Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher had nothing but positive things to say about veteran pitcher Andy Pettitte.
"I love Andy Pettitte more than anything," Swisher said Tuesday night at the 31st annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner in Manhattan, ESPN.com reports.
Swisher is ready to go to spring training, and he hopes that Pettitte will join him and the Yankees down in Tampa.
"I think he's done so much for this organization. I don't know what it's like to have kids. I haven't been fortunate enough yet," Swisher said. "But I know that he misses his family. And I know that if he chooses to ride off into the sunset, he's earned that. We would love to have him back, but if he's gonna go, he's gonna go with glory."
If Pettitte does decide to retire, Swisher is still confident in the Yankees' pitching.
"I mean, we're gonna fill in those pieces," said Swisher. "That's what spring training's for. Each guy's gotta battle for his spot. I don't believe that [we don't have enough pitching]. We're gonna find a way to win."
Swisher seemed excited when he commented was asked about the Yankees' new relief pitcher, Rafael Soriano.
"He just takes a whole inning off of the game. He and [Mariano Rivera] turn it into a seven-inning game. And given how good our other relievers are, it can be a five- or six-inning game. So for us, we gotta feel good about that."
Anyone can see that Swisher believes in his team, and he wasn't very concerned with the comments made by general manager Brian Cashman’s quote stating the Red Sox are currently a better team than his Bronx Bombers.
"I don't really read the papers so I didn't really know he said that," Swisher said. "That's not what he meant. So for us, we're gonna go out there and have to prove it."
