Andrew Eugene Pettitte (born June 15, 1972, in
Baton RougeBaton Rouge is the capital city and the second largest city of Louisiana It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish which contains 428,000 residents. The Greater Baton Rouge population is approximately 774,327...
,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity...
starting pitcherIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the New York Yankees.
In his major league career, he played for the Yankees from –. He then signed with the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
, and played for them from through . In , Pettitte rejoined the Yankees. He won four championships as a Yankee, and made the playoffs every year except for 2006 and 2008.
Through 2008, Pettitte is 10th among active major league players in win-loss percentage (.629); 8th in wins (215); and 10th in
strikeoutIn baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters. Pitchers with a greater number of strikeouts are often praised, while batters with a greater number of...
s (2,002). He is also one of only three players that have pitched so far in the 2009 season with at least 200 wins, 2,000 strikeouts, and a winning percentage at or above .600. The others are
Randy JohnsonRandall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Over a 21-year career, Johnson has played for 6 different teams, and currently pitches for the San Francisco Giants....
and
Pedro MartínezPedro Jaime Martínez is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a three time Cy Young Award winner. At the time of his 200th win in April , Martínez had the highest winning percentage of any 200-game winner in modern baseball history...
.
Early life
Pettitte is of Italian and French descent. The youngest of two from Tommy and JoAnn Pettitte. He attended
Deer Park High SchoolDeer Park Independent School District is a public school district in Deer Park, Texas , but also includes parts of neighboring Pasadena. Its total enrollment is approximately 11,700 students....
in
Deer Park, TexasDeer Park is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 28,520.- History :...
. Andy Pettitte also pitched the Deer to within one win of the state title.
It was there he met his future wife Laura. Together, they have four children: Joshua Blake (born November 3, 1994), Jared (May 28, 1998), Lexy Grace (January 10, 2001), and Luke Jackson (June 19, 2005).
Selected by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the
1990 MLB draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:The draft went a record 101 rounds, surpassing 1989's total of 88, and included a record 1,487 selections. The Astros led all clubs with 100 selections. Seattle was second with 75,...
, he opted instead to attend
San Jacinto College NorthSan Jacinto College is a community college system in the Greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas. Established in 1961, the San Jacinto College district originally consisted of the areas of Channelview ISD, Deer Park ISD, Galena Park ISD, La Porte ISD, and Pasadena ISD. The district now also...
(Houston, Texas), where he won 8 of 10 decisions.
On May 25, 1991, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur draft and follow selection.
Minor leagues
In his minor league career he went 51–22, with a 2.49 ERA in 113 starts. He never had a losing season. In the rookie league, he had an 0.98 ERA.
First stint with the New York Yankees (1995–2003)
Pettitte made his major league debut on April 29, , with the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
, with whom he spent 9 seasons in the
starting rotationIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. In , he made the American League
All-StarThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team and finished second to
Pat HentgenPatrick George Hentgen is a former Major League Baseball player. Hentgen was a right-handed starting pitcher in the major leagues and a Cy Young Award winner in .-Career:...
for the AL
Cy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
. He led the league in wins (21), was 3rd in W-L pct. (.724), and was 8th in the AL in ERA (3.87). The Yankees won the
1996 World SeriesThe 1996 World Series matched the defending champion Atlanta Braves against the New York Yankees, with the Yankees winning in six games to capture their first championship since 1978, and their 23rd overall. The Yankees became the third team to win a World Series after dropping Games 1 and 2 at...
with Pettitte going 1-1 in the 6 game series. The next year, Pettitte led the league in starts (35), pickoffs (14), and double plays induced (36), and was 3rd in the league in innings (240.3; a career high), 4th in ERA (2.88), wins (18), and W-L pct. (.720), 6th in complete games (4), 8th in strikeouts (166), and 10th in walks/9 IP (2.43). In , he was 7th in the league in complete games (5; a career high), and 8th in wins (16). That season, he won his second
World Series TitleThe 1998 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
with the Yankees, winning his only start in the four game series.
The Yankees continued their success in .
