Pettitte: “I just came to hang out, really”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 27, 2012 
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Andy Pettitte was perfectly serious, and Joe Girardi said he liked the idea. It was Derek Jeter who thought the whole thing was a joke.
“I told them I can throw batting practice,” Pettitte said on Monday, making his first spring appearance since his retirement. “I’m doing it every day at my house for the Pony League team. If they need a left-handed arm to throw BP, why not?”
Jeter laughed.
“No chance,” he said. “It’d be a waste of both of our time.”
Brian Cashman asked Pettitte to come down to spring training last year, but Pettitte said he needed the time away. He’d made his retirement decision, and he didn’t want to show up as a distraction. These days, his oldest son is playing varsity baseball, and Pettitte is coaching his 13-year-old’s team. He’s also an assistant basketball coach for his daughter and youngest son.
“I had a little break from the kids’ ballgames so just figured I’d shoot down here,” Pettitte said. “… I think I throw more now than I did when I played. It’s hot in Houston, so you’re always outside. The kids are always throwing. Baseball is in full-tilt already.”
On what he’s doing down here
“I’m just hanging. They just want me to be down here, whenever I can get down here to get down here and be part of the guys. I’m not looking to try to coach anybody or anything. If the guys want to ask me questions or anything, I’ll be more than happy to talk to guys and stuff like that but I just came to hang out, really.”
On whether this makes him think about doing it again
“I’d say yeah, just being honest with you to a certain degree. Then you take a step back. You evaluate where you’re at, what you’ve been doing and the reasons that I retired — to be with the family and spend time with them. Things are good. Things are really good, just loving life. No doubt, when you get around here and get close to it, you’re like, ‘Man, you’re 39 years old and Mo is 42.’ It’s just good to be here and be around the guys.”
On whether he could physically play again
“I’m sure I could. You start training, working out and getting yourself into shape. I’d imagine you could. I retired, I felt, after one of my better years. I felt like I was at the point where I just kind of knew what I was doing mechanically out there on the mound. I retired to go home and be with my family.”
On whether he watches the games from home
“I don’t. It’s crazy. I have four kids and I don’t know how my wife did it. It’s just like, what in the world? As soon as I pick them up from school, it’s just every night it’s something. I hate to say it, but I hardly got a chance to watch any of the games. I tried as hard as I could but my kids, it’s in them. They’re just ate up with it. They’re letting me know everything that’s going on, my oldest Josh and Jared. They keep me posted.”
On Phil Hughes, who Pettitte watched throw batting practice
“Well, I think for him, still being a young player, is just establishing yourself. I think he still needs to try to establish himself. I had some years that were rough, but you were kind of like, OK, I kinda got a track record and sometimes you’re just not going to have a great year, things just aren’t going to work out. But Phil’s kinda still in the mode of competing for a starting spot. He’s just got to show that he can go out there and have the consistency that he needs to go out and pitch at the big league level. The great thing about Phil is he can start and he can relieve so he just needs to go out, work hard, throw the ball well, and things are going to work out for him, that’s for sure.”
On whether Pettitte would like to do this every spring
“Yeah, I think so. If I can. Cash, we’ve stayed in touch. He wants me to be part of it. I’m going to try to do what I can as far as getting down here… There’s no substitute for being in there, so it’s kind of hard to stay really too, too closely connected.”
If Andy came back, who would go?
Andy at mid-season?
Pettitte would be very easy for Montero to catch
Note to Andy – There is this kid Banuelos … Please work with him on his move to first base. If he can come close to your success with your move it would represent a huge legacy to teh Yankees.
Contract negotiations got a little contentious between Cashman and Pettite a few years back.
It’s nice to see that relations between at least one player and Cashman weren’t irreparably damaged by that dynamic.
Wonder what they pay Andy to coach ST?
“He’s not $3 mil a year better than Swisher.”
I didn’t want him in place of Swisher…..I wanted him in addition to Swisher ….
They should tell Andy to prepare himself to be a reliever for the postseason …..let him hang out all season and see what’s he’s got left in September……
Andy at mid season is more likely than Andy as a reliever.
Let’s see if he’s got the fever and if Hughes is a bust again.
That could open the door for mid and post season Andy.
Come back Andy and win one last one for Mo.
Andys not coming back….
“I?m doing it every day at my house for the Pony League team”
*****************
So cute.
Andys not coming back….
