MLB

ANDY PETTITTE CONSIDERED RETIREMENT

Andy Pettitte, speaking today at his arrival at spring training, said he did consider retirement during his troublesome offseason, when he admitted to using human growth hormone on two separate occasions.

“I would be lying if I said [retiring] didn’t cross my mind,” Pettitte said. “Not over the last couple of days, because I’m “fully committed to the team and the organization. But it’s been a hard offseason.

“I did think about that, but that wouldn’t be an honorable thing to do as a man, I don’t think.

“[Whatever the consequences] I have to take it like a man and try to do my job.”

Pettitte said he knew he would be named in the Mitchell Report when he signed his $16 million contract with the Yankees.

“I did know about it,” Pettitte said after the timeline was explained to him, that his deal was announced Dec. 12, one day before the Report was released. He had agreed in principle to the one-year contract on Dec. 6.

But he added, “I don’t feel like misled the club.”

Pettitte said trainer Brian McNamee gave him a heads up that he could be named in the Report.

Pettitte said he doesn’t need the money his contract provides and made his decision to return based on several factors.

“The easy way would be to not have to face anyone anymore with this,” he said. “[Manager Joe Girardi] was pretty persuasive getting me down here, the organization was, [and I felt my] teammates wanted me back.”

With Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera on hand, Pettitte addressed the media for an hour at Legends Field.

Reading from a written statement, he apologized to the Yankees and Astros, and his fans, for the “embarrassment” caused by his use of HGH.

He said, “I never want a young person to do what I did. I want to tell anyone who is an Andy Pettitte fan, I am sorry.”

Pettitte, whose deposition to Congress on the matter did not back up Roger Clemens in his battle with Brian McNamee, said he hasn’t spoken to the Rocket in more than a month.

“We have not talked,” Pettitte said. “I did not watch the Congressional hearings. I didn’t want to watch it.

“I had to testify. I testified under oath [and] Roger said what he had to say.

“Nobody tried to pressure me to do anything. I was just as honest as I could be with the committee.”

He said he hoped he could remain friends with his former teammate and workout partner.

“I think Roger knows how I feel about him,” Pettitte said. “He knows I’ve admired him and I continue to admire him.

“He’s been a great friend to me and I love him like a brother. The situation is a horrible situation. Mac is also a very good friend of mine. Mac told the truth about me.”

Pettitte, who confirmed claims in the Report that he used human growth hormone in 2002 then admitted further use in 2004 after his father’s name became involved, said he did so to heal an injury, not to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore, he doesn’t consider himself a cheater.

“All I can tell you, from the bottom of heart, is I know why I did this,” he said. “It wasn’t to get an edge, to get stronger or faster or throw harder. I did it because I was told it might be able to help me.

“If people think I’m lying, they should call me a cheater. … But I don’t consider myself a cheater, no.”

Pettitte said he has not heard from Major League Baseball and does not expect to be suspended. He does not know where his involvement in the Clemens saga will lead.

“I’m hoping and praying I don’t have to do anything else,” Pettitte said. “I’ve already testified under oath. I’ve already told them what I know, to that extent.

“I’m trying to do everything possible that I can to move forward.”