New YorkThe New York Yankees' 2000 season was the 98th season for the Yankees in New York, and their 100th overall going back to their origins in Baltimore. New York was managed by Joe Torre...
won the AL East Pennant by 4 games while Pettitte was 3rd in the American League in wins (19), 6th in W-L pct. (.679), and 7th in complete games (3). He finished off the season with his fourth
World Series TitleThe 2000 World Series featured a crosstown matchup between the two-time defending champion New York Yankees and the New York Mets, with the Yankees winning four games to one for their third straight championship and 26th overall. It marks, to date, the last World Series won by the Yankees, and the...
. In , he made the All-Star team for the second time and was named the
MVPIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the
ALCSIn Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant. The winner of the series advances to play the winner of the National League Championship Series in baseball's championship,...
, after winning Games 1 and 5 against the
Seattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
. He was 3rd in the AL in walks/9 IP (1.84), and 8th in strikeouts (164) and strikeouts/9 IP (7.36).
The following year, he was 9th in the AL in W-L pct. (.722) and complete games (3). Pettite continued his success through . Pettitte was 2nd in the league in wins (21), 5th in W-L pct. (.724), 6th in strikeouts (180; a career high) and strikeouts/9 IP (7.78; a career-best), 8th in games started (33), and 9th in walks/9 IP (2.16).
Houston Astros (2004–2006)
After the season, Pettitte left the Yankees, signing a 3-year, $31.5 million contract with the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
. He switched his uniform number to #21, in honor of
Roger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
, who previously wore that number in Boston and Toronto. His season, in which he held batters to a .226 batting average, was shortened by elbow surgery.
Pettitte returned to form in to help the
AstrosThe Houston Astros' 2005 season was a season in which the Houston Astros qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Astros made it to their first World Series appearance in franchise history.-Offseason:...
make their first trip to the
World SeriesThe 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros 4 games to 0 in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home field advantage...
. His 2.39
ERAIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. The ERA tells the average number of runs a pitcher would surrender over the course of a full game had he been kept in for the full nine innings...
in 2005 was a career-best, and 2nd-best in the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league...
behind teammate
Roger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
. He was also 2nd in the league walks/9 IP (1.66) and LOB percentage (79.7%; a career best),
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2005 3rd in sacrifice hits (15), 5th in wins (17), and 8th in W-L pct. (.654). He held lefties, who over his career have outhit righties when batting against him, to a .200 batting average, had a career-best 4.17 SO/BB ratio.
In , Pettitte went 14–13 with a 4.20 ERA as the Astros missed the playoffs. He led the NL in starts (35), tied for 7th in pickoffs (4), and was 8th in double plays induced (26), and 10th in strikeouts (178) and batters faced (929). He held batters to a .229 batting average when there were 2 out with runners in scoring position.
Back in New York (2007–present)
After the 2006 season, Pettitte left the Astros, and signed a 1-year, $16 million contract with the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
. There was also a player option clause in the contract which would have allowed Pettitte to stay in New York in 2008 for $16 million. Pettitte switched his uniform number back to #46 after wearing #21 in Houston. On January 11, , Pettitte was re-introduced as a Yankee at a Yankee Stadium press conference.
Pettitte was followed back to the Yankees by former
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros is a major league baseball team located in Houston, Texas. The Astros are a member of the Central Division. From 2000 to the present, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park . The Astros joined MLB under the name Colt .45s along with the New York Mets in...
teammate
Roger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
. Both players left the Yankees after the
2003 seasonThe MLB season was the 100th season of Major League Baseball. The season ended when the Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in a six game 2003 World Series.-Playoffs:*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett...
to play for the Astros. In May 2007 Clemens signed with the Yankees as well and joined the Yankees rotation in June. Once again Clemens and Pettitte were pitching for the same team. Pettitte won his 200th career game on September 19, 2007.
In 2007 he led the American League in starts (34), was 7th in batters faced (916), and was 9th in innings pitched (215.3), finishing the regular season with a 15–9 win-loss record. He also had the 5th-lowest HR/9 innings pitched ratio in the AL (0.67).
On November 5, he declined his 2008 option, becoming a free agent. Then on December 1, 2007, Pettitte was offered arbitration by the Yankees. However, on December 3, 2007 Pettitte announced that he will pitch for the Yankees in 2008. On December 7, 2007, Pettitte accepted the Yankees offer of arbitration. He officially signed a one year, $16 million contract with the Yankees on December 12.
