Monday, July 12, 2010

Pettitte Has Plenty Left in the Tank




BRIAN COSTA

SEATTLE — As Andy Pettitte showered and dressed after Thursday's game, his two oldest sons, ages 15 and 11, sat and waited for him by his locker.

To ease the toll of a major-league season on his family, Mr. Pettitte often takes his children with him on the road. And when the season is over, he may well go back to Deer Park, Texas, with them for good.

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At age 38, Andy Pettitte is 11-2 and headed to the All-Star Game.
But at the moment, he is making it difficult for the Yankees to imagine life without him.

At age 38, Mr. Pettitte is having one of his finest seasons. He is off to an 11-2 start with a 2.70 ERA. And with his family in tow, he was set to travel to Anaheim, Calif., Sunday night as a member of the American League All-Star team for the first time since 2001.

Contemplating retirement has become an annual rite of winter for Mr. Pettitte, and the next offseason will be no different. But he isn't making the decision any easier for himself.

Rather than showing signs of decline, Mr. Pettitte has instead performed better than in recent years, when he was a reliable but not a spectacular pitcher. He allowed only one run in eight innings Thursday against the Mariners in what was perhaps his best outing of the season. And he is on pace to win 20 games for the first time since 2003 and only the third time in his career.

If he does so, he would become only the 13th pitcher in major-league history to win 20 or more games at age 38 or older, according to Stats Inc. The last was Mike Mussina, who won 20 games at age 39 for the Yankees in 2008.

No one expected Mr. Pettitte to pitch poorly this season. But no one expected this, either.

"We always know that Andy is going to compete," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's going to find ways to get out of jams. He's going to get double play balls. But I think if someone would have said Andy is going to be 11-2 at the break, it's hard to anticipate that."

There are only three other pitchers in the majors ages 38 or older who have started at least one game this season, and none of them have been anywhere near as effective as Mr. Pettitte.

Phillies lefty Jamie Moyer, 47, is 9-8 with a 4.51 ERA. Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, 43, is 3-7 with a 5.22 ERA. And Angels right-hander Brian Moehler is 1-4 with a 4.92 ERA.

It would be an exaggeration to call Mr. Pettitte ageless. He hasn't averaged above 90 mph on his fastball since 2007. And his legs tire earlier during games now than they did when he was younger, to the point that Mr. Pettitte said he modified his between-starts workouts recently to try to improve his stamina. But his age hasn't affected him where it counts.

"I know I'm getting older, because I can tell," Mr. Pettitte said. "It takes more to recover and stuff like that. But it's also a mindset, and I feel good.''

The first time Mr. Pettitte was an All-Star, in 1996, Mr. Girardi was his catcher with the Yankees. Now, Mr. Girardi said Mr. Pettitte has a better repertoire than he did then. But he hasn't overhauled his mechanics or his pitch selection so much as he has refined both.

"He used to be really a four-seamer, cutter inside or third-base side, and then curveball," Mr. Girardi said. "He threw his changeup, but he didn't have a lot of success with it. He didn't backdoor his cutter to righties like he does now. He didn't really have a sinker. He was more of a three-pitch pitcher. Now he's got four, but he uses them on different sides."

The one constant has been Mr. Pettitte's ability to work out of trouble. Only 18% of base runners have scored against him this season, according to Inside Edge, well below the major-league average of 24%. At some point, maybe a few months from now, Mr. Pettitte will decide he has had enough. He said last week he doesn't plan on pitching much longer.

But as he prepares to play in the All-Star game for the third and perhaps final time in his career, his retirement is the last thing the Yankees want to think about.


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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Freedom Over Texas Fireworks Show!


Houston will set the stage for an extraordinary patriotic celebration at Mayor Annise Parker’s official Fourth of July event, Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell. Texas singer-songwriter Pat Green will headline the annual event held from 4 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, with his performance culminating in the nation’s largest land-based fireworks show, presented by Shell Oil Company. Admission to the event is FREE with the donation of one canned item per person to the Houston Food Bank.

"As Americans, I believe it is our civic duty to celebrate the birth of our nation and reflect upon those brave men and women who have made great sacrifices for us to live in a free country," said Mayor Annise Parker. "I invite fellow Texans to join us in honoring our country, respecting the values of the founding fathers and instilling pride in our diverse community.”

Headlining the evening’s celebration on the Freedom Stage is Pat Green (with Cowboy Mouth and Little Big Town), an artist who has blazed his own trail and recorded a total of 10 studio albums. Fifteen of his singles have charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which the highest-peaking is the #3 "Wave on Wave" from his gold-certified album. Green has toured with many popular country music artists including Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Chesney, and many more. At this year’s event, Green will be presented by the Texas Music Charts with an award recognizing him as the “Most Played Texas Artist” of the last decade.

