Retirement of a Yankee Great

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In a year where the retirement of Yankee legend Mariano Rivera has been front and center in the world of baseball, the retirement of another Yankee great was a question on the minds of fans and analysts alike. On September 20, Andy “Eugene” Pettitte announced his retirement after eighteen sensational years with the New York Yankees.
I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Pettitte during Game 5 of the ALCS in 2001. A year where he won the ALCS MVP and shouldered the Yankees to the World Series. My first playoff game, I donned the jersey of my favorite lefty with pride. As my friends and I wandered around the stadium after an awe-inspiring win we stumbled upon the Yankees tour bus. My friend signaled over to the bus, the next few minutes were a blur when Andy proceeded to get off the bus and call me over. The brief conversation was muddled in my brain, because for the first time I was star-struck. Andy signed the back of my jersey that night and gave me a memory that will forever be instilled in my mind. He didn’t have to get off the cozy confines of the tour bus that night.  Yet he did, and for that I will forever be grateful. My memory of Andy is just one memory, for there is no doubt every true baseball fan has one of their own.
Andy Pettitte may never make the hall of fame. He has never won a Cy-Young, pitched a perfect game or thrown a no-hitter. But, what Pettitte has done on the field for the New York Yankees can not be measured or replicated. 19 post-season wins, he is the all time leader in postseason victories. He has 255 wins, most among active leaders, has been a 3-time all-star and arguably has the best pick-off move the game has ever seen. He is a leader on the field and a family man off. His fearlessness pitching in big games and his dominance of the rival Red Sox are what Yankee fans will most remember him by. Tino Martinez once said of Pettitte, “He is one of the greatest pitchers in Yankees history. Whitey Ford might have more wins as a left hander, but through the seasons we won all those World Series, he was the anchor of our staff every year. Without him we don’t win all four World Series.” Fast forward to 2013, Pettitte has more wins than Whitey and passed Ford on the Yankees all-time strikeout list.
Pettitte announces his retirement during a somber year for the Yankees and their fans. The Yankees have had a disappointing year riddled with injuries and often times controversy. It is certainly not a fitting ending to say goodbye to Rivera and Pettitte, two players that have given their heart and soul to the game and to the team that became their family. Not all careers end with a storybook ending penned by the baseball gods. Nevertheless Andy seems to be going out leaving everything on the field,…” I want to have the opportunity to tip my cap to them during these remaining days and thank them for making my time here with the Yankees so special…..I’ve reached the point where I know that I’ve left everything I have out there on that field. The time is right. I’ve exhausted myself, mentally and physically, and that’s exactly how I want to leave this game.”