Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Pettitte ALCS MVP
Leads the Yankees, as usual
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK — When Andy Pettitte pitches in the postseason, the New York Yankees almost always win.
He is the constant in a starting rotation that has put the Yankees in the World Series for the fifth time in six years. The famous faces come and go, but Pettitte remains, speaking softly and pitching loudly.
Pettitte put the Yankees in the World Series for the fourth straight season, throwing six shutout innings while New York's batters beat up on Seattle, making the Mariners look like some heavyweight who crumpled to the canvas with a single punch.
He wound up allowing three runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings Monday night as the Yankees crushed Seattle 12-3 to win the AL championship series in five games. And for getting half of his team's wins in the series, Pettitte was selected the series MVP.
“It's special for me,” Pettitte said. “I'd by lying if I didn't say that. I've never won anything like that before. I'm not a pitcher who goes out and dominates games and strikes out a lot of hitters and stuff like that, so I never really expected to win anything like that. So it's definitely a nice surprise.”
Pettitte struggled, but it didn't show. He and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre had a heated talk. Catcher Jorge Posada yelled at Pettitte.
“I don't know how I won this,” Pettitte said. “Jorgy told me stuff in the third inning I can't repeat. I was making bad pitches all night.”
Posada said Pettitte was trying to be too fine.
“I got him mad and got him fired up,” Posada said. “I thought he was throwing too hard, trying to overpower hitters. He felt too good, felt too strong.”
Pettitte is 10-5 in the postseason, and the Yankees are 17-5 in his starts, winning 11 of his last 12. Of New York's 14 series-winning games since 1996, he's started five. And, for the first time Monday, he got to start a clincher at home.
“Obviously it's a wonderful position to be in,” Pettitte said.
Jimmy Key and Kenny Rogers left.
So did David Wells and David Cone, those pitchers of perfection who grabbed the headlines with their midsummer magic.
Pettitte stayed, teaming with the Rocket, El Duque and the Moose to form the rotation other teams feared this year.
And against Seattle, Pettitte was the man,
“He's nails,” said Aaron Sele, who lost to him in Games 1 and 5. “He shut us down flat for two games. We are used to scoring runs and making things happen, and he just didn't allow us to do that.”
George Steinbrenner, the owner whose patience often is measured in milliseconds, almost shipped Pettitte off to Philadelphia two years ago. But manager Joe Torre and GM Brian Cashman ganged up on the Boss, convincing him that left-handers, especially this one, are gems to be polished, even if they at times look rough.
“Andy was struggling,” Torre said. “He was terrible. Andy would get strike one, strike two on somebody and then all of a sudden try to do something different and get whacked. He lost his confidence for a time.”
No one seems quite sure of how close Pettitte was to joining the Phillies, and Steinbrenner wasn't talking Monday night.
“I guess I could thank the Boss for not getting rid of me,” Pettitte said. “I'm just thankful the organization didn't give up on me and didn't get rid of me and I'm still here and able to go be in a situation to win four straight World Series.”
Since he stayed, Pettitte has gone 6-1 in the postseason. Now 29, the Louisiana native has adopted Houston as his home and been adopted by fellow Houstonian Roger Clemens, who became his mentor, friend and private plane lift home.
Pettitte seems so shy at times, his soft voice struggling to be heard at times. His biggest problem has always been self-doubt, wondering if he made the right choice on a pitch or if he handled a situation the right way.
“I'm a little hard on myself and expect perfection,” he said.
Like so many of these Yankees, he doesn't want to call attention to himself. When Torre took him out after Seattle scored three times in seventh, Pettitte slowly walked to the dugout, touching his cap twice, not quite wanting to take it off and tip it to the standing, applauding fans.
Then, just before he got to the dugout, he finally doffed it. He had done it again.
So had the Yankees.
As usual.
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Pettitte ALCS MVP