On September 21, 2008, Pettitte was the last starting pitcher for the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He recorded his 2,000th career strikeout in the second inning, striking out
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles entered the 2008 season led by Dave Trembley, now starting his first full season as manager. President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail continued the rebuilding process...
catcher
Ramon HernandezRamón José Hernández is a Major League Baseball catcher and right-handed batter for the Cincinnati Reds...
. Pettitte ended up getting the victory in the game (a 7-3 win), pitching five innings. Pettitte led the Yankees in innings pitched in 2008 with 204. Over 14 seasons, Pettitte has averaged 158 strikeouts a season, the same number as he accumulated in 2008.
In 2009, the Yankees offered Pettitte a one year, $10.5 million dollar contract, but Pettitte declined because he and agent
Randy HendricksRandal "Randy" Hendricks is an American attorney and sports agent considered a pioneer in the field of sports representation...
thought the amount was too steep a decline from his $16 million earnings the previous year. On Monday January 26, 2009, Pettitte agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract that was incentive laden. Based on innings pitched and days on the active roster, Pettitte could receive as much as $12 million for 2009. Pettitte began the season as the Yankees' number 4 starter, behind CC Sabathia,
A. J. BurnettAllan James "A.J." Burnett is a right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. Previously, he played for the Florida Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays...
, and
Chien-Ming WangChien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese starting pitcher for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent for the 2000 season, playing for the Staten Island Yankees...
, followed by
Joba ChamberlainJoba Chamberlain is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early life:...
in the 5th spot.
On August 31, 2009, Pettitte took a
perfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
through 6 and 2/3 innings when 3rd baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. committed an error on a routine ground ball. The next batter (
Nick MarkakisNicholas William Markakis is a Major League Baseball outfielder currently with the American League's Baltimore Orioles.-Early life:...
), who wouldn't have come up if not for the error, got a hit to break up the
no-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
.
Career perspective
Pettitte has been a 20-game winner twice, posting 21–8 records in and .
Pettitte has been a part of 6
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
pennant-winning teams and 4
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
championship teams. He is tied with
John SmoltzJohn Andrew Smoltz is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in...
of the
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
in
postseasonThe Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series....
wins with 15. He is the only MLB pitcher since to win at least 12 games in each of his first 9 seasons.
For his career, Pettitte has a 228–133 win-loss record, with a 3.89 ERA and 2,002 strikeouts in 2,731.2 innings. He also has never had a losing season in Major League Baseball.
Pettitte holds the all-time record for most starts and innings pitched in the post-season (35 and 218.1, through 2008).
When Pettitte started Game 2 of the
2005 World SeriesThe 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros 4 games to 0 in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home field advantage...
, he was tied for second for most
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
starts. Along with
Christy MathewsonChristopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball...
and
Waite HoytWaite Charles Hoyt was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, one of the dominant pitchers of the 1920s, and the winningest pitcher for the New York Yankees during that decade. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in .-Early life:Hoyt was born in Brooklyn, New York...
, Pettitte has started in 11 World Series games.
Whitey FordEdward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
is in front with 22 starts. Pettitte has played in 7 different World Series (6 with the Yankees, and one with the Astros), and been on the winning end of 18 postseason series - both of which are tops among active players.
Pettitte is 15–9 with a 3.96 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 35 postseason games (1995–2003, 2005, 2007). Pettitte has pitched 218.1 innings in the postseason.
During the period from 1995–2009, no major league pitcher accumulated more victories.
Pitching style
Andy Pettitte throws a four-seam
fastballThe fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–104 mph and up to 107.9 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, a
cutterIn baseball, a cutter, or cut fastball, is a type of fastball which breaks slightly as it reaches home plate. This pitch is somewhere between a slider and a fastball, as it is usually thrown faster than a slider but with more motion than a typical fastball...
, a 12-6
curveballThe curveball is a breaking pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that impart down and/or sideways spin to the ball. It is therefore considered a type of breaking ball. Contrary to a fastball , the curveball has a diagonal spin that creates a wake behind the ball,...
, a sinker, and a
changeupA changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
. His out pitch is the cutter at 85-88 mph with good inside break on right-handed batters, resulting in a lot of ground ball outs and double plays. His fastball is now in the lower 90s and his curve is about 74-76 mph with a 12-6 straight down break.
