The Yankees released statements from team management and current and former players regarding the career and retirement of Andy Pettitte, who will announce his retirement on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at a press conference at Yankee Stadium:
Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner and Yankees General Partner Hank Steinbrenner
"It's been a pleasure to play with Andy for all these years, and the Yankees have been fortunate to have him representing the organization both on and off the field.
"More importantly it's been an honor to get to know him as a person, and I consider him family. I wish for nothing but happiness for him and his family, as I know how important they are to him."
Derek Jeter
"Andy was a great teammate and a wonderful guy. He was a fighter and all about winning, and he was respected by every person in the clubhouse."
Mariano Rivera
"I'm really sad that Andy is going to retire. He was so much more than a teammate to me - he was one of my closest friends. I admire everything that he has accomplished as a Yankee, but Andy was someone who always put the team first. I'm going to miss him deeply."
Jorge Posada
"He is one of the greatest pitchers in Yankees history. Whitey Ford might have more wins as a left hander, but through the seasons we won all those World Series, he was the anchor of our staff every year. Without him we don't win all four World Series.
"Since I've been retired, I'm always asked, 'Who would you have pitch a World Series Game 7?' And I always say, 'Andy Pettitte.' When people ask why, I tell them it was because he was so prepared for every start. When the time comes for a big game, you want a guy who's going to give you seven strong innings. And that's what he did time and time again.
"Andy was one of my favorite teammates in my entire career, and he is a great person off the field. In the clubhouse, he cared about the team winning, and he wasn't interested in his individual stats. No matter how he was feeling he went out there every five days and gave us a chance to win."
Tino Martinez
"Andy took the ball every five days, and if he had it his way, he'd get it more often than that. What's really unusual about him is that a lot of times pitchers are more consumed with themselves. Andy was probably the consummate team player, especially for a pitcher. He was so concerned not only about the day he pitched but he always had his arm around a young guy in between starts.
"He's been a huge favorite of mine because he's such a stand up guy, and he hasn't changed from day one. He's a great teammate, and I think that's why he won so many games. The guys that play behind him understand how intense he is, and it becomes contagious.
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Pinstriped pitching icons
There's no shortage of great Yankees, and pitchers aren't excluded from the pantheon of iconic Bombers. Below you'll find 10 Yankee pitchers - relievers and starters - and we want you to rank the best hurlers from the Bronx. Simply drag the image from the columns on the left to their respective slots on the right.
Whitey Ford
Lefty Gomez
Andy Pettitte
Goose Gossage
Dave Righetti
Red Ruffing
Mariano Rivera
Mel Stottlemyre
Catfish Hunter
Ron Guidry
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