(Long Island, N.Y.) The 2011 season is only six games old, but there are still questions surrounding the New York Mets’ starting pitching. Maybe they are not the same ones when the team headed north from Spring Training, and only time will tell how it all turns out.

With ace Johan Santana out until at least July while recovering from shoulder surgery, Mike Pelfrey was expected to step up. But the right-hander has been completely ineffective in two starts, owing an 0-1 record and a 15.63 ERA so far. Jonathan Niese hasn’t fared much better, and the young lefty has the same record and a 6.55 ERA.

The middle of the rotation has been the most inspiring throughout the first two series of the young season. R.A. Dickey – last summer’s big surprise – pitched a gem in his first start, throwing six scoreless innings against the Florida Marlins while striking out seven and walking three.

When the Mets signed Chris Young over the winter, they were hoping to get a backend of the rotation guy and crossing their fingers that his fragile body would hold up. But he dominated the Philadelphia Phillies with his arm and bat. The team that many are picking to win it all was no match for Young, who held them to one run on five hits over five and one third innings and added three hits of his own for good measure.

Chris Capuano is the Mets’ fifth starter, but his turn was skipped due to scheduling. The former Brewer had one forgettable relief outing, surrendering a run on three hits and a walk in only two thirds of an inning.

So the Mets prepare for their home opener versus the Washington Nationals a somewhat surprising 3-3. When your number one and two starters are winless, consider yourself lucky to be at the .500 mark. But not everyone sees it that way.

“I was awful,” Pelfrey said to reporters after the 10-7 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday evening. “Any time the team scores seven runs, I’ve got to win. I was bad last week and I was even worse tonight. I let them down again.”

New manager Terry Collins needs to keep his team hanging around until Santana returns and can get himself back into the groove. Dickey and Young cannot be expected to carry the load and Pelfrey needs to settle down and get back to being the double-digit winner and making at least 30 or more starts, as he has in each of the last three seasons.

Always considered an innings eater, Pelfrey also needs to go deeper into the games he is starting as to not expose what is expected to be a mediocre at best bullpen.

As shaky as the rotation is to begin with, having to rely on a 36-year-old knuckleballer who has one true major league season taking the ball every fourth day under his belt (Dickey) and someone who has made a total of 18 starts since the 2008 campaign concluded (Young) puts even more question marks on it.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When opposing managers prepare to face the New York Yankees, a number of names in the lineup jump off the page. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano are perennial All-Stars that have had more than their fair share of big moments but they are far from the only ones in pinstripes who can make the highlight film.

Take Curtis Granderson, for instance. The center fielder came over from the Tigers back in December 2009 in a three-team trade and performed the way he had the previous four seasons in Detroit. He was known as a productive outfielder that led the American League in triples two consecutive seasons (23 in 2007 and 13 in 2008), can hit for power, and has decent speed but also had a knack for the strikeout. He also could handle his position quite well, with his fielding percentage in the high .990s.

Although he missed 26 games with injuries last season, Granderson more or less did the usual in his first go round in the Bronx. He hit 24 home runs, drove in 67 runs and had 17 doubles, seven triples and 12 stolen bases. His average declined for the fourth consecutive year, though, as Granderson hit only .247.

But on Opening Day this past Thursday, Granderson sent the chilled fans home from Yankee Stadium happy when he hit the tiebreaking homerun in the seventh inning of the 6-3 win over his former team.

“The big thing is just getting the first one out of 162,” Granderson said to reporters after the game. “All the firsts are out of the way. I know these guys, I know this city, I know how it is. All of those question marks are gone now.”

While it may be too early for that, it was encouraging on more than one level for Granderson. He suffered a right oblique strain at the end of Spring Training and it was up in the air if he would be ready to go once the team headed north. Granderson not only hit the aforementioned home run, but also made a tremendous diving catch in the first inning, quelling any worries about his condition.

Hitting eighth in the lineup, Granderson is not counted on to be a main cog in the Yanks’ offense. With the speedy Brett Gardner leading off, the infield quartet of Jeter, Teixeira, A-Rod and Cano are the run producers. Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada follow and Russell Martin, the Yankees’ new catcher, rounds out the batting order.

