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02/14/2008 4:00 PM ET
Yanks expect Pettitte to pull through
Teammates hope lefty can block distraction upon reporting
By Dawn Klemish / Special to MLB.com









TAMPA, Fla. -- One of Andy Pettitte's teammates has seen a lot in his 18 seasons, but not enough to be able to predict exactly what Pettitte will face, and how he'll respond, to the stigma surrounding him when he reports to Spring Training on Monday.
One thing he does know is that it's going to be hard.

Mike Mussina has observed firsthand his friend's fiery demeanor on the mound and knows what he's capable of: 15 wins in 2007 alone, Pettitte's 13th season in the Majors. It's the softer, more sensitive side that shows through once he steps off of the field that Mussina is worried about.

"I don't know how he's going to handle it," Mussina said on Thursday, the day Yankees pitchers and catchers -- excluding Pettitte -- reported to Tampa. "It's going to be challenging. He's probably trying to figure out the right way to handle it, how he's going to deal with [talking with the media] way more often than he's accustomed to or what he'd be comfortable with."

But it may be more than just a few uncomfortable questions. Who to be more critical than the masses? Not long ago, offensive signage, chants of "Ster-oids, ster-oids" and needles thrown onto the playing field were just a few of the obstacles Barry Bonds faced when steroid accusations surrounded the former Giants slugger. Mussina witnessed another teammate's similar struggle and shook his head when reminded of opposing fans' taunts.

"It's going to be everywhere," Mussina remembered. "I watched [Jason] Giambi go through it a couple of years ago. It's going to be difficult. Hopefully, [Andy] can find a way to play through it and perform well."

Pettitte received a few extra days to get his mind set after general manager Brian Cashman on Wednesday granted Pettitte's request for a four-day extension due to his recent involvement in Congress' ongoing investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. The 35-year-old southpaw was excused from testifying before Congress on Wednesday, but he earlier admitted to taking human growth hormone in 2002 and again in '04.

"It's pretty serious," Mussina said of the Mitchell Report and ongoing investigation. "There were guys doing the same thing a couple of years ago, but it didn't seem as intense as this was. This is as big of an off-the-field thing as I've seen in a while. It doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon."

Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence against Roger Clemens, the focal point of Congress' interest, was the affidavit in which Pettitte stated that Clemens, once a teammate and a longtime friend, admitted to taking HGH. Clemens refuted the testimony on Wednesday, but the pot had been stirred. Cashman said that Pettitte contacted him on Tuesday night to ask for extra time.

Cashman was cautiously optimistic of Pettitte's ability to hold down his spot in the rotation, but he neglected to say whether he thought Pettitte would accomplish it by Opening Day. There was also mixed speculation that Pettitte -- currently under a one-year, $16 million contract -- may just retire, as he had briefly considered doing last year.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi knows a different side of Pettitte, having served as his catcher from 1996-99. Girardi has spoken with Pettitte throughout the past few weeks and said afterward that he's "not worried" in the least that Pettitte might falter under the adversity.

And who better to know a pitcher than his catcher?

"I've seen Andy go through some difficult times and be able to focus on the task at hand," said Girardi, who made specific mention of the 1998 World Series, when Pettitte held the Padres to five hits in 7 1/3 innings to win Game 4, though he was concerned about the failing health of Pettitte's father.

"I know Andy Pettitte has heart, and I know come April, he'll be ready to go," Girardi said.



Up-and-coming righty Joba Chamberlain has his own battles to fight this spring in terms of earning a spot in the rotation -- or perhaps the bullpen -- but even that didn't stop the 22-year-old -- shortly after reporting to Tampa on Thursday morning -- from following and reflecting on how the hubbub in Washington, D.C., has affected him.

"I understand what that man has done in his career to get to where he's at," Chamberlain said. "You have to look at it like that, but it's going to be a question that's presented to him all season. It's sad to see him go through it, and we all want him to get through it and get back to the way things should be."

A decade-plus of big league experience has taught Pettitte to fight through a lot of things, but, Mussina cautioned, "this is a different animal than anything he's had to deal with before."

"He's been successful his whole career, but this is just a different situation," Mussina said. "Do I think he can deal with it? Sure. But until you're put in this situation and actually have to deal with it, you really don't know."

Dawn Klemish is a contributor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.