You've heard by now that Andy Pettitte is back with the New York Yankees, having signed a minor-league contract. That's why you're here. I figured this is a good opportunity to reflect on some of the things that Pettitte said when he announced his retirement more than a year ago.
I'll pull from here:
"It just didn't feel right for me anymore. I didn't have the hunger, the drive that I felt like I needed," Pettitte said with his wife, Laura, seated by his side.
"I know that my body would get to where it needs to be, but my heart's not where it needs to be," he said.
He also said that he would sit out for the entire 2011 season, but left open the possibility of returning to the mound in the future.
"I can tell you one thing: I am not going to play this season. I can tell you that 100 percent," he said. "But I guess you can never say never."
Andy Pettitte must have gotten his drive back. The snarky thing to say would be that Pettitte retired in part to spend more time with his family, and now he's grown sick of his family. More fairly, you just can't predict what a little time off might do for the soul. And he was right about that 100 percent, and never saying never.