It feels weird briefly agreeing with Mike Lupica.

"Andy Pettitte had all those reasons for leaving the Yankees, or so he said three years ago. Maybe he meant some of the things he said when he left. It was about living in Houston full time, that was a big one. It was about family. Okay. You never fault somebody for that. Now it's not just Pettitte, it's his DAD saying in the Times how happy his grandchildren are, because the kids can stay in the Houston schools they're in even.

They couldn't have done that before?

If Pettitte is such a born Yankee, as Yankee as pinstripes and payroll, then what about all the things he told Astros fans?

What was he just saying because it sounded good at the time, what did he really mean?"

Of course he was saying it just because it sounded good at the time. If you think that kind of garbage sounded good at the time.

I think any grown man who refuses $7.5 mill because the boss didn't call him on the cell phone is pathetic.

I think any grown man who thinks a $39 mill offer is insulting is a sissy.

I never fell for Pettitte's pro-family, pro-Christian line of junk in the first place.


"You know why Derek Jeter is my Sportsman of the Year in New York sports this year? It's not just because of the wonderful season he had. It's because he's not part of the constant chatter. It's because he doesn't talk just to talk, say what he thinks people want him to hear, about A-Rod or anybody else. Some of his own teammates call him a phony. There are plenty of those in this town. Jeter isn't one."

Well, it's nice to know I disagree with Lupica once again.

Jeter has made an art of saying "what he thinks people want him to hear" [sic]. (What people want to hear? What people want him to say?)

But you know why Derek Jeter is the Sportsman of the Year in New York sports? It's 100% because of the wonderful season he had on the field. It's not because of any off-field behavior, even if he had discovered a cure for the common cold.

As long as Pettitte can pitch, he can say any b.s. he wants to the press. It doesn't even bother me too much that he's a liar and a hypocrite. I could not care less. As long as he wins baseball games.

I care even less what his father says to the press.

I care even less than that what grades his kids get on their report cards.