The New York Daily News
Returning ace seeking to restore quiet resolve
TAMPA - If you believe the Yankees have been missing a certain toughness, resolve, killer instinct, whatever you want to call it, the last few Octobers, you have to love the idea of Andy Pettitte being back in pinstripes.
Pettitte's Yankee past is proof enough that he can help as this team looks to get back to a World Series for the first time since he left after the 2003 season. And to listen to him talk yesterday about the agony of pitching through elbow problems in Houston was a further reminder of the level of commitment he brings.
In his very first start for his hometown team, Pettitte tore the flexor tendon in his elbow while trying to check his swing. It was a freakish injury, which wasn't connected to the ligament problem the Yankees had worried about for years, but one that would require repair.
"They told me I needed surgery," Pettitte recalled, "and I said, 'No chance. Just keep shooting me up (with painkillers) until I can't pitch anymore.' There was no way in my heart that I could sit out. I couldn't have lived with myself if I had to have surgery after taking a big contract and then pitching just five innings.
"I felt it was extremely important to get the respect of my teammates by competing my rear end off, even if I was just throwing slop up there."
So Pettitte kept pitching that season, with a fastball that couldn't reach 85 mph, and managed to keep the Astros in most of his 15 starts, as he posted a record of 6-4 with a 3.90 ERA.
He chuckled yesterday, thinking about what turned out to be his final start of that season, Aug.12 at Shea Stadium. His arm had weakened to the point where his fastball topped out at 78 mph, and yet Pettitte allowed the Mets just one run and four hits in 5-2/3 innings, getting a no-decision in a 2-1 loss.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "I was throwing so slow that they couldn't hit it. And I was throwing changeups off the 78. But during that start my arm blew up to about twice its normal size. I remember telling Roger (Clemens) in the dugout to go call our agents and set up an appointment for Dr. (James) Andrews for the next day. I knew I'd pushed it as far as I could."
Obviously the Yankees are hoping that toughness rubs off on Carl Pavano, whom Pettitte has made a point of befriending and counseling in an attempt to get him past all of his problems that have kept him off the mound since June of 2005.
"It's the way I learned to do things," said Pettitte, speaking of the Yankee teams he played on from 1995 through 2003, teams that went to six World Series and won four championships.
With that in mind, you can't blame Pettitte for wondering what happened to the feel-good vibe from the good old days. In his first week back as a Yankee, he watched with some amazement at the string of controversies that have unfolded, including Mariano Rivera's contract ultimatum and clubhouse issues involving Mike Mussina and Pavano, and, of course, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.
"I think we need to do less talking and more playing baseball," said Pettitte with a laugh. "But it is what it is. I don't think it's any secret that stuff gets portrayed worse through the media than it really is. That's part of being here.
"What's important is that we're together inside this clubhouse. My concern is that guys in here have a good relationship with one another. I think that's extremely important to having a championship team, and I want everybody to know I'm ready to help in that way."
At 34, Pettitte feels it's his responsibility to help create the type of winning atmosphere he watched former teammates such as David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Joe Girardi and Tino Martinez nurture as clubhouse leaders during the championship years.
"We're a family in here," he said. "We need to genuinely care about each other, not just act like it. I tried to bring that to Houston and we competed a high level there, reaching a World Series, without All-Stars at every position, because guys bought into it.
"There were similarities with that team to my early Yankee years, but I'm not stupid, I know that can't last forever. It's all about people and personalities. It's extremely hard to put that kind of group of guys back together. It's hard to emulate."
Pettitte won't go far as trying to bring Jeter and A-Rod together for dinner. But he's determined to try to restore some of that old Yankee grit.
Or as he put it, "I'm looking forward to seeing what's going on here, see if we can get that feeling again and get back to being world champs."
Something clearly has been missing. Having Pettitte back is a good start toward figuring it out.
Originally published on February 21, 2007
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