If Granderson can keep doing what he has been able to do, the Bombers’ offense will be a formidable one. Not too many clubs can look that far down the lineup and find a good amount of production. Granderson was expected to do a lot more when he was in Detroit, but the Yankees have more resources than the Tigers.

And those resources have resulted in putting together a stacked team that requires a lot of attention from the opposition, including Granderson.

(Long Island, N.Y.) In less than a week, the New York Mets fixed two leftover mistakes from the Omar Minaya era that set them back years. The fact that it cost them $18 million aside, releasing Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez gave new meaning to the saying, ‘addition by subtraction.’

There was no way that the team would have headed north with either one or both of the dismal duo and even a decent performance during Spring Training by Castillo wasn’t enough to erase the bad memories. Heading into camp, new manager Terry Collins said that second base was an open competition between the incumbent Castillo and a list that seemed to include anyone who ever played an inning at the position.

Although he outhit the rest of the unimpressive bunch, Castillo was given his walking papers last week and was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. Before anyone begins to question the move, they are only paying him the league minimum and the Mets are on the hook for over $5 million.

Collins bent over backwards for Perez, first giving him a shot at a spot in the starting rotation and then as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen. The erratic southpaw took a pounding in both roles and was shown the door three days after Castillo. It remains to be seen who – if anyone – will give him another shot.

Both moves were inevitable and should have been made during the offseason. The organization held on to a futile hope that any measure of success in the Grapefruit League would have made them marketable, but that was an unlikely scenario. New general manager Sandy Alderson was able to convince ownership that it was worth the money to cut them, even in their current financial situation.

In the case of Perez, he will receive $12 million in the last installment of the three-year, $36 million contract that Minaya signed him to prior to the 2009 season. Acquired as a throw-in in a 2006 trade with Pittsburgh, Perez pitched fairly well for the Mets but certainly not enough to command a big money deal.

In two full seasons in New York, Perez won 15 and 10 games, respectively. Always considered wild, Perez gave 105 batters a free pass in his walk year (no pun intended). He led the league in that dubious category and that apparently meant nothing to Minaya.

Since then, he went a combined 3-9 with a 6.81 ERA. What made it even harder to swallow is that Perez turned down Minaya’s first offer of three years at $30 million. The former GM outbid himself when he upped it another six million and Perez was all too happy to come back to Flushing.

Although the money the team will eat from Castillo’s contract is half of Perez’s amount, it will still be tough to swallow. When the Mets acquired him from Minnesota at the trading deadline in 2007, Castillo was already a banged up 32-year-old that went from leading the league five years earlier in steals with 48 to managing only nine at that point. (He finished with 19 steals total that season.) Regardless, Minaya felt compelled to sign him to a four-year, $24 million deal.

Unfortunately, the misfortune of the Mets was pointed at him a great deal because of frequent injuries and inconsistent play. This happened even when he was performing better. Take 2009, for instance. Castillo was fairly healthy and played in 142 games, had 20 steals and hit over .300. But he will be remembered for dropping a pop-up at Yankee Stadium and giving away what would have been a Subway Series victory.

It may have been an expensive spring for a team that cannot afford any more financial troubles, but it was well spent to wash away the bad memories and stigma that Castillo and Perez carried into the clubhouse.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Sundays are tough enough to get through once the football season ends. The latter part of the weekend up until Monday night takes a serious nosedive following the Super Bowl, so pigskin fans don’t even want to think about a potential NFL lockout.

It’s even hard getting pumped up for the upcoming draft next month with so many questions remaining. Talk about putting a damper on the gala annual event taking place over four days at Radio City Music Hall.

After what seemed like forever, negotiations broke down between the league, owners and players union. Roger Goodell commented, “We had 17 days of mediation (in Washington, DC),” the commissioner said. “We worked hard. We didn’t reach an agreement obviously. As you know, the union walked away from the mediation process (on 3/11/11) to decertify. We do believe that mediation is the fairest and fastest way to reach an agreement that works for the players and for the clubs. And we believe that ultimately this is going to be negotiated at the negotiating table.”

“They decided to pursue another strategy and that is their choice,” continued Goodell. “But we will be prepared to negotiate an agreement and get something done that is fair to the players and fair to the clubs.”

