THE RETURN OF ANDY PETTITTE BRINGS CONFIDENCE

Our line-up has taken quite a few hits this season. We’ve faced injury after injury. In the past month and a half, fans have been hitting the panic button a little bit more than usual and there have been talks of a Yankees “collapse.” We hate hearing that here at BYB (HERE). But never fear folks! Andy is back and in a big way.

Andy Pettitte came back Wednesday after being on the DL for almost three months, and boy did he make his presence known. Andy pitched 5 scoreless innings, throwing 75 pitches, 46 strikes. He gave up four hits, two walks and no runs. It was exactly the kind of start we needed from Andy.

For the past month and a half there has been some sort of energy shift among the team. Everyone except for Derek Jeter really. Okay, granted, they have been coming alive little by little. But there is something to be said for a team that knows they have all of their guys either back or coming back. A healthy team is a happy team. It gives them a confidence boost. Andy’s start triggered something big and gave it the final kick we needed.

I want to say that I am surprised by how well Andy did, but that would be a lie. I mean, look how well he has pitched this season period, and after not having played the game for an entire year. Andy continues to prove himself as possibly the greatest pitcher of my lifetime. If there is one thing that could be said about Andy is that he has “still got it.” His return adds depth and confidence to our starting rotation that has struggled a little bit. With him and Ivan Nova back, we can move guys like Freddy Garcia and David Phelps into the bullpen for added support. It gives us more strength and gets us ready for October ball.


I feel almost like I should have sung the theme to “Welcome Back Kotter” when Andy came out Wednesday. To say that his performance was awesome is an understatement. Andy knows what it's like to pitch in September and in big games. He has dealt with the pressure and handled it beautifully. Getting him back when it is so crucial for us to continue winning in order to put some distance between Baltimore and us in the standings is perfect. Andy went out there and reminded us Yankees fans why you stay for all nine and you don’t give up on the Yankees... Ever!

Welcome back, Andy! We’ve missed you!

--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804




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