New York Yankees starter Andy Pettitte pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning MLB American League baseball action in Toronto, Tuesday, Sept.17, 2013.
Andy Pettitte, the starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, has announced that he will retire from baseball at the end of the season.
Pettitte first called it quits in 2010 but later returned to the Yankees, the team with which he spent 15 of his 18 years in the league.
“I’ve reached the point where I know that I’ve left everything I have out there on that field. The time is right. I’ve exhausted myself, mentally and physically, and that’s exactly how I want to leave this game,” Pettitte said in a statement.
According to ESPN, Pettitte is a three-time All-Star with 255 career wins and five World Series wins, and the all-time leader in major league post-season victories.
If the Yankees don’t make the playoffs, Pettitte’s last start at Yankee stadium will be this Sunday, the same day that fellow pitcher Mariano Rivera, who is also retiring at season’s end, is set to be honored.
“It is his day. He means so much to me, and has meant so much to my career that I would just hate to somehow take the attention away from him,” Pettitte said, according to ESPN.