But first…

There is a possibility that Andy Pettitte could pitch for the Yankees in 2009. According to Anthony McCarron in the Daily News:

“That was another reason why it was an extremely, extremely tough decision for me to make,” Pettitte said on a conference call yesterday, his one-year, $16 million deal with the Yankees finalized. “I realize the new park is coming in. I felt like if I made a decision to play this year, it could draw me back for another year.

“It’s definitely in the back of my head. I can say if we get through this year physically fine and my wife and kids thought it would be fine and if the Yankees wanted me back, I can’t say I’d rule it out that I wouldn’t come back and play one more year in the new park.”

Moreover, as Pete Abraham reported on his blog yesterday, Pettitte weighed in on the Johan Santana hub-bub:

“There’s been a lot of speculation that we need a true power arm, an ace,” Pettitte said. “I disagree with that. I think Wang is an absolute stud and he is an ace. I understand he struggled in the postseason this year. That’s going to happen. I’ve struggled like he has and the next year pitched extremely well in the postseason. I’m so high on Wang.

“If you add one of those guys (Santana or Haren), great. They have great arms and are unbelievable pitchers. But to say we need it, that’s hard for me to say. I think we have the talent to contend. Obviously, Boston is extremely tough, they’ve shown themselves to be the team to beat. They’re champs and there are other teams, too. But I think we’ve got the talent to win another championship.”

Elsewhere, with the Giants annoucning an Aaron Rowand deal yesterday, it doesn’t look as if Godziller Matsui is going anywhere…at least, yet.

What’s the Haps?

Like it or not, today will go down as a memorable one in with the Mitchell Report set to be released. Mitchell will give a press conference at 2 p.m. Bud Selig will have one a few hours later, and Don Fehr will hold his own even later still. Some people feel that this mess will rank with the Black Sox scandal. Others, including many sportswriters, are exhausted with the topic, and don’t particularly care. I don’t think this is as catastrophic as a strike, in terms of the public support of the game. I don’t think it will keep heads from going to the ballpark next year, do you?

But I wonder how many fans are waiting on pins and needles for 2 pm? And are people interested simply because it’s December and there isn’t much else to going on? I know that the press can’t contain themselves–it’s been remarkable that there have been no names leaked to this point. I have to admit I’m eager to hear who is named, but it’s in the same guilty-pleasure way that I’d be eager to look at an accident or a clip of Brittany Spears drunk coming out of a club on You Tube. In office buildings across the country, people will gather to hear the news, just like they did with the OJ verdict years ago.

It’s not to say that I’ll feel satisfied that justice was done when the names are released. There will be lots of questions to be answered about how the report was conducted, if it’s legit, or if it is just a dog-and-pony show.

With the first snow storm of the year due to begin later this morning in New York, one thing is for sure: There will certainly be plenty of hot air to keep us all warm for the next couple of days.