Inside The Numbers & The Facts: Why Andy Pettitte Is The Right Guy For Game 6

By Alex Cohen-Smith Archive

Is anyone else getting worn out watching this World Series? I’m losing my voice, my legs are sore, I feel like I just ran in the New York City marathon. And the scary part is, it’s not over yet. This topsy turvy series is the first World Series since the Yankees and the Florida Marlins met in 2003 to last longer then 5 games. Today’s day-off has given me time to reflect on the series and offer a little knowledge on Andy Pettitte.

Pettite’s numbers in series deciding games:

• 1996 ALCS 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER 1 BB 3 SO and a WIN
• 1997 ALDS 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO and a LOSS
• 1998 WS 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO and a WIN
• 2000 ALDS 3.2, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO and a ND
• 2000 WS 7 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO and a ND
• 2001 ALCS 6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO and a WIN
• 2001 WS 2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO and a LOSS
• 2003 ALCS 5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO and a ND
• 2003 WS 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO and a LOSS
• 2005 NLCS 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO and a LOSS
• 2009 ALDS 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO and a WIN
• 2009 ALCS 6.1, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO and a WIN

So what does this tell us? Besides that Andy has had his ups and downs in the postseason. Right now Andy Pettitte is in a groove. He won the deciding game in this year’s ALDS and this year’s ALCS. His ERA in deciding World Series games is below 3.00. Some pitchers get tired pitching in October, but it’s awkward for Pettitte not to be pitching in October (or November). I mean the guy has pitched 30 more innings than any pitcher in postseason history.

I’m not a believer in the “3 days rest” nonsense. Pitchers like Pettitte are more able to pitch deeper into the season and throw more innings because it’s what they’ve always done. You don’t pitch some young kid on 3 days rest in October when he has never pitched for an extra month before in his career. But for a 37 year old pitcher with 39 career postseason starts, all that goes out the window.

Some Yankee fans are still skeptical of Pettitte. They’re not sure if he can produce on the big stage anymore. Others refuse to put him in the same group as Posada, Rivera, Jeter and Bernie Williams because Pettitte took a 3-year hiatus from the Yankees, almost signed with the Red Sox, and then finally went to Houston.

People forget that Pettitte didn’t want to go to Houston. The Yankees gave him a weak offer during the offseason, he had no choice. The Red Sox offered Pettitte more money and more years than the Yankees did. People forget Bernie was a step away from being a Red Sox when the Yankees swooped in at the last second. The Yankees tried the same thing with Pettitte and ended up paying for it.

Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano…no one can do what Pettitte has done in a Yankee uniform. Questions and turmoil have surrounded him on the mound since his steroid admission in 2007 and he continued to go out there and do what he has always done: win ballgames.

I expect one more win to be added to his resume tomorrow. Disagree? Feel free to comment away.

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