The Fan's Opinion on a Couple of Debates

Andy Pettitte is being "squeezed" by the Yankees after they "only" offered him a one year contract at $10 million, or $6 million less than they paid him last year. Pettitte has turned down the offer according to recent reports.

Are the Yankees squeezing Pettitte because of their recent free agent acquisitions? The Fan doesn't think so. $10 million is a lot of money--in this economy especially--for a lower to bottom of the rotation starter. The Yankees paid him generously last year for what they received in return. Pettitte was just average in every way...a .500 pitcher with a mid 4 ERA. Pettitte isn't the same pitcher he was six years ago and won't be again as he is in the later stages of his career.

The Yankees owe him some love and loyalty after all he's done for them. Oh really? It seems that Pettitte is the one who broke that loyalty first by going to Houston as a free agent. It was a total shock at the time to the Yankees. Despite that, the team brought him back, paid him well and when the HGH allegation and his admission followed, the team supported him. Seems like a squared deal from this perch.

The Yankees/Pettitte relationship is not dead yet, and perhaps the Yankees will sweeten the deal a little and perhaps Pettitte will reconsider, retire or sign with another team (the Dodgers perhaps?). But based on performance, the Yankees offer is fair and Pettitte should take it.


Lee Smith does not belong in the Hall of Fame because Saves are an overrated statistic? Let's debate the save issue first. Is the Save a valid or stupid statistic? While it remains too easy to get a save (a three run lead or less, etc.), and others maintain that the odds of winning the game regardless of who is pitching when a team leads in the ninth inning, those who argue against the merit of a Save statistic have never been Mets fans. It may be "easy" to get a Save and it may be easy to compile Saves, but not everyone can do it and when it can't be done successfully, it sure hurts a team.

Did you know that Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage blew more saves in their career than Lee Smith? Did you know that Lee Smith averaged over 30 saves for fifteen years? Did you know that there are only four pitchers who have more than 400 career saves and Smith is one of them? Did you know that Lee Smith gave up less career homers than Trevor Hoffman yet pitched three more years than Hoffman currently has? Did you know that Smith's lifetime ERA compares favorably with Gossage (3.03 compared to 3.01)?

Lee Smith should be in the Hall of Fame and though Bruce Sutter made it in the Hall of Fame and shouldn't have, that is no reason to punish Lee Smith, who, by numbers alone, deserves a place next to Gossage. And the argument will be the same for Rivera, Hoffman and John Franco when their times comes.