Kevin Kernan
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TAMPA — A scout pulled me aside last night at Steinbrenner Field and offered this comment on Andy Pettitte.
“There’s one reason why Andy came back,’’ the scout said. “He’s better than most of the lefties out there today.’’
Pettitte breezed through his first bullpen session yesterday in Day 1 of his Yankees Comeback.
“I feel like I never left,’’ Pettitte said.
Pettitte said he is shooting for a May 1 return to the majors. He could be back sooner than anyone expects. He will help in many ways.
“He’s an awesome guy,’’ said Michael Pineda, who struck out five of the last six batters he faced last night as the Yankees crushed the Pirates, 10-3. “I’m going to learn from him.’’
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Andy Pettitte
There is much to learn. Pettitte will be successful because it all goes back to the elbow injury he suffered with the Astros in 2004. He says that is how he evolved into the pitcher he is today, which works to his advantage in this comeback for the ages. When Pettitte developed a cutter early in the career he lost his feel for the changeup.
“I was able to be successful because I was on great teams, but I really struggled trying to command both sides of the plate,’’ Pettitte explained. “When I had my elbow surgery in Houston and my velocity just came way down, I felt like that was like one of the greatest things that ever happened to me as far just learning how to pitch again.
“I came back early from the flexor tendon surgery and my velocity was way down and I had to learn how to throw my changeup again and control the outside corner. The evolution of that and me being able to figure it all out again and to come back to the Yankees the last four years that I was here [2007-10], just being able to control both sides of the plate, I wouldn’t be able to do this, especially not in this division, if I wasn’t able to throw the ball to both sides of the plate. That’s been the key for me. That’s the key for anybody that’s just not a true power pitcher. That’s the only reason I can do this.’’
At this stage of the game for Pettitte, it is about command. It’s not about velocity, which has become the key word when evaluating pitchers.
Velocity is the least of Pettitte’s worries. As long as he can stay healthy, he will have success. The challenge of coming back is a mental challenge, not a physical one. Pettitte knows he will be successful if he is healthy. General manager Brian Cashman agrees.
“You can’t find lefty pitching of his stature,’’ Cashman told me. “It was one of those things: How do you say no?’’
Pettitte, who will turn 40 on June 15, had his Jim Morris moment from the movie “The Rookie’’ while throwing at home. He just knew his stuff was back in Texas.
When he visited the Yankees as a spring training instructor, Pettitte was back physically and mentally.
“When I came the first day of spring training this year, I knew that I needed to let Cash know that I was interested in pitching,’’ Pettitte said. “The day I got here I told [him] that. It wasn’t like I got here because I had a bug to play because I was around the guys.’’
Pettitte knew he could get hitters out in the AL East. He still has the pitching goods.
“I am a little surprised, but I am not shocked,’’ Pettitte said of how good he felt during his bullpen session of 50 pitches. “When this decision was made to say I could fully do this, this is where I expected to get to.’’
At one point during the session, coach Mike Harkey, a former major league pitcher, told Pettitte, “Don’t peak too early.’’
Peaking is what Andy Pettitte knows.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com
Andy Pettitte, Pettitte said.Pettitte, Steinbrenner Field
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