As Andy Pettitte continues mulling whether to play in 2011, a teammate who admires him is considering doing a little recruiting.
Mariano Rivera hasn't called Pettitte yet, but said Thursday, "I might try to reach him soon. My message will be - I want to hear what he's doing, what he wants to do. If he wants to continue playing, I think we would have a good shot."
Rivera even said he might try to talk Pettitte out of retiring, if the lefty tells him he's finished playing. "He would have the last word, but yes," Rivera said after helping with the Yankees' annual holiday food drive at the Stadium. "Andy, to me, is one of the best left-handers out there. I would take him any time."
While some may perceive the Yankees as more desperate for Pettitte since they were spurned by Cliff Lee, Rivera said Pettitte was vital whether the Yanks had gotten Lee or not. "Andy's always been important to me. Always, have Lee or don't have Lee. Andy, I would've signed him first, if it was me."
Would it be too much of a pun or terribly cliché to say that this would be Rivera's biggest save in over a year? I think so.
