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| Andy Pettitte Will Retire at End of 2013 Season |
Joel Sherman of the New York Post had the scoop that the New York Yankees left-hander was reportedly planning to announce his decision to retire on Friday afternoon
The 41-year-old pitcher has retired before, electing to take a break from the game after an All-Star-worthy 2010 campaign. Pettitte explained his thought process at the time to Jack Curry of the YES Network:
I retired after one of my better years. I felt like I was at the point where I just kind of knew what I was doing mechanically out there on the mound and stuff like that. But I retired to go home and be with my family, and that’s why I retired.
However, Pettitte soon had an itch to return, and the Bronx Bombers needed another pitcher, so the two parties struck a deal in the spring of 2012.
Pettitte holds a career win-loss record of 255-152 with an ERA of 3.86. He’s struck out 2,437 batters, been named to three All-Star teams and was the MVP of the 2001 ALCS.
He’s pitched for the Yankees in all but three of his big league seasons—Pettitte was a starter for the Houston Astros from 2004-06—and has won five World Series rings with the organization.
The Baton Rouge native recently recorded his 2,000th strikeout as a member of the Yanks and is the club’s all-time leader in that category. He’s been an instrumental part of the team’s rotation for almost two decades, even as he faded into the twilight of his career.
Pettitte is currently 10-10 with 117 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.93 on the season, the 16th double-digit victory campaign of his career.
Pettitte is scheduled to start on Sunday. The Yankees play the San Francisco Giants at home on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET. If the announce comes on Friday, expect it to happen prior to the first pitch.