So much of the business side of sports can be quite dull and the behind-the-scenes negotiations that took place in the nation’s capital would bore the average fan to sleep. But the meat and potatoes of the talks have to do with money, of course.

With that said, perhaps the most interesting aspect of the talks is the proposed 18-game regular season schedule. The owners want it because it will generate more revenue in terms of ticket sales and television contracts. The players want to avoid that because it will result in more injuries. The owners have said that they will reduce the preseason schedule from four games to two to compensate, but the player’s union knows that the majority of starters (and players who will make the final roster) barely break a sweat during exhibition games before bowing out to the fourth stringers who will be packing their lockers up before Labor Day.

Getting back to the bargaining table is a must and hopefully a break like this will help cooler heads prevail. No one wants a lockout and strike, players and owners alike. All will lose money and the first work stoppage since 1987 is something we all want to avoid. Don’t worry about scab games, though. The NFL has already stated that replacement players will not be signed if the NFL Player’s Union strikes.

Getting back to the bargaining table is a must and hopefully a break like this will help cooler heads prevail. No one wants a lockout and strike, players and owners alike. All will lose money and the first work stoppage since 1987 is something we all want to avoid. Don’t worry about scab games, though. The NFL has already stated that replacement players will not be signed if the NFL Player’s Union strikes.

Hopefully this can get rectified before training camps are scheduled to open during the summer. It will be bad enough not being able to follow free agency, roster moves, OTA’s and mini camps. Picture having the warm weather begin to leave and not having any NFL action to make the transition easier?

The cooler weather will sneak up on us, the leaves will be on the floor and we’ll have no excuse to leave them there because 10 hours of football will not await us every Sunday. The average man cannot handle that, so get this thing worked out.

(Long Island, N.Y.) The Atlantic League is symbolic of a revolving door when it comes to the rosters. Players come and go on a regular basis throughout the season and it is somewhat of a rarity when one wears the same jersey for six consecutive seasons.

That will be the case in 2011 when the Long Island Ducks re-signed infielder/outfielder Ray Navarrete, the all-time franchise leader in three offensive categories. The 32-year-old has also been named to the All-Star team in each of the past four seasons and won the Atlantic League Most Valuable Player Award in 2009.

“It’s exciting to bring back such a polished player,” said Ducks president/general manager Michael Pfaff. “Ray is a terrific player who makes us better on and off the field.”

Back in 2000, the Seton Hall product was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates but didn’t enjoy success right away. He played in the Bucs’ farm system for five seasons and moved up as far as Double-A. In 2005, Navarrete moved on to the Houston Astros’ organization before signing with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League. A year later, he began his time on Long Island before the New York Mets gave him a shot. He did not hit very well at either Double-A Binghamton or Triple-A Norfolk and found himself back with the Ducks in 2007.

Navarrete had a breakout year by hitting .307 with 42 doubles and18 home runs and was voted to the All-Star team. He returned to the Ducks in 2008 and once again shined with another All-Star nod, a .307 batting average and high production (36 doubles, 27 home runs, 103 RBI).

The Teaneck, New Jersey native took it up a notch the following year by batting over .300 once again (.309) and added 39 two-base hits, 25 long balls and drove in 96 runners. Navarrete was honored with not only another All-Star naming, but also the league MVP.

“We’re very happy for Ray and proud of his accomplishments,” Ducks CEO/principal owner Frank Boulton said at the time. “Ray has been our MVP for several years and now he is the leagues. This is a well-deserved honor.”

Last summer, he hit .275 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs and 54 RBI in only 86 games, fighting injuries at the start of the campaign. Even with the lower than average numbers, Navarrete added to his already leading statistics as the Ducks’ top producer in home runs, doubles and RBI’s.

By bringing Navarrete back, the Ducks have given former coach and first year manager Kevin Baez a veteran leader in more ways than one. Pfaff is still putting the final touches on the team roster, but this was an important move that made perfect sense.

The clubhouse door may swing open and closed an awful lot around the independent minor leagues in baseball, but fortunately for the fans, at least Navarrete has found a home in Central Islip.