==================
That’s your opinion.
No way of knowing for sure…
he sounds too busy at home to be down in Tampa.
Highly doubt Andy is coming back, especially mid season. He clearly has too much going on back home and he retired to spend time with his family.
Besides, when was the last time anyone not named Roger Clemens sat out half a year for non injury reasons and came back and performed well?
He wants to come back.
Rich in NJ February 27th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
“I’m not ready to go full psychopath yet.”
This quote from the trial judge who sentenced Bundy, still makes me laugh all these years later:
“You’d have made a good lawyer, and I’d have loved to have seen you practice in front of me-but you went another way, partner.”
—
I guess there’s a fine line between lawyer and psychopath.
On a different channel, to provide a bit of comic relief:
Looks like the PAbe is up to his old tricks. He’s being called out on Extra Bases by his readership for selectively quoting a Josh Beckett WEEI interview to make Beckett look as bad as possible.
Gee, simply substitute “Lohud Yankee Blog” and “Alex Rodriguez” and it would be like old times!
Some people never learn. I guess the shock of the Pats loss made him revert to his old ways?
Personally, I think Andy’s wife shut him down. Couple of things, there were rumors about maybe a little infidelity in the past and that’s why he went to Houston (maybe not true, who knows), and at his retirement press conference, Andy’s wife shot him a look that could kill when Andy said he was only 99% sure he wouldn’t come back.
“I didn’t want him in place of Swisher…..I wanted him in addition to Swisher ….”
Oh, Lord, what’s next? “Gardner should be the 4th OFer”?
“Oh, Lord, what’s next? “Gardner should be the 4th OFer”?”
No the LFer
Yadier molina and cards cooking up a 5 year extension.
Oh, Lord, what’s next? “Gardner should be the 4th OFer”?
–
They had this position called DH that they really wanted to use in a rotation with the OF, I wonder how Beltran could have benefited from that
Cost was too prohibitive in the end.
Beltran would have given the Yanks an additional year to find a long term Rfer and would have really helped their lineup….he could have DHed some….played RF some….played LF some etc…..I can see why they didn’t signed him with where the payroll is, but if they thought they were trading Montero then he would have really helped. Its fine…..I just think what he signed for is a really good deal for the Cards.
“Yadier molina and cards cooking up a 5 year extension.”
Free agency is turning into a land for pitchers and old dudes.
“According to ESPN, the Yankees currently have the third oldest 40-man roster in the big leagues with an average age of 28.6 years. The Phillies (29.2) and Diamondbacks (28.7) are the only clubs ahead of them, and the next closest AL team is the Red Sox at 27.7.”
And that was after Ibanez went from Philly to NY. It could be even worse for them.
“They had this position called DH that they really wanted to use in a rotation with the OF, I wonder how Beltran could have benefited from that
Cost was too prohibitive in the end.”
“In the end the cost was too prohibitive”? You do realize that one year of Beltran cost about $10 million more than both Jones and Ibanez? Shorten that last sentence to “the cost was too prohibitive” and leave it at that.
Who cares about the average age? I don’t remember that being one of the things that determines whether a team wins or loses. And it’s not like the aging players on the team are preventing them from possibly being a success in the future. So good work on the research, but it’s pretty much a moot point.
”? You do realize that one year of Beltran cost about $10 million more than both Jones and Ibanez?”
He’s quite a bit better than them both when he’s healthy and he mashes RHP.
Montero would have made around the league minimum. You can add up Montero’s salary for his first 3 years in MLB and you’d still come about $11 million short of what Beltran will make in one year.
Please, stop. For your own sake.
PittsburghYankeeFan February 27th, 2012 at 5:21 pm
On a different channel, to provide a bit of comic relief:
Looks like the PAbe is up to his old tricks. He’s being called out on Extra Bases by his readership for selectively quoting a Josh Beckett WEEI interview to make Beckett look as bad as possible.
Gee, simply substitute “Lohud Yankee Blog” and “Alex Rodriguez” and it would be like old times!
Some people never learn. I guess the shock of the Pats loss made him revert to his old ways?
————————————————
PittsburghYankeeFan February 27th, 2012 at 5:21 pm
On a different channel, to provide a bit of comic relief:
Looks like the PAbe is up to his old tricks. He’s being called out on Extra Bases by his readership for selectively quoting a Josh Beckett WEEI interview to make Beckett look as bad as possible.
