Andy Pettitte is livid with his manager Joe Girardi and his pitching coach Dave Eiland. The ultra-competitive lefty wants to pitch next week against the Detroit Tigers, insisting his arm is fine despite pitching only five innings against the hapless Baltimore Orioles this week. But Girardi isn't buying it, taking the cautious route to guard against the possibility of Pettitte worsening the injury. It's a wise move, no matter what Pettitte says.
Pettitte cares nothing about what's in his best interest, which is normally one of his finest qualities. In missing even one start, he feels like he is letting his team down.
But Girardi and Eiland know that's not the case. They know that keeping Andy out of the rotation and getting him completely healthy is in the New York Yankees' best long-term interest. All they have to do is convince the veteran lefty of that. Or maybe they shouldn't even bother to try to convince him. As Eiland wisely pointed out, it would have been troubling if Pettitte wasn't angry about being kept out of the rotation, even for his own good.
This is one of those times when Girardi has to stick to his guns. Skipping Pettitte for a turn is what’s best for the team, even if the lefty doesn't agree.
Pettitte cares nothing about what's in his best interest, which is normally one of his finest qualities. In missing even one start, he feels like he is letting his team down.
But Girardi and Eiland know that's not the case. They know that keeping Andy out of the rotation and getting him completely healthy is in the New York Yankees' best long-term interest. All they have to do is convince the veteran lefty of that. Or maybe they shouldn't even bother to try to convince him. As Eiland wisely pointed out, it would have been troubling if Pettitte wasn't angry about being kept out of the rotation, even for his own good.
This is one of those times when Girardi has to stick to his guns. Skipping Pettitte for a turn is what’s best for the team, even if the lefty doesn't agree.
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