After today’s news conference at Yankee Stadium, the next image of Andy Pettitte we see will likely be him walking into a federal courthouse in Washington this summer.
Pettitte is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution in the trial of former Yankees and Astros teammate Roger Clemens, who is accused of lying to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
There has been speculation that Pettitte’s role in the trial may have led to his retirement, but that is unlikely. For one thing, Pettitte cannot be certain the trial will even take place during this season. The trial is scheduled to begin in July, but it could be postponed by pre-trial motions. The trial of Barry Bonds was scheduled to begin three years ago, but has yet to get under way.
The timing of a hearing on Wednesday in Washington, in which Clemens waived his right to appeal on the basis of conflict of interest because his attorney briefly represented Pettitte appears to be nothing more than a coincidence.
Pettitte has dealt with the issue of his own use of human growth hormone and that of Clemens since the release of the Mitchell Report in December 2007. He has grown adept at avoiding reporters’ questions on the subject and hiding behind the advice of his attorneys not to comment.
The Clemens trial figures to be a circus, and Pettitte’s testimony will surely be one of the main attractions. But the idea that Pettitte would face questions day after day about the trial if he returned to the Yankees seems far-fetched.
There is also a notion that Clemens’ attorneys could try to discredit Pettitte with damaging and embarrassing information they may have uncovered during their investigation. An attorney familiar with the case said that would be a risky move by Clemens’ lawyers because it would be seen as an attack on Pettitte.
Last summer, Pettitte told Newsday the trial would have no bearing on his decision whether to play in 2011 again. The question will be posed again today, and it would be surprising to hear anything different from Pettitte.