Andy Pettitte hopes to carry ‘completely different perspective’ as Yankees adviser

Andy Pettitte threw a ceremonial, first-pitch strike Tuesday, however regardless of that, he is not going to be suiting as much as increase the Yankees’ rotation.

However in bringing in the 51-year-old franchise legend, the Yankees have added a baseball lifer who performed the sport at a excessive stage to assist their gamers — simply as they did earlier this month by including Sean Casey as hitting coach.

Pettitte stated he doesn’t know a ton in regards to the superior analytics which have develop into the language for a lot of the sport.

A five-time World Sequence champion in pinstripes, Pettitte speaks throwback baseball.

“I hope I could possibly be a great sounding board for some guys,” stated Pettitte, talking publicly for the primary time for the reason that Yankees appointed him as an adviser. “I’ve been via all this. Walked via it. I do know a variety of instances, for me, after I simply consider having any individual to simply shoot some stuff off.

“Perhaps a distinct perspective.”

The face of the Yankees’ profitable pitching manufacturing unit is pitching coach Matt Blake, who didn’t pitch within the majors and who represents the trendy sport, during which the artwork of pitching has considerably develop into a science. Pettitte, who by no means threw too exhausting throughout his glorious, 18-year profession, was an artist on the mound.

The Yankees have lengthy wished Pettitte to work for them, however the COVID-19 pandemic difficult the method. Initially, the membership wished the lefty to speak and work with minor leaguers, however normal supervisor Brian Cashman referred to as just lately, asking Pettitte to assist out the big-league membership.

Pettitte had been teaching his sons in highschool in Texas. His youngest, Luke, simply graduated and can play at Dallas Baptist. So, the timing was proper.

“He’s simply so good within the room and has relationships with a variety of these guys already,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated earlier than the Yankees‘ 9-3 loss to the Mets in The Bronx.

Luis Severino referred to as Pettitte “an ideal particular person to have round.” Pettitte watched Gerrit Cole, whom he helped recruit to New York when Cole was a free agent, throw a bullpen session and talked pitch grips with the ace.

Pettitte will work behind the scenes. He is not going to be in uniform within the dugout, however can be across the membership “as a lot as I can,” he stated. The reunion occurred shortly, and he had organized varied plans over the subsequent few months earlier than signing. His deal extends via subsequent season, when he intends to be across the crew extra.

Regardless of serving because the pitching coach for Workforce USA within the World Baseball Traditional, Pettitte stated he doesn’t envision turning into a pitching coach sooner or later.

For now, he simply needs to speak baseball with Yankees gamers and empathize, notably with a pitching employees that has been doing “an ideal job.”

“I feel all people that’s performed right here is aware of — it’s slightly bit completely different. The pinstripes are slightly completely different,” stated Pettitte, who retired in 2013. “If you come right here, you must know that and you must count on that and you need to sort of embrace that.”