(Long Island, N.Y.) New York’s ‘Golden Era’ of baseball was accentuated with the centerfielders of each of New York’s three teams, a trio made famous in a catchy song many years later. Willie, Mickey and The Duke are all Hall of Famers and need no introduction to anyone, especially around this part of the country. All made a great impact with their teams and on the game itself, so losing another one is a difficult subtraction, indeed.

Edwin Donald “Duke” Snider passed away on Sunday at the age of 84 and his life may have been summed up best in one sentence by Tommy Lasorda.

“He was born a Dodger and he died a Dodger,” the former Los Angeles manager said on WFAN radio. Lasorda was also a teammate of Snider’s and was very close with him for decades.

Known affectionately as ‘The Duke of Flatbush,’ Snider began his major league career in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers; the same season that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Snider really hit his stride in the 1950s, when he hit 40 or more home runs in five consecutive seasons (1953-57). Snider also was the first player to hit four homers in two different World Series, 1952 and 1955, with the latter being the only championship won in Brooklyn.

“Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend, even though he was a Dodger,” said Mays, the last living member of that famous trio. “It was great playing centerfield in New York in the 1950s, along with Mickey (Mantle) and Duke. I have wonderful memories of that. Duke and I played on some All-Star teams together and even on the same Giants team the last year he played (1964).

“Today, I feel that I have lost a dear friend,” concluded Mays. “He was a hero to the fans in Brooklyn and a great Dodger.”

That last part is an understatement. Snider is still and always will be considered royalty in the Borough of Churches. On a team that was full of likeable players, Snider’s smile always seemed to shine the brightest.

“Everyone loved The Duke,” said Jimmy, 81, a lifelong Brooklyn resident who grew up a stone’s throw from Ebbett’s Field. “He was so special to the fans and we’ll all miss him greatly.”

Snider moved to Los Angeles with the rest of the Dodgers in 1958 after team owner Walter O’Malley did the unthinkable yet obvious. He played five seasons on the west coast before having his contract sold to the Mets, then in their second year of existence.

A little slower and grayer, The Duke returned to the Big Apple and needed to learn to call the Polo Grounds – and its expansive outfield – home. The New York Giants’ former ballpark was never a favorite of Snyder’s and still wasn’t, even with the fans now cheering for him.

A year later, Snyder returned to California when the San Francisco Giants purchased his contract. Not exactly the way he wanted to finish his career, playing for his long-time rival, but nothing could take away from what Snyder had already accomplished.

With his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, Snyder cemented his legacy. That is one thing that will never change – on the east coast or west.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Although it seemed like an inevitable move for a long time, the New York Islanders admitting that the Rick DiPietro contract was a huge mistake still stings. The face of the franchise for a number of years and the team’s most popular jersey amongst their fan base has been an afterthought, but there was always that outside chance that he would stay healthy and recapture some of the glory that made him a one-time star in this town.

With DiPietro being placed on waivers this past week that is extremely improbable now. But because he cleared and accepted a demotion to AHL Bridgeport, it is the longest of long shots but not totally impossible. But did he bring this upon himself?

Being selected first overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, DiPietro was looked at as the savior for a franchise that had fallen on hard times since the four consecutive Stanley Cup dynasty from the early 1980s became a distant memory.

Early on, it seemed that the organization had made the right choice by tabbing the American-born goaltender and trading Roberto Luongo. ‘DP’ was playing well and even started for the United States national hockey team in the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics. All of this prompted Islanders team owner Charles Wang to sign him to an unprecedented 15-year, $67.5 million contract extension, which in retrospect became the death-knell of both men.

Any athlete can run into a streak of bad luck injuries, but it’s amazingly coincidental that DiPietro began to break down right after that. It became a laundry list of the worst kind and worthy of head shaking when looking it over:

• *2006-07 (62 games played) – concussion (missed 7 games)

• *2007-08 (63 games played) – returned from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. Left knee sprain (missed 3 games). Injured his hip during the NHL All-Star Game’s skills competition, requiring surgery (missed last 9 games).

• *2008-09 (5 games played) – returned from offseason surgery on his left knee. Played one period and had to then undergo a second knee surgery (missed 27 games). Was with the team for approximately one month before packing it in with swelling in his knee (missed the last 41 games).

