He had decided to return to the Yankees last offseason, and the decision made Andy Pettitte appear as loyal and dependable as ever.
But then came the Mitchell Report fallout and the Roger Clemens fiasco, and the questions started coming as to whether Pettitte would regret his decision. Now he -- and the Yankees -- will have an even tougher one to make when this season ends.
Pettitte lost his fourth consecutive start Wednesday, falling 4-2 to the Angels. He is 13-13 for the season.
It is no longer a guarantee Pettitte can help the Yankees. Nor can it be a lock that he would want to return and endure another long season considering he was so close to retiring last year.
Pettitte has been one of the key Yankees through their dynasty's run and an elder statesman to whom younger players could turn for advice.
Both he and the Yankees will soon have to find some solid advice of their own in making a difficult decision.
ANGELS 4, YANKEES 2: The Angels scored three runs in the fifth inning by peppering Andy Pettitte with hits and taking advantage of some sloppy defense. The runs would hold up thanks to a solid job by a combination of five pitchers who held the Yankees to two runs on just four hits.
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