Gee, simply substitute “Lohud Yankee Blog” and “Alex Rodriguez” and it would be like old times!
Some people never learn. I guess the shock of the Pats loss made him revert to his old ways?
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....gry_a.html
This what you’re refering too?
Sounds like the tension is still there and maybe worse than before.
Jerkface February 27th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Yadier molina and cards cooking up a 5 year extension.
————————————————————————
Hey Dickface way to resort to insulting me in the “early rotation set” entry (calling what I wrote “crazy” and “rantings”), Mr. Oh So Logical who thinks it’s a 100% given Swisher will have a good enough 2012 to get top years and dollars.
“Montero would have made around the league minimum. You can add up Montero’s salary for his first 3 years in MLB and you’d still come about $11 million short of what Beltran will make in one year”
Your point is they didn’t sign him because of money….ok I agree.
“He’s quite a bit better than them both when he’s healthy and he mashes RHP.”
No ****!
“Your point is they didn’t sign him because of money….ok I agree.”
So why are you arguing? The money doesn’t even come close, so the argument itself is silly at best.
I don’t know how I did that.
“No ****!”
So you understand how he would make the team better then right.
Mick,
I very much doubt Pettitte gets any pay, just expenses. He admits he has no duties.
If they need anyone else, I am available.
Type something that makes sense. It is not 100% given that Swisher will have a good year. Its never 100% given for any player. Swisher isn’t signing a 1 year 8 million extension because of that risk though. Continue to type stuff that makes no sense in all caps all you want.
You have not answered why it makes sense for Swisher to accept a 1 year deal to ‘ease his peace of mind in a walk year’ when he is just creating another walk year in 2013. You are concocting a fantasy that helps the yankees 100% while ignoring the many reasons no player will accept such a deal.
It looks like Francona is taking some shots of his own.
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....react.html
“So why are you arguing? The money doesn’t even come close, so the argument itself is silly at best.”
He would have been gone before 2014…..this may be Rivera’s last year…..Beltran is a lot better than Jones/Ibanez…..its not silly……Hal just didn’t want to spend the money and that’s fine its his to spend.
“So you understand how he would make the team better then right.”
Sure. And signing Prince Fielder instead of him to DH would have made the team even better. Going after Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, and Cole Hamels next offseason would make the team better too… should they do that (assuming any of those guys even get to FA)? Sabathia, Cain, Greinke, Hamels, and Pineda would be a killer rotation.
Let me know if I should lay on the sarcasm any thicker.
When you have even an ounce of understanding when it comes to the team’s finances then speak up. Until then listen to the reports of how much the team wants to spend on payroll, and come up with options accordingly.
“Sure. And signing Prince Fielder instead of him to DH would have made the team even better.”
Id call nearly 200 million dollars a bit of a difference in investment level….
Here’s what was written in response to me in the “early spring training rotation set” entry comments:
Jerkface February 27th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Your rantings are crazy and illogical. There is no way Swisher is getting 5 million base when Josh Willingham, a guy who was in the A’s lineup, went out and got 7 million for 3 years and he plays FAR worse defense and is a platoon hitter.
Every player who goes to FA risks having a bad year. But signing a 1 year extension doesn’t reduce that risk, it just delays it 1 year (for worse salary).
———————————————————————————————-
I gave my case for a one-year extension to Swisher who is not a 100% lock to have a good enough year to get two or more years at top dollar, but it went over this typical Yankee Lohud “I’m right, you’re wrong” asshole’s head and he proceeded to get personal with me. Go read it there cuz I’m not writing it again.
Bottom line is if Swisher sucks he’ll wish he got $8M for a year.
You people ever heard of Aaron Rowand, Carl Crawford, and Alex Rios? All three better defensive outfielders than Swisher, so good they got the contracts they got, all overpaid bums, and a team is gonna throw tons of money at Swisher. Right. Logical.
“Who cares about the average age?”
Some people care. What are you doing, trying to shut down all discussion on the blog????
“So good work on the research…”
All I did was cut and paste so I could make a joke about Ibanez, Mr. Cranky, but thank you.
“When you have even an ounce of understanding when it comes to the team’s finances then speak up. ”
Guess you weren’t listening to the part where I said they didn’t want to spend the money.
“Some people care. What are you doing, trying to shut down all discussion on the blog????”
So I can’t give my opinion on the subject? I don’t think I can shut down a comment thread anyway.
