[新聞] Andy Pettitte faces toughest choice yet

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The New York Yankees don't know if Andy Pettitte will be with them next year
because right now, Pettitte doesn't know the answer himself.


This is not unusual for Pettitte in the bruising aftermath of a season. This
time of year -- or sometimes a little later -- he returns to his home in Deer
Park, Texas, a suburb of Houston, and reacquaints himself with his wife,
Laura, and their four children.


Among the topics of discussion are whether or not Daddy should again take
leave of the family for nine months out of the year to continue throwing
baseballs for the Yankees.

And if you think they are not sincere discussions, all you need to realize is
that since 2007, Pettitte has become the Walter Alston of pitchers -- working
on a series of one-year contracts that reflect his ambivalence toward the
familial separation that comes along with a major league baseball career and
the amount of weight he puts on the opinions of his family.


For the past four seasons, the conclusion has been to come back. But with the
kids growing up -- Pettitte's oldest, Josh, is 15 and his youngest, Lexy, is
9 -- more voices must be heard, more feelings considered, more options
weighed.


And as Pettitte get older and the job becomes more physically demanding, the
decision becomes more difficult every year.


Generally, as the season recedes further into the distance, the holidays draw
near and spring training beckons, Pettitte feels the urge to return to his
second family.


But it sounds as if Pettitte will be facing his toughest choice yet this
offseason.


"I'm just not sure,'' Pettitte said, in a remarkably candid interview session
held at his locker last Friday, moments after the Yankees had been eliminated
in the ALCS by the Texas Rangers. "The only thing I know right now is I love
taking the mound every fifth day. Unfortunately there's a lot of other stuff
that at this stage of my life I don't like about baseball, and obviously it
has to do with my family. I don't want to make any rash decisions. I wish I
knew, I really do, exactly what I was gonna do.''


For Pettitte, the 2010 season began with so much promise and ended in so much
pain.


At 37 years old, he got off to the best start of his career, winning his
first five decisions. At 38 (his birthday was June 15) he was the best
pitcher on the staff, with an 8-1 record and a 2.46 ERA. And on July 8, he
ran his record to 11-2 after throwing eight innings of five-hit, one-run,
nine-strikeout ball against the Seattle Mariners.


Then, 10 days later, it was all over -- his season run aground by a small
groin muscle tear suffered in the third inning of a game against the Tampa
Bay Rays. The rehab was long, difficult and discouraging. Although he
appeared to be recovering ahead of schedule, he suffered setbacks that wound
up shelving him for two months.


And in those two months, the Yankees went from being the best team in
baseball -- a juggernaut, 58-33 and three games ahead of the Rays on July 18,
the day Pettitte went down -- to mediocrity, just 37-34 the rest of the way.


Obviously, Pettitte's absence wasn't the only reason for the Yankees'
decline, but it may well have been the biggest reason. "Andy's loss hurt us,
no doubt,'' manager Joe Girardi said in early September. "We need him to get
back healthy for us to do well in the playoffs.''


Despite Pettitte's return to health -- he pitched the best game of any
Yankees starter in the postseason, seven innings of two-run ball against the
Rangers, only to be outdueled by Cliff Lee -- the Yankees never overcame
their second-half skid.


"Obviously, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth,'' Pettitte said. "But I
can't be real emotional about it right now. I have a huge decision to make.
I'm just going to go home and figure out if I can make another run at this
thing or not. Just see if we want to do it again for another year, and if my
wife's behind it, and if we all feel good about it, you know?''


Now the question is, can the Yankees overcome the loss of Pettitte if he
finally decides, as he surely will some winter, to remain in Deer Park with
Laura and the kids?


"In Andy's case, it usually takes a little time,'' said GM Brian Cashman, who
acknowledged he had no real feel for whether or not this is the year Pettitte
will finally call it quits.

"These off days get harder and harder, traveling home every off day to try to
see your family for a day, for 24 hours,'' Pettitte said. "That's a tough
deal. The kids are getting to that age where I want to be home, you know?


"But I also know how important what I do is. I'm a man and this is my job.
This is all I've ever known as an adult.''


