Andy Pettitte to Announce Retirement Friday

According to a unnamed source in New York, after months of teetering back and forth, Andy Pettitte will officially announce his retirement on Friday. This is fantastic news for Boston Red Sox fans, because it immediately removes an option in the starting rotation for the New York Yankees in 2011. Even at age 38, Pettitte is a force to be reckoned with, and being a difficult lefty, he would have given the lefty-heavy Red Sox lineup fits this season. Throughout his career, Pettitte consistently pitched at a high level, winning 11+ games in 15 of his 16 major league seasons, with a solid 3.88 era. He walks away from the game having started 479 games, and holding an impressive 240-138 record with over 3,000 innings pitched. Even though Brian Cashman has been building the Yankees club expecting Pettitte to retire, deep down he hoped he would return. This is a blow to the Yanks chances in 2011. 840 days