the public support of the fans and other players more than Andy Pettitte on the day of his repentant press conference, not Alex Rodriguez, and certainly not Jason Giambi. A press conference that felt more like a wake and a rally to help him get through the hard times.

The championships, the post season dominance, a two time 21 game winner, and three time all-star, the first word that comes to mind when I think of Andy Pettitte isn’t “cheater” and I wonder why. I wonder why that isn’t the case with Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Palmeiro, and Roger Clemens. I wonder why they don’t get to hide from their tarnished legacies the way Andy Pettitte does.

Andy Pettitte may never make it to the Hall of Fame and his PED use may play a part in that. Exceptionally good but not great, Pettitte wasn’t a baseball God like the others. He was hardly ever featured on the cover of magazines, never the story, never “the guy”. He was a grinder, not a star beyond our reach.

Even now we understand Pettittes decision to leave the game at a relatively young age. We understand that the man doesn’t want to be away from his family anymore and we empathize in a way that we never do with pro athletes. Andy Pettitte was authentic even when he wasn’t; he was never presented as the perfect player, or the perfect guy, never packaged.

No the first word I think of when I think of Andy Pettitte isn’t “cheater” its “throwback”, and that’s why his cheating stings a little more.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Andy Pettitte announced his retirement from baseball at Yankee Stadium today, bringing an end to a 16-year career that saw him a 240-138 record between his time with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

The five-time World Champion was a fan favorite everywhere he went and he shone in the playoffs as if it was his own stage. His 19 postseason wins are the most in baseball history.

The winningest pitcher of the last decade, Pettitte today leaves a legacy that is only bettered by Whitey Ford among Yankee southpaws. That was four decades ago, and Pettitte has certainly left his mark on the game.

While postseason victories and playoff clinches became his calling card, Pettitte had his moments in the regular season, too.

With only 10 spots to fill, there’s a lot of games that had to be left out, but here’s a list of his 10 greatest games.

Begin Slideshow

After 16 seasons, 13 with the New York Yankees, Andy Pettitte has announced his retirement, ending any speculation he’ll pitch in 2011.

Yes, he may still make a come back during the season, and certainly most Yankee fans hope he will, but for now, let’s operate on the assumption that he’s gone for good.

The Yankees finally know Pettitte’s status and they can stop wondering, but that’s about the only affect his announcement should have on the team’s operations.

From the time the season ended, general manager Brian Cashman has had to build his team as if Pettitte would not be a part of it this season. Everyone is asking who the Yankees will add to replace Pettitte, but why are they asking that now?

If the Yankees believed Pettitte had been learning towards retirement this entire time, they should have already found a replacement for him, and if he happened to come back, that would have just been icing on the cake, but it wasn’t necessary for their offseason plans.

There were statements from general manager Brian Cashman more than two weeks ago that Pettitte would not be returning in 2011.

On January 12, Cashman told reporters that Pettitte “is choosing at this stage to not start 2011.” He then clarified his statement, saying he meant to say “pitch” instead of “start,” meaning Pettitte wouldn’t pitch in 2011.

“Andy’s been very communicative [with me] on this issue. Right now, he’s not playing. If he decides to play, it will be for us,” Cashman stated. “He’s a Yankee, from start to finish. I don’t think he’s determined whether he’s officially finished, but is choosing at this stage to not start 2011.”

That was almost three weeks ago. So why is the question of how they’ll replace Pettitte in the starting rotation being asked now? Surely Cashman has been under the impression that he wouldn’t have his prized lefty (no, not Cliff Lee) in the starting rotation this season.

It seems Pettitte made it perfectly clear that he wouldn’t pitch in 2011. He is set to officially announce his retirement today, but Cashman and the Yankees had all the indications they needed three weeks ago.

They should have prepared for this already.

After missing out on Cliff Lee, the Yankees’ starting rotation is questionable at best. After CC Sabathia, they have to worry about the sophomore slump of Phil Hughes and the up-and-down antics of A.J. Burnett. Ivan Nova is expected to fill the No. 4 spot, but the fifth spot is still very much up for grabs.

Cashman has brought in Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to compete for the last spot in the starting rotation, as well as in-house candidate Sergio Mitre. All those additions came before Pettitte’s official announcement, so why do they suddenly need to replace him now?

“He’s not delaying anything, he’s not pushing us back, he’s not hurting us,” Cashman said at a fundraiser on January 26. “He was honest up front from the very beginning. Of course we’d like him to play.”

The questions about how the Yankees would replace Andy Pettitte should have started two months ago, not this week. Cashman knew that, which is why he’s spent the majority of this offseason trying to add starting pitching.

While many Yankees fans love to get on Cashman for not bringing in Lee or Carl Crawford, or not wanting to sign Rafael Soriano, you have to give him a little bit of credit: he built his offseason around the assumption that Pettitte wouldn’t be in the starting rotation come Opening Day.

There were certainly good starting pitching options available earlier in the offseason, such as Brandon Webb, Jeff Francis and Chris Young, but the Yankees have added their fair share of starters to fill out the rotation because Cashman had abandoned his hope a month ago.

If one day this season Andy Pettitte’s face shows up on the big screen at Yankee stadium and Susan Waldman has another nervous breakdown on the radio, Yankees fans everywhere will rejoice.

For now, though, they must come to terms with the fact that the reliable left-hander wont be taking the mound in 2011. Brian Cashman certainly did… a month ago.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com