Yankees on the 2020 BBWAA HoF Ballot - 90's Dynasty Stars
Just before Thanksgiving the National Baseball Hall of Fame released the official 2020 BBWAA ballot. Of the 32 former players included, 11 of them spent at least one season with the Yankees during their career. In advance of the election, we'll dig into the Hall of Fame case for each former Yankee to see where they stand. As always, a player needs at least 75% of the electorate - should be 412 writers this year - to vote for them in order to gain election.
In our first pass here, we'll review the credentials of three players that played huge roles in the Yankees dynasty of the late 1990's. Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, and Andy Pettitte each have strong arguments for and in some cases against them when it comes to their Hall of Fame candidacy. However, it's likely that just one of the three will be giving a speech this July in Cooperstown.
As was done on the post detailing the 2020 Modern Baseball Era ballot, the JAWS (Jaffe Average WAR Score, developed by Jay Jaffe) value for the player is given in addition to the the average Hall of Famer's JAWS at the player's position. JAWS is a Hall of Fame rating system based on WAR that incorporates both career and peak value. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here.
Like his good friend and teammate Roger Clemens, Pettitte was named in the Mitchell Report as having used HGH (human growth hormone) multiple times illegally in 2002. The source of the information was Brian McNamee - Clemens' trainer - and Pettitte readily admitted to using HGH twice in order to expedite his recovery from an elbow injury while denying any further use. This was a far cry from Clemens' take on the matter.
A few months after the Mitchell Report was released, it was revealed that during a court hearing that went public Pettitte had also admitted to further HGH use in 2004 when his father was prescribed it for a serious illness. He also described Clemens as detailing his steroid use to him in the late 1990's, just as McNamee had done in the Mitchell Report.
It would have been nice if Pettitte had revealed this additional use during his first admission of guilt for the 2002 evidence. The fact that he didn't made it reasonable to question anything he was saying as fact, but when he reported to spring training in 2008, he came clean on everything and offered heartfelt apologies to his teammates, fans and family.
It was refreshing that Pettitte eventually was honest and forthcoming about his transgressions. It wasn't a popular tactic among those found guilty of steroid use at the time and cost him his friendship with Clemens. Still, he hasn't scored any points with the BBWAA as a result. In his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot last year he received only about 10% of the vote and that number is looking like it won't increase by much this year. If HGH use was not a part of his past, those numbers certainly would have been higher.
What seems likely for Pettitte is that he'll remain in Hall of Fame purgatory at the hands of the BBWAA. That means a 10-year stay on the ballot where he won't get particularly close to a plaque in Cooperstown. By the end of that run, however, the stance on steroid use in baseball may have softened quite a bit. If so, it wouldn't be surprising to see a special veterans committee elect Pettitte somewhere down the line. Given his contrite apologies regarding his HGH use, he'd be far from the worst character in baseball to be enshrined.
As a starting pitcher in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Andy Pettitte can be found there.
In our first pass here, we'll review the credentials of three players that played huge roles in the Yankees dynasty of the late 1990's. Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, and Andy Pettitte each have strong arguments for and in some cases against them when it comes to their Hall of Fame candidacy. However, it's likely that just one of the three will be giving a speech this July in Cooperstown.
As was done on the post detailing the 2020 Modern Baseball Era ballot, the JAWS (Jaffe Average WAR Score, developed by Jay Jaffe) value for the player is given in addition to the the average Hall of Famer's JAWS at the player's position. JAWS is a Hall of Fame rating system based on WAR that incorporates both career and peak value. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here.
Roger Clemens - Pitcher, JAWS: 102.5, HoF JAWS: 61.5
If pitchers are to be judged based solely on what they accomplished on the mound, Roger Clemens is undoubtedly one of the greatest all-time. Pitching in an era that became progressively more advantageous for hitters, he remained a dominant force past age 40. The questionable method by which he was able to accomplish such a feat will forever put a dent in his legacy and makes his Hall of Fame case a complicated one.
Clemens was a hometown hero at the University of Texas and was drafted by the Red Sox in 1983. He made his major league debut a year later and by 1986 he was named both the Cy Young Award winner and MVP of the American League. At 23 years old, he was just getting started.