When the concert comes to a close at 9:30 p.m., eyes will turn skyward for an extraordinary fireworks spectacular perfectly set to a selection of America’s favorite tunes, from patriotic songs to rock ‘n’ roll hits to classic bestsellers. Shell Oil Company is the underwriter of the 2010 fireworks show for the fifth consecutive year, and with their contribution, the city’s official fireworks show will enliven Houston’s skyline. Producing the show will be world-renowned fireworks artists from Pyro Spectaculars North by Souza.

"For more than 80 years, Shell has been a strong supporter of the Houston community and our nation. As a country, we have much to celebrate, and we at Shell are thrilled to participate in the festivities this year,” said Ben Dillon, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Shell Oil Company.

In addition to this year’s entertainment headliner, the festival will also spotlight a top-notch selection of local and regional music. Throughout the day, four stages will keep toes tapping with music ranging from country western and rock 'n' roll to Latin, R&B, and oldies.

Booth exhibits and family friendly patriotic activities will encompass Buffalo Bayou and Eleanor Tinsley Park:

KBR Liberty Park

Encompassing more than three football fields in length, KBR Liberty Park will showcase military artifacts and vehicles including representation from all five military branches and more. The branches and the Houston Police Department will offer recruiting on site.
The U.S. Army will showcase an Apache Helicopter flight simulator and a 55-ton M-60 Battle Tank.
The Museum of Printing History and the Military Museum of Houston will exhibit historical items that have helped shape our nation’s history in this area.
Bud Light Zone

Cool off with a cold one at the Budweiser Beer Garden, and enjoy a prime view of the sixth annual Bud Light Texas Volleyball Championship Series Finals.
Make a rest stop at the Bud Light Build-A-Bar, which will offer a shaded sitting area equipped with plasma TV screens. Also, don’t miss a sneak peak of an event performer during their official Bud Light Sound Check.

Be sure to stop by the Budweiser Good Sport’s Booth and learn how you can save lives by being a designated driver.

Walmart All American Kids Zone

More than 30,000 square feet of free educational programming and entertainment await children.
Houston Public Library’s HPL Mobile Express computer lab, will teach child how to use a computer.
Houston Fire Department’s Smokehouse will teach kids the importance of fire safety.
Historical costumed characters will talk with children about the documents that defined our government.

Juno Baby will have sing-a-long activities for children and little aspiring stars are invited to perform in the Rising Stars Search contest for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to San Francisco and be featured in the next Juno Baby production.
Free games, rides, face painting and interactive activities will be open to children of all ages.
Additional activities:

Gexa Energy will be giving US Flag hand fans to the first 30,000 people who enter the gates. Booths will be setup for families to take fun photos with Shrek The Musical characters, enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Hawaii or Cancun, and also for a chance to win a Home Theater System, which includes a Sony Bravia 40’ LCD TV.
Visit KBR’s five primary beneficiaries on site: Career and Recovery Resources, Goodwill Industries, Houston Community College, Soldier’s Angels and Wreaths Across America-Houston.
The 2010 Land Rover models will be on display including the all new 2010 Land Rover LR4 and award winning Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell will be simulcast on ABC-13/KTRK-TV from 7-10 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, and will be syndicated statewide from 8-10 p.m. In addition, KILT 100.3 FM will simulcast the music medley specially choreographed for the fireworks spectacular.

With the donation of one canned item per person to the Houston Food Bank, admission for the event is FREE. Without the donation, tickets will be $8 per person. Children two years and under will be admitted free. In keeping with last year’s theme, Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell will expand its offering of recycling receptacles, encouraging all patrons to recycle.

Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell sponsors include: Fireworks sponsor: Shell; Anchor Sponsors: Gexa Energy, Bud Light/Silver Eagle Distributors, KBR, Houston Area Land Rover Centres, and Walmart; Co-producers: City of Houston/Mayor’s Office of Special Events; Additional sponsors include Doubletree Hotel Houston Downtown; Houston Chronicle; 100.3 KILT; HOT 95-7; Mix 96-5; SportsRadio 610 and Mega 101 FM; Texas Lottery; Juno Baby; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Texas Southern University and LifeGift. In-kind sponsors include Houston Dynamo, Houston Rockets, Houston Astros, Houston Aero and Metro. The event benefits Houston Central Improvement, Inc.

For more information, call 832.393.0868 or visit the Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell Web site at www.freedomovertexas.org or www.houstonspecialevents.org.

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