DEER PARK, Texas — Tanned and rested, Andy Pettitte stood on his front porch last night and answered the question on every Yankees fan’s mind: Do you know if you’re going to pitch this year?
“I don’t,” Pettitte told The Post fresh off his two-week vacation in Hawaii. “I’m just chilling out, hanging. I’m relaxing. If I had something, y’all would know. If I knew exactly what I was doing, y’all would know.”
The 38-year-old pitcher said he is unsure when he will reach a decision. The veteran left-hander is the biggest story in the New York baseball world, but the always-humble Pettitte does not see it that way. He has maintained a low profile this winter, and was annoyed when a reporter showed up on his doorstep.
“I don’t want to be a story,” he said. “I really don’t want [the Yankees] to worry about me. I just want them to go, just go on.”
Pettitte told Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as much last month when he called him before the Winter Meetings to let him know that the Yankees should go about their business as if he won’t be part of the 2011 team.
With spring training a little more than five weeks away, that leaves the Yankees with a rotation of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and some question marks.
Pettitte looked to be in good shape, though he laughed when told he looked ready to pitch.
“I haven’t done much,” he said. “That’s for sure. I was over in Hawaii, so I’m tan. My daughter keeps telling me I’m getting more gray hairs every day, so I don’t know about that.”
Pettitte would not say if he is currently leaning toward retirement, but that has been the feeling around the Yankees most of the winter. Mark Teixeira said he felt Pettitte was leaning that way last week. When it hit the newspapers, he called Pettitte to apologize, but Pettitte was in Hawaii and had not even seen the stories. Pettitte said he and Teixeira last spoke in the middle of December.
Pettitte chalked it up to things getting blown out of proportion in New York, a reason he is reluctant to discuss his decision with any depth.
“Everybody’s so emotional up there,” he said. “I feel like if you say anything, everyone reacts. I know that’s what you’re trying to do, but it’s just like you see where I’m at down here.”
With that, he pointed to his casual attire of black and white, checkered pajama pants and a long-sleeve, black T-shirt.
After talking for five minutes on his front porch, Pettitte started to head inside. As he got to his front door, I said, “See you in a few weeks in Tampa?”
“I don’t know about that,” Pettitte said with a big smile.
The wait continues.