Andy Pettitte To Announce Retirement
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) - Andy Pettitte will announce his retirement Friday morning at a Yankee Stadium news conference.
A five-time World Series champion, Pettitte had been telling the Yankees since the end of the season that it was likely he wouldn't play in 2011. He became a free agent and has not attempted to negotiate a contract.
The 38-year-old left-hander is 240-138 with a 3.88 ERA n 16 major league seasons. He excelled in the postseason, setting a major league record for wins by going 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA.
EXTRA: Pettitte's press conference on Friday at 10:30 a.m will be broadcast on WFAN and cbsnewyork.com
Pettitte's departure leaves a huge hole in the Yankees' rotation, with no proven starters behind CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett.
LISTEN: Mike Francesa discusses Pettitte's retirement with Joe and Evan
PHOTOS: 'Thank You Andy' In Lights At Yankee Stadium
Having failed to sign free agent Cliff Lee, New York has agreed to minor league contracts with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in recent weeks, trying to find more options for a fourth and fifth starter in addition to youngster Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre.
Pettitte spent 13 seasons with the Yankees, interrupting his career in New York to play for his hometown Houston Astros from 2004-06. He was a three-time All-Star, earning the honor in 1996, 2001 and last year, and was a 20-game winner in 1996 and 2003 when he twice went 21-8.
He was 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts last season. His season was limited by a strained left groin that caused him to go on the disabled list from July 19 to Sept. 19.
Pettitte had said that he increasingly felt the tug to return to Texas and his family. Once the school year ended, his family traveled to New York where they could be together during homestands, but the distance from his loved ones now has trumped whatever desire he had to climb higher in the Yankees record book.
Pettitte's 203 wins with the Yankees are the third-most in franchise history, trailing only Whitey Ford (236) and Red Ruffing (231).
He is expected to be a witness this summer at the trial of former teammate Roger Clemens, indicted on charges he lied to a congressional committee when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Pettitte admitted using human growth hormone and said Clemens told him he had used HGH. Clemens testified Pettitte didn't remember the conversation correctly.
Reflect on Pettitte's career in the comments below.
From the Yankees:
YANKEES LHP ANDY PETTITTE TO ANNOUNCE RETIREMENT;
PRESS CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY AT YANKEE STADIUM
The New York Yankees today announced that LHP Andy Pettitte will hold a press conference on Friday at 10:30 a.m. to announce his retirement.
Pettitte, 38, finishes his career with a 240-138 (.635) record and 3.88 ERA (3,055.1 IP, 1,317 ER) in 479 starts over 16 Major League seasons with the Yankees (1995-2003 and '07-10) and Houston Astros (2004-06). He is one of just 26 pitchers all-time to complete his career 100-or-more games over .500. Of the 19 Hall of Fame-eligible pitchers who have reached that plateau, only "Parisian" Bob Caruthers, who went 218-99 from 1884-92, is not enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Originally selected by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 1990 First-Year Player Draft, Pettitte played 13 seasons with the club, going 203-112 with a 3.98 ERA (2,535.2 IP, 1,122 ER) and 1,823 strikeouts in 405 games (396 starts). In franchise history, he ranks second in strikeouts and starts, third in wins, fourth in innings pitched and eighth in appearances (405). He appeared in eight career World Series (seven as a Yankee), winning championships with the Yankees in 1996, '98, '99, 2000 and '09.
Pettitte is the all-time winningest pitcher in postseason history, going 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 42 career starts. He also ranks first all time in postseason starts and innings pitched (263.0), and is tied for second with 173 strikeouts. His personal career postseason win total is more than that of nine other franchises (Kansas City-18; Arizona-15, Seattle-15, San Diego-12, Tampa Bay-10, Colorado-9, Milwaukee-9, Texas-9, and Montreal/Washingon-5). As a Yankee in the postseason, he went 18-9 with a 3.79 ERA (237.2 IP, 100 ER) in 38 career starts. While winning his final World Series with the Yankees in 2009, he became the first pitcher in Baseball history to start and win the clinching game of all three series in a single postseason (ALDS vs. Minnesota, ALCS vs. Los Angeles-AL and WS vs. Philadelphia).
In 2010, Pettitte went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA (129.0 IP, 47 ER) in 21 starts. He was placed on the disabled list from July 20 (retroactive to July 19) to September 18 with a strained left groin. In the 2010 postseason, he went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA (14.0 IP, 4 ER) in two combined starts at Minnesota in ALDS Game 2 (W, 7.0 IP, 2 ER) and vs. Texas in ALCS Game 3 (L, 7.0 IP, 2 ER).
A Louisiana native and Texas resident, Pettitte also pitched three seasons with the Houston Astros from 2004-06, going 37-26 with a 3.38 ERA (519.2 IP, 195 ER) in 84 games (83 starts) and appearing in the 2005 World Series vs. Chicago-AL.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Pettitte, a three-time All-Star (1996, 2001, '10) and 2001 ALCS MVP, holds the distinction of being the only pitcher in Major League history to post a record of .500 or better while making at least 15 starts in each of the first 16 seasons of his career. He also posted a winning record in each of the first 13 seasons of his career (1995-2007), marking the third-longest such streak to begin a career all time, trailing only Hall of Famers Grover Cleveland Alexander (17) and Cy Young (15).
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