“Guess you weren’t listening to the part where I said they didn’t want to spend the money.”
So you can quote the reports but you won’t follow them… which was the point!
Beer wars?
From Bobby V..
“I don’t really have a comment on that. That means that 20 teams were looking for PR and that’s why they’re making good decisions? I don’t have a comment on that,” Valentine said.
———————————————————-
Can anybody name 1 team with certainty that has banned alcohol? I only know of the Sox.
I would repost what you wrote, but it was in all caps and didn’t make a lick of sense.
This is a funny qute from Pete Abe.
” Vicente Padilla is kind of scary. If he makes the team, Valentine may need security when he goes to the mound.”
qute==quote
“So I can’t give my opinion on the subject? I don’t think I can shut down a comment thread anyway.”
I’m not going to dumb down my comments for you or any other latecomers unless you ask very nicely.
who are these new lohud rookies and why are they so testy?
Bronx Jeers
I don’t know for sure but I think the Angels could be one.
I think a number of the teams banned it after Adenhart(sp) died.
Jerkface February 27th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Type something that makes sense. It is not 100% given that Swisher will have a good year. Its never 100% given for any player. Swisher isn’t signing a 1 year 8 million extension because of that risk though. Continue to type stuff that makes no sense in all caps all you want.
You have not answered why it makes sense for Swisher to accept a 1 year deal to ‘ease his peace of mind in a walk year’ when he is just creating another walk year in 2013. You are concocting a fantasy that helps the yankees 100% while ignoring the many reasons no player will accept such a deal.
————————————–
I typed something that made sense, and you responded by being and continue to be an insultory prick. Goodbye and stop replying to what I write as you crossed a line.
I stated my case I will not repeat again because a full of himself moron like you won’t read it.
LOL. I didn’t realize this is where the Yankee nerds hang out. I mean, who cares if somebody isn’t here all the time? Or, in terms you’re more familiar with, who cares if somebody is a “newb”?
bunch of clubhouse lawyers invade the LoHud.
Jerkface February 27th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
I would repost what you wrote, but it was in all caps and didn’t make a lick of sense.
—————————————————————————————————————
Oh please with the caps. I replied by point. If I replied like I’m writing now, it would confuse people.
It made plenty of sense. The extension is just as much as a benefit to Swisher as it is to the Yanks I explained, Dickface.
Bronx
Here is a partial list. This was from Extra Bases.
===============
“The Red Sox are the 19th team to ban alcohol in the clubhouse, a list that includes the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and world champion Cardinals”
Your points did not make sense as I pointed out. Saying they do doesn’t make it true. There is little to no incentive for swisher to sign for 1 year at less than he is making now. I pointed out worse players being paid for longer and in cuddyers case more this very offseason. You are delusional.
who are these new lohud rookies and why are they so testy?
—————————————–
It’s the kids with all their iPods and the sugar.
BryanV21 February 27th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
LOL. I didn’t realize this is where the Yankee nerds hang out. I mean, who cares if somebody isn’t here all the time? Or, in terms you’re more familiar with, who cares if somebody is a “newb”?
///
Well, maybe if you weren’t so rude and presumptuous, and stuck to the subject matter instead of trying to undercut a guy who has too much class to kick your ass, you’d have been better received.
Lose the snark, this ain’t DSP.
And threatening people over the internet is cool? Is that what this comment board is all about?
BTW, those of us at DSP aren’t immature punks.
Whats wrong with DSP? I post there a little and I never thought of the people as “snarky”. Are you , or were you ever, a member Mr. Profrock?
I think Swisher is going to have a typical contract year and is going to force the hands of the Yankees to re sign him. Apparently he has been working with football players and such this offseason and has slimmed down the waist line while adding 20 pounds of muscle (but not adding weight if that makes sense). He knows he has a lot to prove for not only this season but next season and beyond too. Swisher may be our “breakout” player of the year next year (or maybe comeback player… whatever you get my gist)
Andy, I miss you! You are my favorite Yankee pitcher of all time. We could use a battle-tested leader like you.
But enjoy retirement, it sounds like you’re doing great and I am sure your family loves having you around all the time…and I am sure you love it too!
Great to see you at Spring Training…teach the youngsters a thing or two about what it takes to be a Yankee.
Great post and now I know what to do, thank you! Actually this Blog post helped me a lot. I hope you continue writing about this kind of entry.
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