• *2009-10 (8 games played) – underwent offseason knee surgery (missed the first 27 games). Played through pain but was shut down during the last month of the season due to knee swelling (missed 12 games).

• *2010-11 (26 games played) – played at the start of the season but was placed on injured reserve in December with a swollen knee. Returned shortly thereafter but injured his groin before returning. In February, he was involved in an on-ice brawl and received facial fractures and knee swelling resulting from a fight with Pittsburgh goaltender Brent Johnson (missed 20 games).

• *2011-12 (8 games played) – suffered a concussion during practice (missed 3 games). Injured his groin in November and underwent surgery for a related hernia, missing the rest of the season.

• *2012-13 (3 games played) – was placed on waivers and sent to AHL Bridgeport.

So now DiPietro – with eight years remaining on his contract – will try to clear his head and resurrect his career as a member of the Sound Tigers. With only 47 games played in the last five seasons, he will hardly be missed at the Nassau Coliseum, but there will always be questions if DiPietro kept himself in good condition after receiving the longest contract in Islanders’ history.

Sooner or later, one has to figure that bad luck will turn the other way. But if he did not get himself prepared physically to play in the NHL – especially at an expected high level – then it is certainly possible that DiPietro brought this upon himself.

(Long Island, N.Y.) It may have been just a win against a sub-.500 opponent the first game following the All-Star break, but the New York Knicks’ 114-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks was obviously much more than that. It was a party for the entire city held at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Carmelo Anthony was the star of the show and led the way in his inaugural game in blue and orange with a double-double (27 points and 10 rebounds). The former Denver Nugget was only 10-for-25 from the field, but found his touch when it was needed most with 11 fourth quarter points.

It has been some time since Madison Square Garden has felt that kind of energy, but it came as no surprise once Donnie Walsh officially gutted the roster and obtained the scoring star. “At 26 years old, Carmelo is in the prime of his NBA career having already established himself as one of the game’s elite players and the opportunity to add him to our roster was one we could not pass up,” the team president said. “I feel we now have a great frontcourt tandem in Amar’e (Stoudemire) and Carmelo and this is an exciting day for the New York Knicks and all our fans.”

“It is extremely difficult to trade away players, but we feel like the team is in better position to win and we have excellent players to build around for years to come.”

Walsh was obviously not referring to Eddy Curry, the last piece of the Isiah Thomas regime. He was part of the three-team, 13-player deal that was pulled off after months of speculation. (The Minnesota Timberwolves were the other team involved.)

A nice collection of role players needed to be moved to get this trade done, but the Knicks were able to hang onto Landry Fields, the rookie guard who is having a very impressive season. Saying goodbye to Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Tomifey Mosgov and Anthony Randolph may not be easy, but they will never be confused as superstars.

NBA trades are very complicated for teams to fit the incoming contracts under the salary cap, so multiple players find themselves on the move at one time. The Knicks also acquired Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman, Corey Brewer and Shelden Williams and will still have some wiggle room come the summer to add another player of merit.

But the man of the hour is Anthony, and his new head coach understands right off the bat how much of an impact an addition like that can mean down the road. “Carmelo is one of the top pure scorers in the league and like Amar’e, I believe he will really embrace the opportunity to play back home in New York and help us continue our goal of building towards a championship,” Mike D’Antoni said of the Brooklyn native. “Chauncey is a winner and having a veteran point guard of his caliber will be extremely valuable in helping us win games, especially in the playoffs.”

Currently the sixth seed in the weak Eastern Conference, the Knicks appear headed to the postseason after a long drought. Although they may have still qualified without making this trade, any talk of a championship would be a ways away. But now this is a team that must be taken seriously.

And it all began with a close win versus a lesser opponent in a mid-season game.

(Long Island, N.Y.)It has been quite some time since the New York Knicks have felt comfortable in the standings, especially at this juncture of the season. They have been holding the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and have been able to hold off a recent surge by the Philadelphia 76ers, who are now two games back.

