Like Red, I am not ready for an off-season involving the number 27 and herds of bandwagon Yankee fans. So I cling to the faith that I generally save only for the Red Sox. And the blissful memories of the 2004 ALCS fuel that faith.
Some Pettitte stats that give us hope (from Newsday.com):
Pettitte is 37 now, and he hasn’t pitched on short rest since 2006, when he was an Astro. His record on three days’ rest is an uninspiring 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA.
And for all the well-deserved respect Pettitte gets for his postseason track record, the World Series has never really been his thing. As a Yankee, his playoff record is 12-4 with a 3.73 ERA. In the World Series, he is a .500 pitcher, 4-4, with a 4.00 ERA.
By the way, Tim McCarver: Suck it.
