Pettitte was given permission to report four days late following a congressional ordeal in which he corroborated accusations that Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs. Pettitte will travel to Florida on Monday and address reporters at Legends Field, according to general manager Brian Cashman.
"I think to be a little bit concerned is natural, but my instinct is that he will handle it well," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said.
Pettitte had a difficult offseason in which he was named in December's Mitchell Report, and two days later admitted he used human growth hormone for two days in 2002. His son, Josh, was injured in an auto accident.
Pettitte also was questioned by congressional lawyers about accusations by Brian McNamee that Clemens used steroids and human growth hormone.
Pettitte and Clemens both used McNamee as their trainer, and Pettitte said in a deposition and affidavit released this week that Clemens had discussed use of performance-enhancing drugs with him nearly a decade ago. Clemens has denied the charges, putting Pettitte in a difficult position.
Pettitte also admitted he used HGH in 2004, saying he obtained it from his father.
"As soon as he gets on the baseball field, I think he's able to forget it real quick and concentrate on baseball," catcher Jorge Posada said. "We've got a lot of guys here that are going to support him and give him everything, all the support that he needs."
Mariano Rivera called Pettitte to make sure the pitcher was OK, and Posada said he sent text messages whenever he saw Pettitte on television.
"Definitely, it's a distraction," Rivera said. "Andy's a strong guy."
Posada and Rivera both were surprised Pettitte used HGH. They wouldn't choose sides between Clemens' account and Pettitte's.
"I don't get in the middle of that. I don't like to assume who's right and who's not," Rivera said.
New manager Joe Girardi spoke with Pettitte on Thursday.
"He's doing good. Obviously, he's been through a pretty traumatic offseason," Girardi said. "You'll take his temperature to see where he's at, but I expect Andy to be Andy and ready to go and to come out and do his work and be prepared when the season starts. I don't have any reason to think he won't be prepared March 31."
Posada also expressed admiration for Clemens and predicted the matter would wind up in court.
"I support him. He said he never took it, I'm behind him 100 percent," Posada said. "Rocket is one of my favorite teammates. It doesn't really take anything away from what he did. He's always been, for me, probably the best pitcher I've ever caught. ... He sounded real truthful the other day. That's all I wanted to hear. I'll believe Rocket. That's the guy, I believe."
Andy Pettitte
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/2/207019