IF Andy Pettitte is to come back and pitch for the Yankees he should receive a significant pay cut. He was horrible down the stretch and his potential for injury has become too prevalent. Not to mention that, in general, the guy is a piece of garbage. He put the Yankees on the hook for $16 million last year when he knew he was going to be outed in the steroid scandal.
Mike Mussina, on the other hand, won 20 games in 2008 and showed that he was physically sound. He also reminded that although his alter ego of Rain Man may occasionally show up, he isn't going to get arrested for beating up his wife, or get indicted for links to steroids. If he does come back for one year I'd expect him to do all he can to prepare, I can't see him coming back "just to play" or enjoy the camraderie of the Arod. He has already written his book(2007), so he won't be able to give us the "distracted" excuse that he did for that absolute disgrace of a season. I have to think that he wants one more chance at a ring - and if the Yanks add Sabathia, and get Wang back - you have to think they'll be right in the thick of things in 2009.
Supposedly, the Yankees are waiting on Mussina's decision before dealing with Pettitte. This is good to hear, Pious Pettite's fate should have to wait until after Mussina makes his decision, Pettitte The Rat must be slotted lower on the food chain. Good to see Pettitte being kept in his place, and getting something of a long overdue slap in the face.
Pettitte had a reputation as a 'good guy', and had a lot of people fooled. I have maintained since the late 90's that he was a phony - but as long as he kept winning I didn't care. But his character has been revealed, lets look at Andy's greatest hits and attach them to his recent Yankee foibles.
First Pettitte had to leave the team and play for Houston in 2004 because his wife discovered he was having an affair - "allegedy". Yes, thats right, from the man whom did commercials for POWER FOR LIVING, throwing a bible into our faces, feigning a pious perfection of his own persona. More disgusting because of how this guy used airtime to throw his religious beliefs in our face between innings of Yankee games. Here is a link to the original piece http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106448,00.html.
Not buying it? If you followed the Pettitte negotiations closely back in 2003 the pieces will begin to fit together. There was a big delay by the Yankees to put an offer on the table, certainly moreso than any other big time free agent they had ever pursued. At the time it just didn't make sense, and went against the grain of everything that we knew about the Yankee protocols of pursuing top flight guys. If you accept that he was having an affair and his wife gave him an ultimatum as noted above, it would appear that each side massaged the situation so that to some onlookers each side could walk away looking good, a P.R. masterpiece. Pettitte looked good for 'taking less money to go home', and the Yankees showed their fans that they were serious about retaining him by offering him $12 million more than the Astros.
Cashman, never a good actor, was at the time all too indifferent for a guy who'd just lost his #2 pitcher after offering $12 million more than the Astros. The whole thing just didn't make sense - at the time. Perhaps Cashman forgot to channel HIS own alter ego, George Costanza:
George Costanza: (Mr.Wilhelm comes in and hears George yelling) You tell that son of a bitch no Yankee is ever comin' to Houston! Not as long as you bastards are running things!
Back to Andy's shining personal moments...the SOB knew he was being targeted/investigated in the steroid scandal last winter 2007, yet he went ahead and signed a $16 million contract with the Yankees and didn't let them in on the secret. Honest Andy. Phony.
Then he threw his father under the bus by not only revealing him as the source where heacquired the HGH, but also, the obvious original spectre of Andy putting his dad in that position in the first place. Garbage. If he didn't think his dad was doing anything wrong for him, then why didn't Andy just pick up the HGH himself?
Power for Living huh? Must not have been very powerful.
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