From 1986 through 1992 Clemens' numbers - standard or advanced - are staggering. Across those seven seasons his average year included 19 wins, 239 strikeouts, and a 2.66 ERA which was good for a 160 ERA+. With uncommon control for a power pitcher, he added two more Cy Young Awards and totaled 58.1 WAR during this period. That total alone would surpass the career marks of Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford, and Catfish Hunter, among others.
Clemens' production tapered off a bit over the next three years as his relationship with the Red Sox began to deteriorate. In 1996 he had what seemed on the surface a sub-par season as his record sat at just 10-13. However, his 7.7 WAR - second best among AL pitchers - indicates that he was a victim of circumstance. A free agent at season's end, the Red Sox chose not to re-sign the 34-year old Clemens coming off a losing season when he had a standing offer of four years and $40 million from the Toronto Blue Jays.
With the Blue Jays Clemens was more dominant than ever. In 1997 and 1998 he won the AL Triple Crown by leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He also earned back to back Cy Young Awards, the fourth and fifth of his career. At 36 years old he could stake a claim to being the greatest pitcher of all-time and was still going strong. Yet something was missing from his eye-popping credentials.
To this point in his career, Clemens' teams had made the playoffs four times, but never won the World Series. Clemens himself was conspicuously underwhelming during these series with just one win in nine starts and was embarrassingly ejected from the decisive game of the 1990 ALCS against Oakland. Seeking to exorcise his playoff demons, he desired a trade to the New York Yankees and got his wish when David Wells, Graeme Lloyd, and Homer Bush were sent to Toronto in exchange.
For the next five seasons Clemens pitched in the playoffs every year. While being far from the dominant pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting, he was good enough. He won the World Series clincher over the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and added another victory over the Mets in a successful 2000 Fall Classic. That 2000 run also included a one-hit, no-run, 15 strikeout gem over the Mariners in the ALCS. Mixed in were a handful of October duds, but by 2003 he had two World Series rings and four AL pennants to show for his work.
During the regular season Clemens approached ordinary in pinstripes after being otherworldly for so long. His ERA in five seasons with the Yankees was more than a full run worse than his combined mark in Boston and Toronto and even his sixth Cy Young Award in 2001 was suspect. It owed more to his favorable run support and won/loss record than truly great performance (see the Mike Mussina chapter in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars for more detail on this).
After a brief retirement, the Houston Astros convinced Clemens to pitch again close to home. For three seasons he pitched miraculously for a man on the wrong side of 40. In 2004 he earned his seventh Cy Young Award and his 7.8 WAR the following year helped Houston reach the World Series, albeit in a losing effort.
Fluidly transitioning in and out of retirement, Clemens pitched partial seasons for the Astros in 2006 and the Yankees in 2007. Still an effective pitcher, he decided to call it a career at age 45 following his last Yankees stint. His Hall of Fame candidacy should have been an open and shut case, but his reputation would be tarnished forever immediately following his last retirement.
In December 2007 the Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball was released and Clemens' name was peppered throughout. Brian McNamee - Clemens' personal trainer who was also employed by the Yankees for a time - revealed in the report details on the steroids he personally injected Clemens with starting in the late 1990's. The story was corroborated by Clemens' teammate and friend Andy Pettitte (more on this below).
In the court of public opinion, this revelation called into question a significant portion of the big Texan's career. Clemens became an even better pitcher at an age that most hurlers begin to decline rapidly. It's not unreasonable to think that his success at an advanced age was made possible by copious amounts of steroids. Rather than admit any fault or wrongdoing, he fought back hard against the allegations.
For years Clemens engaged in legal battles as part of a desperate attempt to salvage his legacy. In the end, he was never formally found guilty of anything, but also didn't change any minds. Despite his steadfast insistence that he's innocent, there are few people in the baseball world, if any, that believe he never used steroids to enhance his performance.
When it comes to BBWAA voters for the Baseball Hall of Fame, they have certainly held the allegations against Clemens. He earned 354 career victories, is third all-time with 4,672 strikeouts and 139.2 WAR and has an ERA+ that ranks in the top ten all-time among starting pitchers. With that unparalleled résumé he garnered less than 40% of the vote in his first three years of eligibility.
