Thoughts on Pettitte

As someone who grew up watching and rooting for the Houston Astros, one would think I would have jumped through the roof when they landed Andy Pettitte as a free agent in 2004.

Wrong. About the only good thing to come from that, in my mind, was Roger Clemens tagged along and signed with the Astros.

I always viewed Pettitte as a snobby, aloof, whiny, soft pitcher. There's no denying Pettitte is one of the game's biggest Christian athletes, but I did not think highly of him between the lines.

Now, in light of his inlcusion in the Mitchell Report, and his confession to using HGH, I'm seeing a whole new side of Pettitte that, gulp, I actually like and respect.

Pettitte sat through an hourlong interrogation by the New York media and patiently answered every last question. He even took time to ask reporters if his answers were sufficient.

Pettitte may be the one player this side of Barry Bonds to come out of the Mitchell Report and it's fallout smelling like a proverbial rose.

What a change.