Awards
- 1996–All-Star
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
- 1996–Good Guy Award, from the New York
New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Sports Photographers
- 1996–Greater Houston Area Major League Player of the Year, from the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America
- 2001–All-Star
- 2001–ALCS
The American League Championship Series was a rematch of the 2000 ALCS between the New York Yankees, who had come off a dramatic comeback against the Oakland Athletics in the Division Series after being down two games to zero, and the Seattle Mariners, who won an American League record 116...
Most Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
- 2003–Greater Houston Area Major League Player of the Year, from the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America
- 2003–Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 21 seasons, all in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was aged 42. Spahn was the 1957 Cy Young Award winner, and was the runner-up three times, all...
Award, awarded annually to the top left-handed pitcher in baseball, from the Oklahoma Sports Museum
Use of performance-enhancing drugs
On September 30, 2006 the
Los Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California since 1881. It is distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States...
reported that former
relief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, ejection from the game, or fatigue...
Jason GrimsleyJason Alen Grimsley is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He made his debut on September 8, , and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Major league...
, during a June 6, 2006 federal raid by
federal agentFederal agent may refer to* Federal Bureau of Investigation agent* Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent* United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent* United States Customs and Border Protection agent...
s investigating
steroidA steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by its sterane core and additional functional groups. The core is a carbon structure of four fused rings: three cyclohexane rings and one cyclopentane ring. The steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the...
s in baseball, named Pettitte as a user of performance enhancing drugs. The
Times reported that Pettitte was one of five names blacked out in an affidavit filed in federal court. Grimsley had told investigators that he got amphetamines,
anabolic steroidAnabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids , are a class of steroid hormones related to the hormone testosterone. They increase protein synthesis within cells, which results in the buildup of cellular tissue , especially in muscles...
s, and human growth hormone (HGH) from someone (later named as
Kirk RadomskiKirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985-1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
) recommended to him by former Yankees trainer
Brian McNameeBrian Gerard McNamee is a former New York City police officer, personal trainer, and strength and conditioning coach in Major League Baseball who is most notable for testifying against former New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens at a 2008 United States Congressional hearing that concerned the...
, who is a personal strength coach for Clemens and Pettitte. However, on October 3, 2006, the
Washington Post reported that San Francisco
United States attorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
Kevin Ryan said that the
Los Angeles Times report contained "significant inaccuracies." Contrary to the initial LA Times report, neither the name of Clemens nor Pettitte appeared in the affidavit submitted by Grimsley.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3163889
On December 13, 2007, Pettitte was one of several Yankees named in the
Mitchell ReportThe Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former United States Senator George J...
. Mitchell and his staff received the information on Pettitte from McNamee who told them he injected Pettitte with HGH on 2-4 occasions in 2002 so that he would heal from an elbow injury quicker.
On December 15, 2007, Pettitte verified McNamee's claim admitting to using the HGH on two occasions in 2002, as it was meant to help heal an injury, and not to enhance his performance. Pettitte said he felt an obligation to return to the team as quickly as possible. He denied any further usage of HGH during his career; he also denied use of steroids or any other performance-enhancing drug..
On February 13, 2008, in an affidavit made public as part of a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Governmental Reform, Pettitte admitted to additional injections of HGH twice in one day in 2004, using HGH obtained via prescription for his seriously-ill father. Also in this affidavit Pettitte unequivocally recalled being told by former Yankees teammate Roger Clemens in 1999 or 2000 that Clemens had recently received injections of HGH. Clemens claimed during the noted hearing that Pettitte "misremembered" Clemens' 1999/2000 HGH remark, alleging that what Pettitte really heard was Clemens' reporting of his wife's use of HGH at that time, though earlier during this same hearing Clemens denied knowing of any use of HGH by his wife. McNamee corroborated Pettitte's recollection of events.
On February 18, 2008, Pettitte reported to Yankees spring training and apologized to fans for his past drug use. In the press conference, he said the performance enhancing-drug scandal has put a "strain" on his relationship with close friend and former teammate,
Roger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens, aka "The Rocket" is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, two more than any other pitcher. He played for 13 consecutive seasons in Boston, more than half of his career. In , he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays...
.
See also
External links