Yet in 2017 there was a distinct shift in the BBWAA's stance on Clemens. That year more than 50% of the voters included him on their ballots and that number is increasing. He may even approach the 75% needed for election this year. It's no coincidence that 2017 was the year Bud Selig was elected to the Hall of Fame. As the commissioner of baseball for the majority of Clemens' career, Selig turned a blind eye to steroid use and didn't implement formal testing and penalties for positive results until it publicly reached a fever pitch. If he's a Hall of Famer, it's less defensible to keep out any players that may have taken advantage of his incompetence.
That argument aside, it is reasonable to make the point that Clemens' steroid use gave him a competitive advantage over non-users, especially as he got deeper into his career. It may have even allowed him to keep a roster spot over pitchers that avoided steroids in the name of good sportsmanship. However, if history tells us anything about Hall of Fame voting, it's that a player creating and maintaining an unfair competitive advantage does not disqualify them for enshrinement in Cooperstown.
Cap Anson was one of baseball's first superstars before the turn of the century. He was without doubt the most influential figure in baseball for a time, and willfully used that influence to ensure that baseball became and remained racially segregated. Those efforts caused a competitive imbalance in baseball that lasted more than 50 years, yet his plaque is celebrated in the Hall of Fame to this day.
Roger Clemens is far from a perfect person, but he is unquestionably one of the greatest pitching talents to ever enter the baseball world. For better or worse, the story of baseball is incomplete if he's not a character in it. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Clemens was a hometown hero at the University of Texas and was drafted by the Red Sox in 1983. He made his major league debut a year later and by 1986 he was named both the Cy Young Award winner and MVP of the American League. At 23 years old, he was just getting started.
From 1986 through 1992 Clemens' numbers - standard or advanced - are staggering. Across those seven seasons his average year included 19 wins, 239 strikeouts, and a 2.66 ERA which was good for a 160 ERA+. With uncommon control for a power pitcher, he added two more Cy Young Awards and totaled 58.1 WAR during this period. That total alone would surpass the career marks of Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford, and Catfish Hunter, among others.
Clemens' production tapered off a bit over the next three years as his relationship with the Red Sox began to deteriorate. In 1996 he had what seemed on the surface a sub-par season as his record sat at just 10-13. However, his 7.7 WAR - second best among AL pitchers - indicates that he was a victim of circumstance. A free agent at season's end, the Red Sox chose not to re-sign the 34-year old Clemens coming off a losing season when he had a standing offer of four years and $40 million from the Toronto Blue Jays.
With the Blue Jays Clemens was more dominant than ever. In 1997 and 1998 he won the AL Triple Crown by leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He also earned back to back Cy Young Awards, the fourth and fifth of his career. At 36 years old he could stake a claim to being the greatest pitcher of all-time and was still going strong. Yet something was missing from his eye-popping credentials.
To this point in his career, Clemens' teams had made the playoffs four times, but never won the World Series. Clemens himself was conspicuously underwhelming during these series with just one win in nine starts and was embarrassingly ejected from the decisive game of the 1990 ALCS against Oakland. Seeking to exorcise his playoff demons, he desired a trade to the New York Yankees and got his wish when David Wells, Graeme Lloyd, and Homer Bush were sent to Toronto in exchange.
For the next five seasons Clemens pitched in the playoffs every year. While being far from the dominant pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting, he was good enough. He won the World Series clincher over the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and added another victory over the Mets in a successful 2000 Fall Classic. That 2000 run also included a one-hit, no-run, 15 strikeout gem over the Mariners in the ALCS. Mixed in were a handful of October duds, but by 2003 he had two World Series rings and four AL pennants to show for his work.
Roger Clemens finally enjoyed playoff success as a Yankee.
Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons
During the regular season Clemens approached ordinary in pinstripes after being otherworldly for so long. His ERA in five seasons with the Yankees was more than a full run worse than his combined mark in Boston and Toronto and even his sixth Cy Young Award in 2001 was suspect. It owed more to his favorable run support and won/loss record than truly great performance (see the Mike Mussina chapter in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars for more detail on this).
After a brief retirement, the Houston Astros convinced Clemens to pitch again close to home. For three seasons he pitched miraculously for a man on the wrong side of 40. In 2004 he earned his seventh Cy Young Award and his 7.8 WAR the following year helped Houston reach the World Series, albeit in a losing effort.
Fluidly transitioning in and out of retirement, Clemens pitched partial seasons for the Astros in 2006 and the Yankees in 2007. Still an effective pitcher, he decided to call it a career at age 45 following his last Yankees stint. His Hall of Fame candidacy should have been an open and shut case, but his reputation would be tarnished forever immediately following his last retirement.
In December 2007 the Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball was released and Clemens' name was peppered throughout. Brian McNamee - Clemens' personal trainer who was also employed by the Yankees for a time - revealed in the report details on the steroids he personally injected Clemens with starting in the late 1990's. The story was corroborated by Clemens' teammate and friend Andy Pettitte (more on this below).
In the court of public opinion, this revelation called into question a significant portion of the big Texan's career. Clemens became an even better pitcher at an age that most hurlers begin to decline rapidly. It's not unreasonable to think that his success at an advanced age was made possible by copious amounts of steroids. Rather than admit any fault or wrongdoing, he fought back hard against the allegations.
For years Clemens engaged in legal battles as part of a desperate attempt to salvage his legacy. In the end, he was never formally found guilty of anything, but also didn't change any minds. Despite his steadfast insistence that he's innocent, there are few people in the baseball world, if any, that believe he never used steroids to enhance his performance.
When it comes to BBWAA voters for the Baseball Hall of Fame, they have certainly held the allegations against Clemens. He earned 354 career victories, is third all-time with 4,672 strikeouts and 139.2 WAR and has an ERA+ that ranks in the top ten all-time among starting pitchers. With that unparalleled résumé he garnered less than 40% of the vote in his first three years of eligibility.
Yet in 2017 there was a distinct shift in the BBWAA's stance on Clemens. That year more than 50% of the voters included him on their ballots and that number is increasing. He may even approach the 75% needed for election this year. It's no coincidence that 2017 was the year Bud Selig was elected to the Hall of Fame. As the commissioner of baseball for the majority of Clemens' career, Selig turned a blind eye to steroid use and didn't implement formal testing and penalties for positive results until it publicly reached a fever pitch. If he's a Hall of Famer, it's less defensible to keep out any players that may have taken advantage of his incompetence.
That argument aside, it is reasonable to make the point that Clemens' steroid use gave him a competitive advantage over non-users, especially as he got deeper into his career. It may have even allowed him to keep a roster spot over pitchers that avoided steroids in the name of good sportsmanship. However, if history tells us anything about Hall of Fame voting, it's that a player creating and maintaining an unfair competitive advantage does not disqualify them for enshrinement in Cooperstown.
Cap Anson was one of baseball's first superstars before the turn of the century. He was without doubt the most influential figure in baseball for a time, and willfully used that influence to ensure that baseball became and remained racially segregated. Those efforts caused a competitive imbalance in baseball that lasted more than 50 years, yet his plaque is celebrated in the Hall of Fame to this day.
Roger Clemens is far from a perfect person, but he is unquestionably one of the greatest pitching talents to ever enter the baseball world. For better or worse, the story of baseball is incomplete if he's not a character in it. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Derek Jeter - Shortstop, JAWS: 57.5, HoF JAWS: 55.0
Last year Mariano Rivera became the first player ever to be unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. This year, the only question surrounding Derek Jeter - his fellow Core Four member - and his Hall of Fame candidacy is whether he will follow in Rivera's footsteps with 100% of the vote or not.
The list of Jeter's career accomplishments would look right at home on a plaque in Cooperstown. His 3,465 career hits ranks sixth all-time and is the best mark for any shortstop in baseball history. When it comes to awards he was the AL Rookie of the Year (1996), a 14-time All-Star, a World Series and All-Star Game MVP in the same season (2000), and a five-time Gold Glove winner.
In the playoffs, Jeter had a reputation for elevating his game just a bit every October. He is the all-time leader in playoff hits, doubles, triples, and runs scored. Better yet, he compiled those totals while playing a leading role on five World Series-winning teams. He was the poster boy for the Yankees triumphantly returning to baseball's pinnacle.
Jeter also won awards for his work off the field as he was the recipient of both the Roberto Clemente and Lou Gehrig Memorial Awards towards the end of his career in recognition of his sportsmanship, community involvement, and philanthropy. This may be especially important to BBWAA voters in the context of Roger Clemens' tough sledding on the ballot as described above.
In short, this seems to be a slam dunk, no doubt about it Hall of Fame case. So where could a voter find fault with Jeter's credentials? Look no further than his shortcomings as a fielder. Despite looking the part of a smooth shortstop and earning those five Gold Gloves, he had extremely limited range. Per Baseball Reference's Runs from Fielding he was historically bad, with the worst career mark in baseball history. Writers have withheld votes for lesser reasons in the past.
Even if one assumes that Jeter is in fact an historically atrocious fielder - and there's certainly room for a counterargument - that is accounted for in WAR calculations where he still comes up roses. Factoring in the massive hit of more than 200 runs he takes for poor fielding, Jeter's career WAR still ranks tenth all-time among shortstops and his JAWS is more than two wins better than the Hall of Fame standard for his position. No matter how you slice it, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer.
But to sum up Derek Jeter's career by simply calling him a great hitter who couldn't field, or a stand-up guy that led great teams to multiple championships, is to obfuscate an underappreciated superpower that he possessed. He had an uncanny ability to remain healthy and consistently produce at a high level for an absurd amount of time.
From 1996 through 2012, that's 17 seasons, Jeter averaged 151 games played and more than 4.0 WAR per year. The only other shortstop in major league history to average at least 150 games and 4.0 WAR over 17 consecutive seasons is, of course, Cal Ripken, Jr. For all of the playoff success and awards won during his career, Derek Jeter's status as an Iron Man may be his crowning achievement.
As the starting shortstop in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Derek Jeter can be found there. An abridged version of the profile was also featured in this Daily News article.
The list of Jeter's career accomplishments would look right at home on a plaque in Cooperstown. His 3,465 career hits ranks sixth all-time and is the best mark for any shortstop in baseball history. When it comes to awards he was the AL Rookie of the Year (1996), a 14-time All-Star, a World Series and All-Star Game MVP in the same season (2000), and a five-time Gold Glove winner.
In the playoffs, Jeter had a reputation for elevating his game just a bit every October. He is the all-time leader in playoff hits, doubles, triples, and runs scored. Better yet, he compiled those totals while playing a leading role on five World Series-winning teams. He was the poster boy for the Yankees triumphantly returning to baseball's pinnacle.
Jeter also won awards for his work off the field as he was the recipient of both the Roberto Clemente and Lou Gehrig Memorial Awards towards the end of his career in recognition of his sportsmanship, community involvement, and philanthropy. This may be especially important to BBWAA voters in the context of Roger Clemens' tough sledding on the ballot as described above.
Derek Jeter meets a giddy fanboy who writes about him.
In short, this seems to be a slam dunk, no doubt about it Hall of Fame case. So where could a voter find fault with Jeter's credentials? Look no further than his shortcomings as a fielder. Despite looking the part of a smooth shortstop and earning those five Gold Gloves, he had extremely limited range. Per Baseball Reference's Runs from Fielding he was historically bad, with the worst career mark in baseball history. Writers have withheld votes for lesser reasons in the past.
Even if one assumes that Jeter is in fact an historically atrocious fielder - and there's certainly room for a counterargument - that is accounted for in WAR calculations where he still comes up roses. Factoring in the massive hit of more than 200 runs he takes for poor fielding, Jeter's career WAR still ranks tenth all-time among shortstops and his JAWS is more than two wins better than the Hall of Fame standard for his position. No matter how you slice it, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer.
But to sum up Derek Jeter's career by simply calling him a great hitter who couldn't field, or a stand-up guy that led great teams to multiple championships, is to obfuscate an underappreciated superpower that he possessed. He had an uncanny ability to remain healthy and consistently produce at a high level for an absurd amount of time.
From 1996 through 2012, that's 17 seasons, Jeter averaged 151 games played and more than 4.0 WAR per year. The only other shortstop in major league history to average at least 150 games and 4.0 WAR over 17 consecutive seasons is, of course, Cal Ripken, Jr. For all of the playoff success and awards won during his career, Derek Jeter's status as an Iron Man may be his crowning achievement.
As the starting shortstop in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Derek Jeter can be found there. An abridged version of the profile was also featured in this Daily News article.
Andy Pettitte - Pitcher, JAWS: 47.1, HoF JAWS: 61.5
No pitcher in Yankee history has started more games than Andy Pettitte. He and Whitey Ford both have 438 career starts in pinstripes, which is poetic in a way. They were both tough as nails lefties with confidence that far exceeded their talent and for that reason were especially lethal in October.
When it comes to his Hall of Fame case, Pettitte's achievements in the regular season come tantalizingly close to the Hall of Fame standard. He fell short of 300 wins, but his 256 career victories are more than Hall of Famers Jack Morris, Carl Hubbell, and Bob Gibson. He never earned a Cy Young Award, but he finished within the top six of the voting five times. His arm wasn't overpowering, but he rode an effective cut fastball to a career ERA that was 17% above average. If you squint hard enough, he could be worthy of enshrinement.
Where Pettitte's case really comes into focus, though, is his playoff record. From his sophomore season in 1996 all the way through to the end of his career, he was the man the Yankees looked to when the absolutely needed a win come October. No pitcher in major league history has started more playoff games, pitched more playoff innings, or won more playoff games than Pettitte.
As a 37-year old in 2009 Pettitte cemented his legacy as a great big game pitcher. That year he became the first ever starting pitcher to win the series-clinching game in the Division, League Championship and World Series in the same year. Those three victories game him six playoff series-clinching wins for his career, also an all-time record. This adds some serious heft to his credentials, and under normal circumstances would probably push him over the bar for most voters. But for Pettitte, there's a catch.
When it comes to his Hall of Fame case, Pettitte's achievements in the regular season come tantalizingly close to the Hall of Fame standard. He fell short of 300 wins, but his 256 career victories are more than Hall of Famers Jack Morris, Carl Hubbell, and Bob Gibson. He never earned a Cy Young Award, but he finished within the top six of the voting five times. His arm wasn't overpowering, but he rode an effective cut fastball to a career ERA that was 17% above average. If you squint hard enough, he could be worthy of enshrinement.
Where Pettitte's case really comes into focus, though, is his playoff record. From his sophomore season in 1996 all the way through to the end of his career, he was the man the Yankees looked to when the absolutely needed a win come October. No pitcher in major league history has started more playoff games, pitched more playoff innings, or won more playoff games than Pettitte.
As a 37-year old in 2009 Pettitte cemented his legacy as a great big game pitcher. That year he became the first ever starting pitcher to win the series-clinching game in the Division, League Championship and World Series in the same year. Those three victories game him six playoff series-clinching wins for his career, also an all-time record. This adds some serious heft to his credentials, and under normal circumstances would probably push him over the bar for most voters. But for Pettitte, there's a catch.
Andy Pettitte (far left) reminisces with his fellow Core Four members in 2015.
Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia Commons
Like his good friend and teammate Roger Clemens, Pettitte was named in the Mitchell Report as having used HGH (human growth hormone) multiple times illegally in 2002. The source of the information was Brian McNamee - Clemens' trainer - and Pettitte readily admitted to using HGH twice in order to expedite his recovery from an elbow injury while denying any further use. This was a far cry from Clemens' take on the matter.
A few months after the Mitchell Report was released, it was revealed that during a court hearing that went public Pettitte had also admitted to further HGH use in 2004 when his father was prescribed it for a serious illness. He also described Clemens as detailing his steroid use to him in the late 1990's, just as McNamee had done in the Mitchell Report.
It would have been nice if Pettitte had revealed this additional use during his first admission of guilt for the 2002 evidence. The fact that he didn't made it reasonable to question anything he was saying as fact, but when he reported to spring training in 2008, he came clean on everything and offered heartfelt apologies to his teammates, fans and family.
It was refreshing that Pettitte eventually was honest and forthcoming about his transgressions. It wasn't a popular tactic among those found guilty of steroid use at the time and cost him his friendship with Clemens. Still, he hasn't scored any points with the BBWAA as a result. In his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot last year he received only about 10% of the vote and that number is looking like it won't increase by much this year. If HGH use was not a part of his past, those numbers certainly would have been higher.
What seems likely for Pettitte is that he'll remain in Hall of Fame purgatory at the hands of the BBWAA. That means a 10-year stay on the ballot where he won't get particularly close to a plaque in Cooperstown. By the end of that run, however, the stance on steroid use in baseball may have softened quite a bit. If so, it wouldn't be surprising to see a special veterans committee elect Pettitte somewhere down the line. Given his contrite apologies regarding his HGH use, he'd be far from the worst character in baseball to be enshrined.
As a starting pitcher in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Andy Pettitte can be found there.
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