For a moment, it looked like the Daily News had a bona fide Andy Pettitte update — the kind a certain other paper couldn’t even get by showing up in Texas and asking the pajama-clad lefty about his future, right there on his front porch. Speaking from the owners’ meetings in Arizona, Cashman said that “I don’t think he’s determined if he’s officially finished or not, but he’s chosen at this stage at least not to start in 2011.” Finally, some real news, right? Well, no. Turns out, it was just a false alarm.
On Wednesday night, General Manager Brian Cashman stressed that he simply used “a poor choice of words” when he told the Daily News that Pettitte has “chosen at this stage at least not to start in 2011.”
This set off a brush fire that Cashman was eager to snuff out. Basically, Cashman said, “it’s a misunderstanding.” Cashman said he meant to use the word play or pitch; but he used the word start, which was taken to mean “begin the season.”
So, nothing has changed. The Yankees are still waiting for an official decision from Pettitte, who’s thus far only told them not to count on him to pitch in 2011. And so, we continue to wait. Pitchers and catchers, by the way, are just 32 days away.
Brian Cashman says Yankees still unclear on whether Andy Pettitte will retire or return to Bombers [NYDN]
Cashman: Status Quo on Pettitte [Bats/NYT]