Pettitte said the toll of the travel and the enforced absences had become so
great that he and his family had adopted a mantra: "Let's just get through
the season."


"But it's hard to get through the season," Pettitte said, "and it's a long
flight back to Houston from New York just to grab a day with them.''


Two years ago, Pettitte held out until Jan. 26 before agreeing to a one-year
deal for $5.5 million and incentives -- a huge pay cut from the $16 million
he was paid in 2008. Last year, he was back in the fold by Dec. 9, his pay
having been restored to $11.75 million after a 14-8 season in 2009.


But Pettitte insists money is not the object or the lure -- nor is the
possibility that if he has another good season or two, he could have a shot
at the Hall of Fame, his admission of HGH use notwithstanding.


Although his 3.88 career ERA would be the highest of any starter in the Hall,
his 240-138 record is not far off from Whitey Ford's 236-106 career mark, and
he's the same pitcher in the postseason as he has always been in the regular
season (19-10, 3.83).


"I can tell you there's nothing more I want to achieve in this game. There's
just not,'' Pettitte said. "I know now that if I'm healthy, I can pitch for a
while. That's not my concern. I just want to make sure I fully exhaust myself
of it. I don't want to shut it down and regret not playing. That's my biggest
fear.''


His other fear is missing out on an even greater joy than winning a World
Series or getting a plaque in Cooperstown. "My kids want dad home,'' he said.
"And at the same time they also love to see dad go out and do what he loves
to do, which is pitch. I mean, I love what I do, but it's hard on me, too.''


The one thing Pettitte is sure of is that, out of the so-called Core Four --
Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and himself -- the other three will
be playing well after he is gone.


"I think I'm gonna be the first one retired, no matter what,'' he said. "I'm
pretty sure of that.''


The Yankees hope that day is coming later rather than sooner. No ambivalence
there.



http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/columns/story?columnist=matthews_wallace&id=5737068

快速翻譯:

老派:我現在左右為難中,假設我還有能力打我明年會回來,我可不想到時後悔
但我的家庭也是我要考慮的因素,錢不是最主要的原因,4人組裡頭我應該會是第1個退休的

--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) 
◆ From: 218.171.224.208
推 beyond1000  :不~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
推 bearel      :派派你不要走O___________________Q
推 kauw        :會回來的 這些話聽了好幾年了
推 noahlin     :派派這麼穩定只要不要重大傷病再投個三年還可以吧
推 danny789    :andy通常會在NYY競爭某FA時宣佈回來,增加球隊籌碼XD
→ danny789    :真是個好人 ...
→ chancewen   :不要~~~~
推 now123      :球迷：不要走不要走~~ 派派：殺~很~大~~(回來後爆氣)
推 paoan       :q_q
推 takumi77    :聽很多年了+1
推 takumi77    :可是派派可以不要走嗎，不要走~~~ 繼續留下來殺很大
推 waderu      :派回來+1
推 Ally1213    :派你不要走~~不要走~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
→ inebriety   :Q__Q
→ inebriety   :殺很大梗看到狂笑XDDDDD
推 notmuchmoney:雖然效率不錯 因傷IP G都下降不少 約應該會砍一些
推 prereality  :他在暗示佛心約也是OK的嗎=ˇ=
推 hassanstar  :如果很不幸真的不回來 那至少幫忙我們投季後賽就好..
推 freeover    :沒有季後賽的派派真不敢想像~ 派派不要走!!
→ freeover    :挑戰300勝  跟刷新季後勝投王紀錄好不好~
推 johnyank    :留下來或我跟你走.....
推 mcshang     :派派不要走啦~~
推 externaload :300W應該是不太可能
推 AndyPettitte:不打球 還能做什麼!?
推 upsnet      :問穆帥啊 XD
推 asdfzx      :是你的車 被拖走啦~
推 kohi120     :以帥派的年齡，從下半季開始打到季後賽是否較好
推 sincere528  :上半季不打，有季後賽嘛...
推 b0213       :我還想看那投手丘上派派那帥氣的身影啊!不要走啦!!
推 freeover    :以派帥的穩定度~  如果例行賽一起打 當然更好~xd
推 JohnnyDamon :留下來吧+1