1. Bernie Williams walking in late, and Pettitte calling him on it.
2. Jon Heyman’s sweater (screencap via @jaydestro):
Pettitte said “never say never” about pitching again at some point in the future, but that he does not expect to and definitely won’t this year. So that’s probably that. As usual, he was aw-shucks and earnest during the conference; he said he feels good physically, but his heart’s just not in gearing up to play. Vaya con dios, Andy.
Heyman looks like he came from one of those studios where they digitize your movements and use them to animate some CGI creature.
Melancholy mood here. Wishing Andy happiness in life. I hope he shows up at the stadium for Old Timers Days and the occasional first pitch duties. The cheers will be loud, long, and heartfelt.
Thanks for everything ya big lug.
Hard to imagine anything but enormous goodwill both ways between Yankees and Andy, as to Old Timers and such. He leaves on a very high note of skill, no bitterness anywhere, he didn't 'Favre' them, and they offered very considerable money to keep him on the field. No lowball there.
I tend to agree that by not shooting for two more solid years (30 wins?) he probably missed on the HoF. I don't think he's the type to lose sleep over that.
I am glum about the starters, as everyone is, but am trying for a bright side: remember when we were all kind of excited to see if Phil, Joba, Kennedy would arrive, give us youngsters to cheer for? Yanks are an old team with 4-5 young pitchers (not even counting Hughes and Joba any more, though they are VERY young) to wish good things for and about.
If June comes around and we are scuffling on the mound, we are deep enough to try to adjust. A reality of being Yankees.
I'm with bp above ... a fan's thanks to Andy. Best memory? 1-0 over Smoltz. Hands-down. And the 6th inning throw to 3rd base as the sub-memory of that.
Yeah, it was great to see Bernie there. He says he may get around to having one of these retirement press shindigs at some point.
http://tinyurl.com/4luo82f
Talk about strolling in late. People have started and finished college since Bernie's last MLB at-bat.
Andy did a great job up there today. Way to walk away with your head held high, dude.
Now, bring on the new kids in the Bronx!
In the photo above, Cone appears surprised to be talking to a hologram from the Reagan administration. Did he, at some point, demonstrate to the YES audience that he could actually put his hand through Heyman's Cosby sweater?