The Premier Postseason Pitcher Who Isn't.

What have I heard or read in the past week regarding Andy Pettitte?

-- The Yankees traded Andy Pettitte.

-- Dan Graziano, a man who is paid money to comment on baseball, incorrectly claims that the Yankees didn't match the Astros' offer.

-- Mike Lupica claiming that Pettitte is the pitcher's version of Derek Jeter and Steinbrenner ought to cry every time Pettitte wins a big game for another team.

-- The announcers on Fox last night describing Pettitte as one of the "premier postseason pitchers of his era."

-- This guy sums up the idiocy pretty well, going into the Wayback Machine and blaming Steinbrenner for the '05 ALDS loss, instead of anybody on the current roster, because Steinbrenner didn't sign Pettitte after the '03 season:

"The Yankees failed to offer Pettitte a contract extension, then low-balled him over concerns with his elbow, and ultimately lost him when he signed a three-year, $31.5-million deal with Houston. Here's what they let go: a left-handed pitcher with a 14-8 record in the postseason, the second-most playoff wins in baseball history."

Funny interpretation right there. In fact, the Yankees offered Pettitte three-year, $39 million, which hardly sounds like a low-ball offer. It's more than the Astros offered, though the differences are less pronounced when state taxes are taken into account.

While Pettitte has the second-most playoff wins in baseball history, he also has the third-most losses in baseball history. This while being surrounded by some of the most successful playoff teams in baseball history (i.e., the '96 - '00 Yankees).

Why did Pettitte leave the Yankees? Maybe he felt disrespected, maybe he wanted to go to Houston with Clemens, maybe he hated playing in NY. It's his right to do what he wants. It's the American Way. Far be it for a Yankee fan to hassle a baseball player for jumping ship and playing for another team.

But let's not lie about the Yankee cash money offer and let's not lie about Pettitte's postseason record.

Andrew Eugene is now 14-9 in the postseason with an ERA over 4.00. Pretty good postseason numbers, no doubt. However, his postseason winning% and ERA are noticeably worse than his regular season numbers.

Clowns like Lupica gloat excessively every time Pettitte wins a game. They try to rub Steinbrenner's nose in it. But don't expect a Lupica column after Pettitte's postseason tank job last night. Lupica is an intellectual coward.