Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Andy Pettitte Unretires, Signs One-Year Contract With Yankees
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 16, 2012
Modified Mar 16, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 16, 2012
Modified Mar 16, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
We guess he got the hunger back: 39-year-old pitcher Andy Pettitte ended his retirement today, signing a one-year minor league contract with the Yankees that will pay him $2.5 million.
When Pettitte retired in February 2011, coming off a season in which he had gone 11-3 with a 3.28 earned run average, he said he felt physically fine, "but my heart’s not where it needs to be...It just didn't feel right for me anymore. I didn't have the hunger, the drive I felt like I needed." When Pettitte visited Yankees camp this past February, he further explained his reason for retirement: “I retired after one of my better years. I felt like I was at the point where I just kind of knew what I was doing mechanically out there on the mound and stuff like that. But I retired to go home and be with my family, and that’s why I retired.”
Pettitte, a three time All-Star, has pitched for the Yankees for all but three of his 16 years in the majors; he has a 240-138 record, a 3.88 ERA, and 2,251 strikeouts in his career. He won five championships with the Yankees, and also set a major league record for postseason wins, going 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA. If he wants to start for the Yankees again (and it's hard to imagine he would come back and not want to do so), he'll have some stiff competition for a spot in the rotation, with CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Freddy Gracia and Ivan Nova all on staff.
Tagged
andy pettitte
baseball
retirement
surprise
unretire
Yankees
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE agent fires 7 rounds, shoots man in neck in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
Police say the man arrived at a hospital in stable condition and a 5-year-old boy in his SUV is safe.
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 5:33 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 8, 2026 at 11:48 p.m. ET
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx residents will be exempt from new Medicaid work rule, state officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
MTA chair accuses Andy Byford, who's leading Penn Station rebuild, of going 'full MAGA'
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .