Two versions of the same incident. See if you can spot the agenda.
JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ's version
Last October, Andy Pettitte admitted that at times he has scratched his head at some of manager Phil Garner's moves.
Pettitte made it clear he wasn't joking when he said he was upset Garner used Roy Oswalt to pinch hit in the 13th inning Tuesday night instead of him.
With Dodgers righthander Lance Carter pitching, the lefthanded Pettitte thought he would be a better bet than Oswalt.
Garner made light of the situation, but Pettitte said he wasn't joking. For the record, Garner said he would have picked Brandon Backe if Backe wasn't on the disabled list.
"I just have a lot more confidence," Pettitte said. "I'm a lefthanded hitter and they're going to send a righty up there against a righthander. I guess I'd figure they'd send me out there instead of Roy. Everybody wanted to make a big joke about it and everybody's having a good time about it.
"I'm not joking at all. (Garner) knows how I feel about it."
Oswalt defended Garner's choice even though he struck out in his first career pinch-hit appearance.
"Just look at the track record and you'd understand why," Oswalt said. "Go back three years or go back the first year and see where I've placed against the other pitchers on the team."
The LinkAlyson Footer's version
Snubbed: Andy Pettitte is the furthest thing from high maintenance as you'll find in a Major Leaguer, which is why the exchange between the lefty and Roy Oswalt during batting practice on Wednesday was so funny.
Manager Phil Garner started the "controversy" by suggesting Pettitte was incensed with the manager's choice to use Oswalt as a pinch-hitter in the 13th inning on Tuesday -- after the bench was depleted of position players -- instead of Pettitte.
"Andy was very disappointed that I would choose Roy over him," Garner said. "I'm not sure if Andy's going to show up today. I don't know how far he's going to take this, whether there's going to be a lawsuit filed. It's very disappointing."
On the field, Oswalt and Petttite exchanged barbs after they took turns hitting in the cage.
"Look back and look at the stats over the years," Oswalt said. "Who leads the Major League pitching staff [in hitting] every year?"
It's true that Oswalt has the advantage. He's 51-for-324 in his career with a .157 average. Pettitte is hitting .107, logging 13 hits in 121 at-bats.
But to compare the two is unfair. Pettitte played his first nine years in the American League, where he batted far fewer times.
Hogwash, said Oswalt.
"You're either a born athlete or you're not," he said.
Pettitte rushed to his own defense.
"The manager obviously needed to plead insanity for about an hour and a half last night," he said.
Did he attempt to make eye contact in the dugout with Garner, to let him know he was available and willing to pinch-hit?
"Didn't need to," Pettitte said. "I was sitting right there, and I was told to leave my tennis shoes on."
The Link