Pettitte registers 200th win

(Photo by Ken Carozza)

By Howard Goldin 

Four days prior to his 38^th birthday, Yankees starter Andy Pettitte registered his 200^th win as a member of the Yankees. The milestone victory raised Pettitte’s name into a small and select group that only includes Whitey Ford (236) and Red Ruffing (231). That impressive achievement was not the only one raeched by the veteran lefty. 

On Friday, after retiring the first two batters in the first, Pettitte joined Jamie Moyers of the Phillies as the second active pitcher to have hurled 3,000 innings in the majors. Another interesting stat is that the veteran Yankee is the only pitcher currently on a 40 man roster with over 100 more wins than losses (237-136). He is the 27^th hurler with so great a winning differential.  

His exceptional lifetime win/loss mark coupled with an outstanding 18-9 record in post-season play gives great weight to his consideration as a future Hall of Fame candidate. When asked after the contest if these milestones influenced his decision to play in 2010, he responded as he usually does, “It’s special. There’s not a lot of guys who won that many as a Yankee. Stuff like that is not affecting me. [I returned with] the desire to help this organization win another championship.” 

This season, Pettitte has pitched at least five innings in each of his 12 starts. The start was Pettitte’s first against the only other major league team whose uniform he wore. Pettitte was a member of the Astros from 2004-6. He explained that it did not feel strange as there are so few Astros who were teammates of his, “Lance [Berkman] is one of my best friends. He and Roy [Oswalt] are really the only ones in uniform I know.”  

The veteran starter had five days off between starts unlike his usual four. He felt this extra rest threw off his early game, “I know I felt a little out of whack in the first few innings. After the third inning, I got into a good rhythm.”    

Petitte was lifted with out in the eighth and two runners on base and the Yankees in front by a 4-2 score. Joba Chamberlain gave up one of the runs charged to Pettitte, but retired the side with no further damage. Mariano Rivera retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to earn the save. The Pettitte-Rivera combo for wins and saves raised its career mark to 67, ten above the second place duo of Bob Welch and Dannis Eckersley of Oakland.  

Petiitte raised his win/loss record this year to 8-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.46. He gave up four hits and three runs (two earned) in his 7.1 innings on the mound. His four strikeouts, giving him 1,777, puts him one below the Yankee in second place, Ron Guidry. 

He was asked about his three injury plagued seasons in Houston interring with his place in Yankees pitching history. Pettitte replied, “If I’d stayed her, I wouldn’t have popped the elbow on a check swing and might have been able to pass Whitey. But, it was great. I was able to help those guys and that club win a playoff series for the first time.”