Remembering the Career of Andy Pettitte
The New York Yankees will be retiring Andy Pettitte’s No. 46 jersey during a game against the Cleveland Indians on Aug. 23, as first revealed by Andy’s son Josh on Twitter.
Pettitte played 15 seasons in the Bronx, winning a franchise-record 219 games and losing just 127 with an ERA of 3.96 and 2,020 strikeouts. The 1990 22nd-round draft pick was a member of five World Series championship teams and holds the all-time record with 19 postseason wins (17 with the Yankees).
Though his numbers never screamed dominance, Pettitte was a reliable and consistent starter for the duration of his 18-year Major League career. As a result, he was a fan favorite, in part because of his success in the postseason. He was highly successful during the team’s 1999, 2000 and 2001 playoff runs, during which he went 6-3 with a 3.85 ERA (slightly skewed by two dismal outing during the 2001 World Series). His performance in the 2001 ALCS earned him MVP honors.
Pettitte was a vital member of the team’s “Core Four” during the late 90s and early 2000s. He will undoubtedly be looked upon as one of the most popular Yankee players of all time. He will be the 18th player to be honored with his number being retired, though you can probably bank on Jeter’s No. 2 garnering the same recognition in the future.
Here is a full list of the players’ with retired numbers in Yankees history:
1 – Billy Martin
3 – Babe Ruth
4 – Lou Gehrig
5 – Joe DiMaggio
6 – Joe Torre
7 – Mickey Mantle
8 – Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey
9 – Roger Maris
10 – Phil Rizzuto
15 – Thurman Munson
16 – Whitey Ford
23 – Don Mattingly
32 – Elston Howard
37 – Casey Stengel
42 – Mariano Rivera and Jackie Robinson
44 – Reggie Jackson
49 – Ron Guidry
It’s understandable why some not familiar with the Yankees may question Pettitte’s presence among the franchise’s all-time greats in Monument Park. Admittedly, the honor may be a bit devalued by the vast number of honorees. However, it would be foolish to overlook all the left-handed starter contributed to the team that simply doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. He is a Yankee icon and a long, successful career in pinstripes earned him the right to be associated with some of the game’s best players.
The Yankees most recently retired the No. 6 uniform of Joe Torre in 2014. Torre was the team’s manager from 1996-2007. They also have Bernie Williams Day scheduled for the 2015 season, but there are no known plans to retire his No. 51, which has not been worn by anyone else since he last played in 2006. Add in Jeter and potentially power-hitting catcher Jorge Posada, and the Yankees could have 21 retired numbers within the next five years.