Andy Pettitte gets his due in New York City, but it’s Cooperstown, N.Y., that’s on everyone’s mind now that the left-handed veteran appears to be done for good.
Pettitte announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday. The lefty leaves behind quite the track record. He pitched 18 seasons, went 255-152 and had a 3.86 ERA and 1.354 WHIP. He was also extremely effective in the playoffs, going 19-11 over 14 postseasons while winning five World Series with the Yankees. At 41 years old this year, he still notched 10 wins and put up a 3.93 ERA.
But whether Pettitte is MLB good, Yankees good or Hall of Fame good are all different questions. While Pettitte leads several statistical categories, such as starts and innings, among active pitchers, that’s also due to his longevity — a pitcher can do a lot in 18 seasons. Some people surmised that the reason Pettitte even came out of retirement in 2012 was to cross the 250-win threshold and increase his chances at Cooperstown. Other 250-game winners haven’t made it in, though, and as valuable as Pettitte was to the Yankees throughout his career, he was never a shutdown ace.
What do you think? Should Pettitte get a bronze bust to go along with his five rings?
