The Yankees are turning to an old favorite for a Game 6 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. One look back on his career will show that Andy Pettitte has the right stuff to grind out a win for the Bronx Bombers.
Game 6 Matchup Against Pedro Martinez
Wednesday night, Pettitte will most likely take the mound against an old rival, Pedro Martinez. This matchup lacks the sexiness that Pedro vs. Clemens had, and it lacks the drama of a potential game 7 in the World Series. Andy Pettitte has never been about hype or drama. Year after year, he has been able to build on a remarkable career.
Andy Pettitte may not throw a sizzling fastball, and he may throw to first base what seems like a thousand times every game, but he’s gutty enough and smart enough to grind out the wins. Any outsider may look at Pettitte and see an aging pitcher throwing lots of junk with a few fastballs peppered in. To the doubters who wonder how Andy ever wins games with such an arsenal of slow pitches, they need only look to Han Solo’s reference to the Milennium Falcon; “She’s not much to look at kid, but she’s got it where it counts.”
Pettitte In The Hall Of Fame A Real Possibility
Pettitte never had a losing season in the minors, and carried that ability into the majors in 1995. Since then, Pettitte has pitched himself into an argument over whether or not he should be in the Hall Of Fame. Consider he has 4 more wins and more strikeouts than Catfish Hunter, who is in the Hall Of Fame. Andy has four World Series to his name, is a two time All Star, and was the MVP of the 2001 ALCS.
What’s most important to the Yankees isn't the Hall Of Fame balloting, it's that Pettitte holds a record with five series clinching wins and 17 postseason wins. If the Yankees are going to avoid the pressure of an anything can happen game 7, Pettitte needs to come up big on Wednesday night against a formidable Phillies lineup.
Pettitte’s fastball is in the low 90’s now, and he was never intended to be the focus of the lineup when the 2009 season began. The Yankees had expected to see a healthy Chien Ming-Wang in their rotation in October, and also to see a revved up Joba Chamberlain fireballing his way into the Fall Classic. Unassuming Andy Pettitte, as usual, went about his business, and the cards have fallen the right way once again so he’s on the biggest of stages at the right time.
Looking back on his career, it’s a marvel to see the number of big games he’s been a part of. Pettitte pitched 8 ½ shutout innings in game 5 of the 1996 World Series. He clinched the 1998 World Series with a win in San Diego. The Yankees are hoping he can do it again, this time on three days' rest.
Stopping The Streak
Even when Pettitte isn’t perfect, he has the uncanny ability to stop the bleeding. Andy is 5-1 in night games at Yankee Stadium this year, and has a 3.31 ERA after the All Star Break. Andy also wins close to % 70 of his games that follow a Yankee loss, a stat that has to have the Bombers feeling pretty good about their chances in game 6.
After taking all the Phillies could dish out in game 5, and still almost breaking through for a win, the Yankees seem to have been able to let the air out of the Phillies balloon. With Pettitte on the mound, and being at home, the Yankees should be able to wrap up the World Series in 6 games.
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