Yankees legend Andy Pettitte reflects on how faith in God affected career
Andy Pettitte, a legendary former pitcher for the New York Yankees, recently reflected on the impact of his faith in God throughout his baseball career.During an interview, he discussed how his belief helped him persevere, particularly after admitting to using human growth hormone (HGH) for a brief period in 2002, following an elbow injury. At the time, Pettitte was one of the first MLB players to publicly acknowledge the use of HGH, which became banned in the league in 2005.
Despite fearing backlash from fans and feeling shame after his admission, Pettitte was surprised that he didn’t encounter much negativity at ballparks. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play for the Yankees and emphasized his desire to use his platform to share his faith and lead others to Christ.
Pettitte cited the biblical verse Mark 8:36, reflecting on the importance of prioritizing spiritual well-being over fame and material success. He believes that the essence of life and baseball lies in soulfulness rather than trophies or accolades. He also shared anecdotes about his friendships from his minor league days with notable players like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, highlighting the strong bonds formed during their early careers.
Yankees legend Andy Pettitte reflects on how faith in God affected his career
Former Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte is talking more about how his faith in God helped him persevere after admitting in 2007 to using human growth hormone for two days after an elbow injury.
Pettitte was one of the first MLB players to confirm the findings of a 2007 report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. Use of HGH was not banned until the 2005 season, but Pettitte took the substance in 2002, hoping for a speedier recovery time.
He said he felt as though he would be put to shame by everyone in the ballpark once he admitted to doing so, yet, he said, no one seemed to mention it.
“I thought everywhere I went after that, I was going to be booed in ballparks. And I never heard anybody say anything really. I mean, how does that happen?” Pettitte told Ainsley Earhardt on Fox Nation’s Ainsley’s Bible Study.
After admitting he was not a big baseball fan growing up, besides watching the Chicago Cubs after school, Pettitte said he realized the significance of being drafted and having a baseball career when he thought about the history of the Yankees.
“I thank God for giving me the opportunity to play here. I thank God for giving me the platform that he gave me to be able to — during my career, I tried the best I could to share my faith and to hopefully lead others toward Christ. And I just — when you asked me how that felt, I just felt very blessed,” Pettitte said.
Pettitte also mentioned that one of the verses he kept in mind as he became more successful was Mark 8:36, which asks, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
“This game, you want to be the greatest pitcher in baseball. You want to lead the Yankees and help them win world championships. But I always wanted to keep that in the forefront of my mind: ‘What is this all about?’ It’s not about all the trophies, and all the money, and all the fame. It’s more about people’s souls,” Pettitte said.
Earhardt, also a co-host on Fox News’s Fox and Friends, mentioned her own view on the matter as an outsider who watched the controversy take place.
“It kind of was refreshing to me when I was watching those interviews to say, ‘OK, he has sinned before. He’s done something wrong. He’s not 100 % perfect,’” Earhardt said.
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Pettitte also spoke of his friendships that followed him from the Minor Leagues to the Yankees, such as Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera.
“We played together, all of us in the Minor Leagues together. Jorge caught me in the Minor Leagues. Derek was my shortstop in the Minor Leagues. Me and Mariano never hit each other in the Minor Leagues. … The games would start. I’d turn around and just look at my players. You know what I mean? Like, you ready to go? And them boys, they were always ready to go. And I just loved that,” Pettitte said.
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