Andy, We Hardly Know Ye

Today we have a very special post, from a very special woman...my wife. Mrs. MM puts in her 2 cents on Andy Pettitte's future in or out of NY.

What the heck happened to the home grown, stand-up guy with the "aw, shucks" humble attitude and a boat load of talent?

After weeks of foot dragging, Andy Pettite has finally made a public decision to reject the Yankees' offer of $10 million to pitch for them for 2009. In my mind, if he indeed walks away, he just went from a talented, if flawed, guy who had the good fortune to have been part of a successful dynasty and could have proudly wrapped up a great career and rode into the sunset to acclaim... to a chump. Now he is just like every other greedy sports figure who shamelessly and publicly does a money grab first, and considers how it affects his reputation later. In this case, that's a huge mistake.

How did this evolve? Well, first a little history on the subject...
Pettite came up through the Yankees farm system and eased his way in as a big left-hander from Texas with lots of guts and heart for the game. He paid his dues and when opportunity struck to hit the majors, he did so with humility and spirit. He became known as a leader in the clubhouse, an affable guy, and one who gave his all to win and for his teammates. Off the field, he was a family man and a devout Christian. That, plus being known as a reliable pitcher with one of the most effective pick-off moves in all of major league baseball.

He was the real deal, and his consistency and tenacity garnered everyone's respect and earned him 4 World Series championship rings as an integral part of 4 outstanding Yankee teams.

In 2001, Pettite had gotten killed in Game 6 of the World Series against the Diamondbacks, (and then we all know about how Game 7 ended). Then, after losing the 2003 World Series, in which Pettitte turned in a star performance, Yankees brass knew that it was time to re-tool a bit. They spent the off-season jockeying for players with some additional offense to offer, and landed Kenny Lofton, Tony Womack and one of the "big fish" that year- Gary Sheffield. With their attention turned elsewhere, the powers-that-be in Tampa (G. Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, et al) neglected to recognize the value of their coveted veteran lefty pitcher. During that final year of his contract, they didn't dangle the possibility of a lucrative contact extension.

Distracted by other holes in the leaky boat, the Yankees didn't show Pettitte the respect that he had certainly earned in all of his successful years of service. Instead, at the eleventh hour, they contacted him about a new contract. It was a fair contract that offered a generous salary, but the timing made it seem like an afterthought. So, feeling overlooked and dissed, Andy walked. And they let him go. "It isn't the money", he said at the time. It was the principle. So he took the road back to Houston. He accepted less money in exchange for recognition and respect. And the bonus was the chance to be around home more with his kids, and where he could help to shape the up and coming younger Astros players with the counsel of a seasoned veteran. By and large, Yankees fans understood the logic of Pettite's decision. He had been overlooked by Yankees management and the decision had to do more with his requirement of being treated with respect than anything money could buy. Who could argue with that?

Pettite gave 3 years of service to Houston, sharing the Astros' rotation with fellow Texan, ex-Yankee, friend, and workout partner Roger Clemens. And from 2004-2006, the Yankees struggled to fill the hole left in the wake of Pettite's departure. Kevin Brown couldn't begin to fill those shoes nor could anyone else. So following the 3-year stint and elbow surgery in Houston, Mr. Home Grown returned to New York and was warmly welcomed back by Yankees fans in 2007. He spent the first year back reminding fans of what they'd missed. He got over his snit of having been ignored, and the move implied that he had returned for his love of the game and recognition of all the good memories that he had made on his way up to the majors and his respect for the specialness that is the Yankee legend. He was part of that elite group that had been the heart of the team for years: Jeter, Mo, Posada, and Pettite. You got the feeling that this was where he wanted to play and where he wanted to wrap up his career.

But then the whole steroid mess began to unfold in 2007-2008 and Pettite's solid reputation was rocked by scandal. Bam! Roger Clemens slinked away under a veil of suspicion, and despite all protests to the contrary, he looked like a selfish, guilty fool. And out trickled a nasty little sidelight: Pettite had used HGH, too. You might just as well have read that there was no tooth fairy. It made all of us wonder about the myth we had bought into regarding Pettite as a man of character who you could expect to uphold principle and do the right thing. The same guy who we would smile at because he was a man with such a great sense of decency that when he got frustrated with his performance during a game you could often witness him screaming obscenities into his glove rather than let anyone else see or hear him do it. The same guy.

So what did this stand-up guy do when faced with the white light of scrutiny in the press and under oath at a Congressional hearing? He came clean about his steroid use. Sorta. Eventually. When he had no other choice. He distanced himself from Clemens, claiming that their friendship was never as close as we had thought. He involved his wife, Laura, in his affidavits, as if throwing her under the bus with her testimony would somehow corroborate his assertion that he only used illegal substances to heal an injured arm and return to his team. Except that he eventually admitted that wasn't really the whole truth. But, we bought it. Because we wanted to believe in him.

And Yankees management backed him. Because they needed to. And because of his prior reputation, he kind of got a pass on the whole ugly mess in the court of public opinion. But even if what he said was true, is intention a sound defense when lies were told knowingly and the law was broken?

Then the disappointing 2008 season came and went. Plagued all season with injuries and bad pitching, the pitching staff was in shambles and Pettitte contemplated the 2009 season. The Yankees knew they had shuffling and trading and rebuilding to do and they needed to have a solid rotation to put on the field in the new Yankee Stadium. Knowing they would likely only need one of their veterans, Mussina or Pettitte, Moose made their choice easy by retiring on an up note, with class and dignity. And that left Pettite.

A 1-year contract was offered to Pettitte. Maybe not a stellar contract compared to the deal that CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett got, but one that would keep him in New York and allow him to pitch for the team he said he loved. And $10 million is nothing to sneeze at. The team he said he wanted to pitch for at the new stadium. And the one that stood behind him just the year before as he squirmed uncomfortably at that press conference where he had to stand up and explain his steroid usage (with his loyal buds Jeter, Mo, and Posada lending their unwavering moral support from the front row).

And instead of taking the offer, this man of principle who we believed in and whose faults we forgave and who we stood behind..... is ready to walk away again. But this time for selfish reasons: money. It is just mind boggling that after all this time with all his millions and all of his so-called principles, he's no better than any other bottom feeder. And so careless with his once carefully crafted reputation. What a shame.

In an era where people love to build up and tear down their heroes, here is one great athlete who doesn't need tearing down. Pettite is doing a fine job of it all by himself.