I had a chance to tune into Yankee pitcher Andy Pettite’s press conference today. I don’t want to over-analyze a situation which appears to be slowing in the wake of last week’s congressional hearings (until an indictment is handed down), but Pettite’s position is worth looking at.
MLB clubhouses are notorious for having a “closed-door” policy when it comes to sharing information with outsiders. I was very interested to see how Pettite would handle this issue with the media after testifying against a friend and teammate. There were several ways this could have gone.
Pettite could have refused to answer questions or focused on legitimate legal reasons for which he was forced to testify. He did neither. What took place instead was a refreshingly candid conversation about personal character and substance use. Among all of the suspect denials that have taken place following the Mitchell report, Andy Pettite has emerged as a man of principle.
The overriding theme of the press conference was simple. Pettite did the right thing.
For all of the lying, tape recorded conversations, and “he said-he said” back and forthism, I have to think that Pettite is the big winner in all of this. His position is a solidly defensible one. No one can justifiably condemn a man for holding to values and honesty. As baseball appears to be falling apart, one thing has become crystal clear.
America can be proud of Andy Pettite.
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