» At Least Pettitte Is Loyal Yankees Blog

October 31, 2007

A few days after the greedy clown Alex Rodriguez decided to opt out of his contract … Andy Pettitte (a real Yankee) made the statement they he would play with the Yankees, or for no one at all.

The 35-year-old Pettitte told a television station on Tuesday at his Houston-area golf tournament that he is in no rush to trigger his $16 million player option for next season, with a decision required by 10 days after the close of the World Series. “The New York Yankees committed an awful lot of money to me and put it in my hands, gave me a player option and trusted me with that option,” Pettitte told KRIV-TV. “It probably wouldn’t be real honorable for me not to do anything other than if I shut it down, shut it down or go back and play for the New York Yankees.”

Pettitte went 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA in 34 starts and two relief appearances for the Yankees in 2007. He tied for first in the American League in starts with seven other pitchers and ranked ninth in the circuit with 215 1/3 innings pitched. Pettitte has a lifetime record of 201-113 in a Major League career that began with the Yankees in 1995. He has posted a winning record and made at least 15 starts in each of his 13 seasons in the big leagues, and he earned his 200th career victory on Sept. 19 vs. the Orioles. Pettitte’s 164 wins as a Yankee tie him with Mel Stottlemyre for sixth place on the club’s all-time list.