He's finally made his decision. Unfortunately, it's probably not the decision most Yankee fans were hoping for.
Andy Pettitte, 38, announced his retirement this morning, Feb. 4, during a press conference at Yankee Stadium.
With his wife, Laura, at his side, Pettitte officially announced his retirement, saying, "It didn't feel right for me anymore. Didn't have the hunger, the drive." He admitted that he felt a sort of obligation to return after the Cliff Lee signing, saying that he felt like he owed it to the organization. However, he chose to retire.
As Pettitte rides off into the sunset, fans will have plenty to look back on. He was a big-game competitor, a clutch performer and one of the great all-time Yankees.
Pettitte signed with the Yankees on May 25, 1991 as on amateur draft selection. He was extremely successful in his minor league career, compiling a record of 51-22 with a 2.49 ERA.
In 1995, Pettitte burst on the scene with the other three members of the "Core Four" (Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada). In his first season in the bigs, he went 12-9 in 26 starts.
He broke out in 1996, winning 21 games to go along with eight losses. He became a mainstay in the rotation all the way through 2003. In that span he won 149 games and pitched in over 200 innings in all but three seasons.
Much to the dismay of the Yankees and their fans, Pettitte departed for his hometown Houston Astros after the 2003 season. He spent three years with the club. He saw varying degrees of success in Houston, spending much of the 2004 season on the disabled list, and enjoying arguably the best season of his career in 2005.
He pitched to a 17-9 record with an impressive 2.39 ERA. He, along with teammate and best friend Roger Clemens, helped the Astros to their first World Series appearance in team history. They lost to the Chicago White Sox in a hard-fought series.
After the 2006 season, Pettitte came back home to the Bronx.
Pettitte reached a milestone in 2007, recording his 200th career victory on Sept. 19. His return to the Bronx resulted in great success for Pettitte; he finished with a 15-9 record and a 4.05 ERA.
If there's one thing that you can say about Andy Pettitte, it's that he was one of the most consistent pitchers in recent memory. He won 14 games in both 2008 and 2009 and was one of the keys to the Yankees 2009 World Series victory against the Phillies.
After a groin strain sidelined him for two months during the 2010 season, Pettitte has decided to retire. He leaves behind quite a legacy. Aside from his astounding regular season numbers (240 wins, 3.88 ERA, 2251 Ks), he was statistically the greatest postseason pitcher of all time.
He sports a career 19-10 record in the playoffs, with a 3.83 ERA in 42 starts. Pettitte was a fierce postseason competitor, and one that opposing teams feared batting against.
A part of the 1996 and 2010 All-Star Games, Pettitte was also a recipient of the Warren Spahn award in 2003. This award is presented annually to the top left-handed pitcher in baseball. He was also named ALCS MVP in 2001.
So what can we make of Andy's retirement? There's no doubt that he was a great pitcher, one of the better left-handers in Major League history. He's certainly not up there with the likes of Steve Carlton, Lefty Grove and Randy Johnson, but he is one of the better ones.
Of course, the argument is bound to arise.
Is Pettitte Hall of Fame worthy?
His regular season numbers may not be enough to get him voted in when he's eligible in 2016, but his postseason numbers may very well carry him in. That's a debate for later on, though.
The Yankees have bigger issues going forward.
*Stay tuned for Part two—Pettitte's Retirement: How It Affects the Yankees Going Forward
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