But this shouldn’t give anyone at Madison Square Garden a sense of security. Quite the contrary, it has more to do with the conference itself being one that is far from deep rather than the Knicks being a powerhouse. At 28-26, they would be in 10th place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

So even though things are a heck of a lot better now than they have been, the Knicks are far from a position to rest on their laurels. Team president Donnie Walsh has done an admirable job in cleansing the roster of the overpaid and underperforming (except for center Eddy Curry, who cannot even be given away) and adding some punch in forward Amare Stoudemire and guard Raymond Felton, but he has yet to make ‘the’ big move.

Residents of Gotham had expected that to come last July when LeBron James was on the open market, but we all recall how that turned out. Seven months later, Walsh has a second chance.

Carmelo Anthony wants to be a Knick and the Denver Nuggets seem inclined to trade him before he walks, so why aren’t Modell’s windows full of blue and orange number 15 jerseys yet? With the NBA trade deadline coming up on February 24th, the entire league expects the superstar to be moved. The question is if the Knicks will be the one or not.

There have been other teams mentioned, such as the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, but Anthony has appeared New York-bound for the most part. In a perfect world, Walsh can simply wait until the summer and hope that ‘Melo will sign on the dotted line when he is a free agent and he wouldn’t have to give up players and future draft picks, but that may be too big of a chance to take.

The Nuggets have reportedly asked for a first round draft pick, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and possibly rookies Landry Fields and Timofey Mozgov. Obviously Walsh will have to bring them back to reality and slim down the package, but parting with a Gallinari or Chandler should not hold this trade up.

The seven-year pro out of Syracuse has a career average of 24.8 points per game and has played in three NBA All-Star games. He is a bona-fide star and can make a huge difference on a team that already has Stoudemire in place.

For years, Patrick Ewing was the only member of the Knicks’ roster who could win a game by himself. Players such as John Starks, Charles Oakley and Allan Houston were excellent in their own way, but were unable to help the Knicks’ captain in bringing a championship back here.

Stoudemire may be headed for the same fate, but adding Anthony to the mix does more in half a season than Ewing had in 15. Two go-to guys to lead this team deep into the playoffs and more.

Right now, the Knicks will be gone after the first round of the postseason, and even the staunchest of fans will have a hard time arguing that. Guys like Chandler and Fields are even less talented than Starks and Houston and are certainly replaceable.

But another 15 years without a title is not.

(Long Island, N.Y.)Heading into the off-season, the New York Yankees knew that they needed to upgrade their starting pitching. General manager Brian Cashman had his sights set on Cliff Lee, the lefthander who was the ace of the team that ousted the Bronx Bombers.

The Texas Rangers made Lee a nice offer, but it didn’t come close to the money the Yankees were waving at him. Just as soon as it appeared that Lee was packing for the Big Apple, the Philadelphia Phillies came in and swooped him up, bringing him back to the City of Brotherly Love to form the strongest rotation in the majors.

Even if Lee had signed here, Cashman intended all along to bring back Andy Pettitte. The veteran lefty was contemplating retirement but had done so in the past and still found himself in Tampa come the spring. But the 38-year-old Texan decided to hang ’em up after 16 seasons.

“My arm feels great,” Pettitte said at a recent press conference held at Yankee Stadium. “My body feels great. I know that my body would get where it needs to be, but my heart is not where it needs to be. I just feel like if I have any kind of hesitation on doing this, my heart is not fully completely sold out to do this again.”

In his first go-round in New York, Pettitte was a steady member of the rotation and had double-digit wins every year in pinstripes (1995 – 2003). He then signed with the Houston Astros as a free agent and won 17, 14 and 15 games in the three full seasons he pitched in his home state. (Pettitte went 6-4 in an injury shortened 2004.)

In 2007, the Yankees welcomed Pettitte back with open arms and he picked up right where he left off, winning 54 games the last four years. “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,” said Yankee captain Derek Jeter. “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.”

Perhaps Pettitte’s greatest contribution was his ability to come up big in the postseason. For his career, he went 19-10 with a 3.83 ERA when it mattered most. In the Yankees’ last championship season in 2009, Pettitte went 2-0 in the World Series (4-0 overall in the postseason) against Philadelphia. He had an uncanny ability of pitching well when the team needed it most in October.

“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,'” said former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez. “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.”

Losing Lee was one thing, but coupling that with Pettitte’s retirement may be too big a blow for even the Yankees to overcome.