Pettitte has until February 20th to decide on WBC
ByVia Wally Matthews: Andy Pettitte has until February 20th to decide if he will pitch for Team USA (and former manager Joe Torre) during the World Baseball Classic in March. The veteran left-hander was not on the team’s recently-released roster, but he could replace Kris Medlen, who withdrew from the event because his wife is having a baby.
“(The Yankees) have expressed concerns because of the injuries (Pettitte) has had … So we’re thinking about it and we’re talking about it. We don’t have to make a decision until February 20th, so we have some wiggle time here. We’ll see what happens,” said Torre, who ultimately has the final call as to whether Pettitte is added to the roster. He made it clear he would not pressure Andy into pitching and probably wouldn’t go against the club’s wishes. Obviously I’d rather see Pettitte spend Spring Training with the Yankees, but I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be neat to see him pitching for Team USA.
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Wally Matthews? In other words, Andy has until 2:00 PM last Wednesday.
How dare you disrespect my favorite hated writer?
I would like to see Andy on Team USA as well, but imagine the fire and brimstone that will inevitibly rain down if he gets tired down the stretch and how this innings will come into question…
Or even worse… Gets hurt
Yeah. I’d be kinda cool, but I’d feel better if he were safe(r) in Tampa with the rest of the team.
Reports of spontaneous combustion at the WBC are way overblown.
Nobody said they weren’t. But I’d feel safer with an older guy going through his normal spring training motions, rather than pitching competitively.
This is the only site where wanting the least amount of chance for injury for a old yet effective player is called a knee jerk reaction. I wish I was cool as you kids.
Each pitch thrown shortens what’s left of his career
Not so sure about that logic.
By the same logic if someone starts to pitch at age 40 they can pitch until they are 60-ish.
Even if your theory is correct wouldnt he have to throw pitches in spring training games which don’t count if he didnt play for team USA? Either way he will have to throw pitches in meaningless games(meaningless to the Yankees)
Genlemen, please…we are discussing a soon to be 41 year old pitching at the MLB level. Does anyone here really think he will make 30 starts? The difference is having to pitch in a competetive game in early spring training where in addition to possible arm problems there are injury concerns while covering 1st base, or even a ball hit up the middle (remember?)
If the rationale for bringing him back is to have his guile and experience during the pennant chase and post season, he should be used carefully and sparingly during spring training and the early part of the season
Balls get hit up the middle in spring training as well.
Why not? Moyer and Randy Johnson and Glavine all had 30+ starts while being age 41 or older, and they certainly had health problems one time or another (except maybe Moyer)
It wouldn’t be that surprising for a 40+ year old to make 30 starts: http://www.fangraphs.com/leade.....;players=0
Starting pitchers generally like to get into a rhythm of regular work, and don’t necessarily want more rest. There’s reason to think this might be the logical approach.
He’d be throwing pitches anyway.
Yeah, but I don’t think it’s the same thing. I’m not gonna bitch about it at all if he does end up playing. But in an ideal scenario, thinking about the Yankees’ rotation and nothing else, I’d prefer he doesn’t.
I hate to be the guy who throws out his own experience and tries to correlate it to an MLB player, but I pitched in high school, and I do know that workouts and throwing pitches to prepare for the season is a different animal than going max effort in a game you’re trying to win. Of course, there is always a risk every single time you throw a pitch regardless, but I think the risk is greater in competitive play.
trr didn’t really make that detailed a point, though. He didn’t say it’s a higher risk. He said every pitch he throws shortens his career. It assumes a ton of things including that he only has a certain number of pitches in his arm and that rest is more important than regular work and keeping his arm in shape.
It’s a proven known scientific fact that Pettitte’s left arm has exactly 5,186 pitches remaining.
As it happens, he also has 27,435 pitches remaining in his right arm; but all of those suck.
As long as Andy’s contract is insured, Hal’s fine with it.
Yeah, he doesn’t care at all about revenue or profits. Just about minimizing costs. That’s why their payroll has been the lowest in MLB since he took over from his father. Oh, it’s been the highest? Never mind.
Who really gives a crap what Pettitte does at this point? Give us more stories on who is already in Tampa, how they look, more prospect reports, etc. Enough of this depressing drivel about what the Yankees haven’t done this winter and the WBC. No one cares!!!
Yeah, I want my money’s worth out of my RAB subscription, too!
I’m not sure what you want. There is probably nobody in Tampa because spring training hasn’t started yet. What do you want Mike to do, quit his job and stalk Jeter every time he goes out for dinner? There’s nothing else to talk about at this point in the offseason.
I think you and your phone should go stalk Jeter.
Prediction : jjyank will give Phone Sex a whole new meaning by Monday.
By Monday? You underestimate me.
You’ll have to give Ballpark Empire a rest.
Call me old-fashioned but I like to romance my phone before I get busy.
I’m sure they are all in the best shapes of their career.
As selfish as it sounds, I’d prefer that Andy doesn’t pitch. I’d like him to be as fresh, strong and rested for the Yankees as possible.
Now if someone that isn’t as key to the Yankees success wants to play (say, Chris Stewart), go ahead.
Pettitte pitching in March is absurd. It’s improbable he can last an entire season starting from game one, what makes anyone think he can extend his season beyond that. The Yankees must be very careful with aging veterans if they want to be competitive late in the season. Pettitte pitching before the season starts makes absolutely no sense for the Yankees, none.
Yankees are going to be in a dog fight from day one to make the playoffs. Having Pettitte already warm and ready to go from day one might not be such a bad idea. We can worry about playoff time once and if we get there.
I could see the WBC actually helping Andy, getting him ready earlier and strengthening his arm. But at his age it could also do the opposite so whatever happens happens
Either it will help…or it won’t.
I think it’s hard to know with any degree of certainty that this would have an effect on his season. I guess I’d prefer he not pitch in the WBC, but I don’t really care either way about this.
Dear Andy,
Not to second guess you, but….
PLEASE SAVE YOUR STRENGTH FOR THE POST SEASON!!!
(Dude… ya ain’t getting any younger…)
signed,
(also) Old YanksFan
I’d prefer he didn’t pitch, but it’s only 16 games, which he’d be involved in probably 3 maybe 4, only one or two of which he’d be allowed to throw over 100 pitches. I’m sure he’s been working out already. Would throwing 85 pitches against the Italian WBC team be much worse than the Rays spring training team? Saying there is a different intensity in spring training isn’t really much of a factor. It’s not like they are going to throw pitches any softer, try any less or take things any easier. It’s usually in situations like that you get hurt.
Primarily I’d rather not see him play because if something does happen people will point to the WBC and say, “see, that’s why he got hurt”.
You make the correct point in the middle there, though – he’s going to be preparing for the season anyway, whether that be in Tampa or in the WBC. He is also smart enough to know what he has to be ready for. The risk of injury will be there no matter what.
Yes, I’d rather him not pitch, but I will also be the first to admit that my own reaction is rather knee-jerk and that, when I sit and think about it for a while, I become less concerned.
Pretty sure most WBC teams are worse than ST teams.
What a truly stupid move it would be to permit him to play in this competition.
I’d so much rather him get hurt in a WBC game than a grapefruit league game.
They don’t have the ability to stop him, so it’s not a question of “permit.”