LISTEN: Andy Pettitte Talks 1996 World Series, More With Mike Francesa
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Andy Pettitte credits the way the Yankees battled back to win the 1996 World Series for the success he and his teammates had down the road.
"It was just an exciting series," the five-time World Series champ told WFAN's Mike Francesa on Wednesday. "We lost both games at home. Of course, most people thought the series was over. The Atlanta Braves were so great with their pitching staff. There's no way we could win two out of three at least to get us back to New York, in Atlanta. And we end up going there and sweeping them.
"That was kind of the stepping stone, I think, for all of us. The confidence to know that you can come down when you feel like you're buried and there's no chance to win it. There's always hope."
Pettitte said throughout his career he thought back to that series and how he struggled badly in Game 1 -- allowing seven runs in 2 1/3 innings -- before pitching a gem in Game 5 -- 8 1/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory.
To listen to the interview, click on the audio player above.
