Steve Popper: Memories lured Pettitte back

Friday, December 22, 2006
Bergen County Record

Andy Pettitte had already gone through the heart-wrenching decision to leave New York -- his baseball home -- three years ago, so he had no intention of contemplating leaving his real home again. He was convinced he would either return to the Houston Astros for another season or just hang it up, ending his career at age 34.
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And then in November he went to Joe Torre's Safe at Home Foundation Dinner in New York, which happened to feature a 10-year reunion of the 1996 Yankees. He mingled with his former manager and listened to his old friends implore him to return. And he began to wonder.

"I got to see a bunch of the guys," Pettitte said. "They were talking to me about coming back. At that time there was no chance. It was Houston or nowhere -- retirement. It was out of my mind, but all the guys were talking to me. I would kind of smile at them. They were excited and I was excited.

"I had the opportunity to see everybody, see all the guys on the team and talk. I actually had to leave right after the dinner and wasn't able to spend Saturday with them. My son had a playoff football game. Everybody knew I was a free agent. They were planting the seed, but at that time there was no chance."

Having been drafted by the Yankees and been a key part of the franchise's success during his nine seasons in New York, the memories pulled at Pettitte as much as Houston and family had for him when he left New York.

He returned home and spoke with his family and found that, unlike three years ago, his wife and children were not opposed to him returning to New York. On Thursday, the Yankees finally officially welcomed Pettitte back with a $16 million one-year deal and a player option for 2008.

The longing for New York was no more powerful than the longing the Yankees felt for Pettitte, who was everything that his replacements were not -- a big-game pitcher who was at his best in the postseason. So once the seeds were planted, the Yankees put on a full-court press.

"Coming back to the New York scene, seeing lot of former teammates, rustled up emotions of what he felt like here," Brian Cashman said. "Being in New York City, under the Yankee umbrella, stirred some emotions. It was something he cherished. It was a hard decision to leave, just like the decision to come back up here."

But will Pettitte's decision affect the decision of his pal, Roger Clemens?

"He was excited," Pettitte said. "He said he'd like to see me go to New York. My gut feeling, I would imagine, is that he's going to play. I have no idea where. But he's continued to come back and continues to be the best pitcher in the league, so why wouldn't he play? Who with, I have no idea. I know that'll be a major decision he has to make in his life."