Alex Rodriguez just laughed it off, but the chin music was loud and clear: Don’t gawk at your moon shots with Andy Pettitte on the hill.
Pettitte is back in uniform after taking the 2011 season off to sample the retirement life. He recently signed a non-guaranteed, one year contract to compete for a rotation spot this spring. What Pettitte will bring to the mound in 2012 remains to be seen, but his competitive nature remains firmly intact as demonstrated yesterday afternoon.
Throwing BP to build his arm strength, he didn’t take it kindly when A-Rod leered at a moon shot he launched off of what Pettitte described as “a batting practice fastball, at best.”
“He hit it well, so good for him,” Pettitte recalled. “Then he pulled an Ortiz, so I gave him a closer look at the next pitch.”
A-Rod’s version of events was all smiles.
“I love Andy, man. He’s a winner. He threw some light cheese and I took a big bite,” said Rodriguez. “Then I threw some ham on it, and he set me straight. That cutter is nasty when he works it up and in.”
“The thing about the cutter is, it can get you anywhere. The on-deck circle, during warm-ups, even in the shower. You just never know,” Pettitte said.
