NY Yankees MLB 2015 News: Will Retire Andy Pettitte's Number Despite PED Use
Although Andy Pettitte cheated and used performance enhancing drugs, he readily admitted it and never delayed his apology. The fans forgave Andy Pettitte and soon the New York Yankees will give him the ultimate honor of retiring his number and giving the pitcher a plague in monument park alongside the like of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio.
Pettitte won five world series rings with the Yankees, and he has over 2,400 strike outs -- a number that is certainly good enough to get him elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame if he were not and admitted PED user. The voters for the baseball hall have shut out those players got or suspected of being PED users.
Each baseball fan has to decide for themselves how his PED use illegitimates the numbers he put up. The Yankees have decided for themselves and are choosing to honor him, and that honor is hard to argue with.
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"The Yanks chose not to ignore Petite's accomplishments. They decided that Pettitte contributed plenty to the four World Series titles of the late 1990s and 2000, just as much as his 'Core Four' teammates Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada," Ernie Palladino wrote for CBS New York. "The Yanks recognize that Pettitte was well-liked, even by the crusty old media."
"He stood out there win or lose, took blame on his own shoulders and passed along credit to his teammates. Classy guy. Cheater, but a classy cheater," he continued.
The Yankees are also retiring the numbers of CF Bernie Williams and catcher Jorge Posada. They won four titles while wearing pinstripes. When the Yankees are done they will have retired 22 numbers. Once they get around to retiring Derek Jeter's no. 2, the lowest number available for active Yankees will be 11.
