There are few things that could get me more excited about baseball season than Andy coming out of retirement. The first Yankees jersey tee I had was #46. I teared up when he announced his retirement…ok fine, I cried. I used to make jokes all of last season that Andy was going to come back to save the day, secretly hoping it would happen. Well my friends, dreams do come true - Andy will be back in early May. It’s really hard to argue that Andy will have anything but a positive impact on the team (unless you are a bitter Freddy Garcia). Here are just a few of the many reasons why...
He’s an Established Veteran: Andy has played 16 seasons of major league baseball, won five World Series, and is a three-time All-Star. Before signing him, the Yankees had three youngsters in the rotation with Nova, Pineda, and Hughes. With Andy most likely taking the third spot, it takes some of the pressure off the younger pitchers, especially Pineda. This gives them more time to develop while allowing for the inevitable growing pains. Moving Pineda to the fourth spot also means he will be facing the bottom half of opponents’ rotation, increasing his likelihood of success while he adjusts to the competitive AL East. At the same time, Pettitte may also motivate the remaining starters, as they will most likely have to battle for a starting role.
He’s a welcome addition to the clubhouse: When Andy announced his return; he was met with nearly universal excitement from his teammates. He has been publicly praised for both his performance on the field and his personal accomplishments off the field by Jeter, ARod, and Swisher just to name a few. It is no secret teams that get along in the clubhouse have a better chance at success and the addition of Andy will certainly go a long way to creating a positive team atmosphere.
Playoff experience: Andy has pitched in 42 post-season starts and currently ranks as MLB’s all time postseason wins leader with a total of 19 wins. The last time he pitched in the playoffs, he held batters to a .200 average over his two starts. The numbers don’t lie.
The critics say he’s too old and hasn’t pitched in a year. A lot of pitchers have missed a season for a variety of reasons and have come back strong. I for one highly doubt Andy would come back if he didn’t think he could perform. In his last season with the Yankees, he also posted a 3.28 ERA, which was his best in years. As for his age, over the past 25 years 19 40 year old pitchers pitched 150+ innings and 15 of those ended the season with an ERA either better or on par with the league average. A certain pitcher who goes by the name of Mariano Rivera is also over 40.
Welcome back Andy, can’t wait to see you back in the Bronx.
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