I hope WFAN listeners will remember this day

The topic of Yankee pitchers making opposing hitters "too comfortable" has been discussed for several years. One hitter has looked especially comfy. Not today, apparently, with Mr. Pettitte.

• "...in the top of the third, Pettitte backed off David Ortiz with a first-pitch fastball, high and inside. He then struck out Ortiz for the second time in the game.

“There’s no doubt I backed him off,” Pettitte said. “He’s a great hitter. You can’t just lay it over the plate for him to hit it.

• You’ve got to move the ball in and out and hopefully make the hitter feel uncomfortable in the batter’s box. You’ve got to pitch him inside to get the guy out, for sure.”"

From NY Times article by Tyler Kepner, "Yanks Prevail in Spring Training Showdown," 3/18/08

• UPDATE: Hey, The Hartford Courant noticed the same thing I did!:

"After years of Yankees pitchers allowing Ortiz and Manny Ramirez to own the batter's box, the usually genteel Pettitte pushed back."

• 3/18/08 by Jeff Goldberg, "Pettitte Solid, While Colon Struggles as Yankees Beat Red Sox."

• P.S. (Not that Mussina would follow this example, but at least Andy has an idea).

Extra P.S. MLB.com predictably bit a lemon with their article about Andy starting with their headline. MLB.com needs to be closed down in my opinion.

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